Staff Reporter.
Spaniard Cesc Fabregas has been appointed as head coach of Como after leading them to promotion to Serie A as assistant and interim coach last season, the club said on Friday.
Former Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea midfielder Fabregas ended his playing career at Como in 2023 and became an assistant coach at the club.
He took over as interim coach after head coach Moreno Longo was fired.
Como rose from seventh to third in Serie B under Fabregas before Osian Roberts was appointed as interim coach in December, with Fabregas remaining as his assistant. Como secured automatic promotion after finishing second in the league.
Roberts will now take over as Como’s head of development, the club said in a statement.
“I am so happy to be starting this season as head coach and I thank the ownership group for trusting me with this position,” Fabregas said in a club statement. “I share the ambitions of the group and believe this is just the start of where this club can go. It’s going to be a tough and important season but myself and the rest of the coaching staff are ready and we all believe.”
Como said Roberts will move into a role as head of development for the club.
“It’s an honor for us to officially appoint Cesc as head coach,” said Mirwan Suwarso, a representative of the cllub’s ownership group. “The impact of his knowledge, experience and passion is already evident in the success of last season and the evolution of our playing style.”
Como became embroiled in a racism row this week after a preseason game against Premier League club Wolverhampton in Spain, when South Korean forward Hwang Hee-chan said he was subjected to an anti-Asian remark from a Como player in the second half.