Fabregas: ‘Como’s Champions League dream must become reality’

COMO, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 14: Cesc Fabregas, Manager of Como 1907, celebrates victory after the Serie A match between Como 1907 and Parma Calcio at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on September 14, 2026 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Cesc Fabregas says that he is pleased with what he is seeing from his players in the early stages of the 2026-27 season, is not concerned by Nico Paz’s lack of goals or assists at club level, but has warned his Como players that their Champions League ‘dream’ must quickly become their ‘reality’. 

Fabregas previews Feyenoord vs. Como: ‘A dream that must become reality’

The Como head coach shared his opinions in an interview with Sky Sport Italia ahead of Como’s Champions League clash away against Feyenoord on Wednesday evening. 

Como claimed an emphatic 4-1 victory at home against RB Leipzig in their first ever Champions League appearance in the previous round of fixtures in September. Their form in Serie A has taken a bit of a dip since then, losing 2-0 to Frosinone just before the international break and being held to a 0-0 draw against Roma on Sunday. 

The games are coming thick and fast for Fabregas and his players, though, and the attention has already shifted to Wednesday’s test against Feyenoord, which will see Fabregas go up against one of his old opponents in Giovanni van Bronckhorst. 

“We played against each other in a Champions League final and in the World Cup final. He’s a great guy, a great person, very handsome, a beautiful player and he’s proving to be a great coach as well,” Fabregas told Sky on Tuesday. 

Speaking about his career as a player, Fabregas was asked whether he would swap his World Cup winner’s medal for a Champions League title. 

He replied: “Obviously I’ll keep the World Cup, it’s the best thing a player can win. But I missed out on the Champions League and it hurt me incredibly. But the past is made up of memories and I’m a coach now.”

Fabregas was also asked about the goalscoring form of star attacker Nico Paz, who scored three times while on international duty with Argentina over the break, but ‘only’ has one goal and one assist from his first six Serie A games of the season. 

“He’s always judged by goals and assists, but he had the two or three best actions against Roma,” Fabregas argued. “He’s decisive for us. He’s strong, he’s still growing and he’s only at the beginning of his third season as a professional. 

“He’s travelled and played with his national team, it doesn’t worry me, I’ve been there as well. Ups and downs are normal. I think he’s doing well, he wants to grow and learn.”

This is Fabregas’s first season as head coach of a Champions League side, which means that he will surely have to start rotating his squad a lot more than he did during the 2025-26 season. 

“I don’t know. It’s the first time in history we’ve done it and it’s the first time in my career as well,” said Fabregas. 

“A lot of them made their Champions League debuts against Leipzig. We’re still growing. We know that we will be judged by results, but we’re living a dream that must slowly turn into the reality. 

“We’re only at the beginning. Anybody who’s achieved anything in life knows that what you do on your first day is not the same thing you’d do after 10 years. I’m calm, I want everyone to play as much as possible, they all deserve it.”