Cesc Fabregas enhanced his already burgeoning reputation as a manager with a rip-roaring speech to his Como players that has gone viral.
The 38-year-old Spaniard is regarded by many as the next top managerial star and orchestrated an impressive 2-0 victory over Juventus on Sunday in Serie A.
The former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder was in the frame for a number of top jobs in the summer, including the hotseat in Turin, but opted to remain with Como to take the project further after they splurged £100million in the summer.
And it seems his faith is being repaid, with the players fully buying into his methods.
On the pitch after Sunday’s victory, Fabregas was seen giving an inspiring talk to the group in a huddle and it was posted on the club’s social media channels.
‘I have one word, only one word,’ he said. ‘I’m so f***ing proud of you. From there, you watch football very easily, but what you did was very difficult.
Cesc Fabregas was filmed giving his Como squad an inspiring speech after their win
Arsene Wenger and Thierry Henry were pictured watching Como’s victory on Sunday
‘We run. One minute, 20 minutes, 10 minutes, I don’t care. You need that f***ing mentality to win at this football club, in this team. Thank you so much, let’s keep going!’
The players roared in approval afterwards and their win has moved them up to sixth in the table, just four points off top.
Fans reacted to the clip online, calling Fabregas, a ‘top, top manager’ and a ‘brilliant coach’. Another wrote: ‘You can tell he is the kind of manager players will die for.’
It was a perfect occasion for Fabregas to show off his managerial mettle in front of a couple of familiar faces. Arsenal legends Thierry Henry and Arsene Wenger were in the stands watching on.
Fabregas, who played more than 200 games for the Gunners under Wenger and shared the pitch with Henry in north London, will have impressed his old boss and team-mate, who appeared to be enjoying their afternoon at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium.
But the former midfielder’s prowess in the dugout won’t have come as a surprise to either of the Frenchmen.
Fabregas has previously revealed how Wenger messages him after every match and described him as ‘the best coach I’ve had’ – high praise from a player who worked under both Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho.
Bayer Leverkusen wanted Fabregas to replace Xabi Alonso when the Spaniard left for Real Madrid in the summer and he was also heavily linked with the Roma job having expertly steered Como to promotion and seized his chance after starting as interim boss.
He was known as a player for his elite footballing brain making up for a lack of top level speed and physicality and that same sharp mind has drawn high praise as a manager, too.
Fabregas is pictured chatting to Wenger on the training pitch back in 2004 with Arsenal
Fabregas has led Como to sixth in Serie A and the result saw them jump ahead of Juventus
‘The truth is, I didn’t expect such rapid success, but I do believe Fabregas will be a great coach in the future,’ Wenger previously told Marca.
‘Sometimes, when you go so quickly from playing to coaching, it’s difficult to adapt, and he’s done it very quickly.’
Former Como boss Osian Roberts said: ‘I have worked with and mentored a few bright young coaches, Mikel (Arteta), Patrick (Vieira), Thierry (Henry), Pep Lijnders. But Cesc is certainly in the top category.
‘He’s a very impressive young man, serious about his work and improving as much as he can.’
Last season Fabregas went on Sky Italy to talk a panel through his tactics and was hugely impressive. His style of play appears most similar to Guardiola of his former bosses, with plenty of possession, high intensity pressing from the front to win the ball back quickly and plenty of passing through the middle of the pitch.
Even though Fabregas is still a young coach himself, he has inspired former Arsenal team-mate Jack Wilshere, who recently took the helm at Luton in League One.
Fabregas has worked with some of the best managers of all time including Pep Guardiola at Barcelona (left) and Jose Mourinho (right)
Fabregas has forged a strong bond between the players and is tipped for the very top
Wilshere previously posted a picture of the pair working together on Instagram, writing: ‘Learning from the best football brain I know! As a player I wish I had the chance to play with this guy for longer but having the chance to pick his brain about certain situations and how he thinks about the game is invaluable. Thank you.’
After the win on Sunday, Fabregas also showed he is not afraid of some public confrontation and bit back at opposite number Igor Tudor after the game.
Prior to the match, Tudor had said: ‘Como is a ‘fake small club, they spent a lot and in an interesting way; the players were all chosen by the coach, which is rare and impressive.’
Fabregas responded: ‘Tudor is in charge of a great club with an important history. He said that I take all the players, but maybe no one explained things properly to him.
‘He is a great coach and works with great players. Tudor must always win with Juventus, while we have a different reality!’
Juventus are now level on points with Como and have won just one of their previous five league games.
Fabregas will be hoping to sustain a push for Europe with Como and upset the established sides
Fabregas bolstered the squad with the likes of Alvaro Morata and Jesus Rodriguez in the summer, tapping into his contacts and knowledge of Spanish football.
Morata has still not scored for his new club in eight appearances but the manager stood up for his striker, insisting: ‘A striker is judged by their goals, but I don’t. He has to score goals for himself, but not for me. He has shown exactly why we brought him to Como.’
If Como manage to maintain their upward trajectory and establish themselves among Italy’s elite, they will hope to retain Fabregas’ services.
But there’s little doubt the former Chelsea and Barcelona midfielder will have offers to leave for more historic clubs competing for honours in the near future.
