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Sports
Cesc Fabregas says a Premier League return is in his future plans, while enjoying his current role as Como manager.
Cesc Fabregas has confirmed that a return to the Premier League remains part of his long-term career ambitions, even as he continues to build his managerial reputation at Italian side Como. The former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder has guided the Serie A club to the brink of European qualification, sparking speculation about potential moves to top English clubs.
Speaking about his future, the 39-year-old Spaniard acknowledged the Premier League's status while remaining focused on his current project. "The Premier League is the best league in the world," Fabregas told Telegraph Sport. "I've always been very, very clear about it. I felt it as a player, I feel it as a coach, as a fan."
Fabregas, who won multiple trophies during his playing career in England, emphasized that he is in no rush to leave Como. He recalled advice from former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho about the length of a coaching career. "Mourinho told me one day when I was at Chelsea: 'I still have 30 years to work.' So I could be here [Como] for 10 years, and you can still go to the Premier League in 12, 15 years," he said.
The former midfielder stressed the unpredictability of football management. "Football is so unpredictable, it changes in one second. One day, you are the best. The day after, you are the worst. So let's enjoy the moment. It's beautiful what we are living here. Let's see what the future holds," he added.
Fabregas's coaching approach has been shaped by a stellar list of former managers, including Arsene Wenger and Antonio Conte. He famously kept a "little black book" of tactical observations during his playing days, but now relies more on his own instincts as he establishes himself among Europe's promising young coaches.
"I started the book when I was at Arsenal. Not when I was 16, but maybe when I was 22 or 23, before going to Barcelona, and then I just kept adding to it during my career," Fabregas explained. "I referred back to it at the beginning [of being a coach] because everything was new. But now, with my experience, every time I'm more confident about what I do."
Wenger, along with Thierry Henry and former Arsenal executive David Dein, attended Como's historic victory over Juventus last October. "It was amazing because I speak to Arsene," Fabregas said. "He sends me messages after games, even when we lose or when we win after good performances. He gives me a lot of courage."
Despite links to high-profile vacancies at former clubs like Chelsea, Fabregas remains committed to attractive, possession-based football. He insisted he would walk away from the game rather than compromise on the technical principles that defined his playing career.
"I coach the way that I feel. I love the game. If I coach only to get results, I will not do it. I don't have the necessity to do it. I played for 20 years, my kids, my wife, they have a great life. Thank God that I played for great clubs, and I don't know how to say but I don't need to do it. I do it because of the passion and because I want to do it my way."
"You can win in any way, as long as you convince the players and you convince everyone that this is the right way. But I have my beliefs. If you want to play long ball, second ball, I'm sorry I'm not your guy, because I don't feel it. So I will not be able to transmit the fire," Fabregas added.
Fabregas operates not just as coach but as a minority shareholder with significant influence over the club's sporting direction. Working under the billionaire Hartono brothers, he has been given freedom to implement his vision, including designing training facilities and dictating pitch dimensions to suit his passing style.
"I take all the football decisions," he explained. "The sporting director, he's day-to-day with me and we see football the same way. The signings, we work with data, we have our scouting and stuff, but it needs to be something that I believe in. It needs to be a player that I'm convinced about."
"I'm so happy and lucky that we have a president that trusts me a lot and has given me the confidence to go and take all the football decisions. That, for me, is really important," Fabregas concluded.
