On the shores of Lake Como, a city of around 83,000 people is preparing for the arrival of Europe’s elite.
Just seven years after languishing in the amateur depths of Serie D, Como 1907 has completed one of modern football's most remarkable transformations: securing a fourth-place finish in Serie A and punching their ticket to the UEFA Champions League.
While the financial backing of Indonesian billionaires Robert and Michael Hartono, who acquired the club in 2019, provided structural stability, the key catalyst has been on the touchline.
In Cesc Fabregas, Como handed significant control of its sporting project to one of Europe's most intriguing young managers.
How Cesc Fabregas Took Control of Como’s Sporting Project
Unlike the frequent managerial changes seen across Italian football, Fabregas operates with responsibilities that extend beyond those of a traditional head coach, resembling the role once held by classic English managers.
"Here, he's playing Football Manager and he's playing general manager as well," notes Francesco Porzio of CBS Sports to the BBC.
"When a player like Cesc Fabregas arrived at Como, he gave a completely different look to the project."
Como president Mirwan Suwarso has also highlighted Fabregas' influence on the club's footballing identity.
"Cesc helped us create the foundation for who we are today... He lays the vision of our playing DNA and our style, and we have to maintain that."
For local journalists, Fabregas represents a generational shift in Italian tactical culture. Giulio Saetta (Gazzetta dello Sport) highlights his unique pedigree: "He has an extra gear; we haven't had anyone in Italian football with his mentality.
"He is very ambitious but also does things properly and with composure. He oversees every single detail and is tactically very capable.
"The fact that he started playing in the Premier League aged 16 and quickly became a leader may explain that something extra he possesses."
How Wenger and Conte Shaped Cesc Fabregas’ Tactical Philosophy
To dismantle the traditional conservatism of Serie A, Fabregas blended the core tenets of his two primary managerial mentors: Arsene Wenger and Antonio Conte.
"The most important figure to me was Arsene Wenger. He knows everything about me and that's the person that I owe nearly everything," Fabregas admitted.
From Wenger, Fabregas developed an appreciation for fluid, possession-based football and detailed squad management. His defensive adaptability was also shaped by his Premier League title-winning stint under Conte at Chelsea.
"He's also learned a lot from Antonio Conte," Porzio points out. "I think that's where he switched from a player mentality to a coach mentality."
Serie A commentator Thomas Lawrence highlights that while Como is lauded for high-octane attacking football, their defensive record was among the best in Serie A: "Many are not aware that Cesc Fabregas has come up and said Como conceded the fewest goals in Serie A last season alongside Roma. So it's another aspect that says Fabregas has been very good at adapting."
How Como’s Recruitment Strategy Has Developed Young Talent
Fabregas' recruitment strategy has prioritised technically gifted young players over established stars.
The prime example is 21-year-old Argentine playmaker Nico Paz, whose creativity in the half-spaces became a key part of Como's historic league campaign.
Sports Illustrated’s Andrew Gastelum notes that success came through long-term vision rather than reckless spending: "They saw investment in a system, rather than just trying to pick out the best players in the world. Because we've seen that in football, investment correlates with success, but it doesn't necessarily mean it.
"If you don't build out the right team, if you don't build out the right energy and vision, it will fall flat."
Fabregas himself underscored this philosophy: "We are very, very young, all of us. Me the first, the players second. And we want to grow together, to create principles, to create strategy... The owners don't put pressure on us: 'Spend, need to win.' No. We want to create value for the club."
How Como’s Champions League Rise Has Changed the Club and City
Como's rise has helped turn the city into an increasingly popular destination for football tourists, blending the romance of Lake Como with high-level Serie A action.
Nicola Nenci of La Provincia highlights the shifting demographic inside the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia: "Even in years when Como played Serie A and there were 28,000 spectators, today there are 12,000, but then they were all Italians, all Comaschi.
"Today the stadium is full of tourists and foreigners, and they were able to achieve this with a project of football that is not only winning but beautiful to see."
Yet, for supporters who experienced the club's bankruptcies and lower-league years, its identity remains an important part of the current rise.
"We're used to disappointment and suffering, so we always keep our feet on the ground," says lifelong fan Michela Trombetta via UEFA.
"I love welcoming families with small children at the stadium, because they are the future... And hearing the Champions League anthem at a Como match is madness. I can't wait to shout the final part – the champioooooons! – with tears in my eyes."
Museum curator and journalist Enrico Levrini echoes that sentiment: "There are around 3,000 of us who go back to the Serie B, C, D days and are still supporting the club. We know that it is a new world, but we don't want to lose our identity, from the lake to the blue shirts."
Why Cesc Fabregas Has Chosen to Build at Como
Despite links to potential managerial roles at clubs such as Barcelona, Arsenal and Chelsea, analysts argue that Fabregas' setup at Como gives him a level of control that would be difficult to replicate at a superclub.
"What people don't understand is that here he has full, complete control over his vision," explains Gastelum.
"He's not going to get this kind of control at Barcelona, at Arsenal, at Chelsea, where there's massive football machines behind the scenes that can change managers in an instant."
As Como prepares for its maiden Champions League campaign, Fabregas' influence is clear across the club's tactical identity, recruitment strategy and approach to developing young talent, showing how clear vision and alignment between ownership, recruitment and coaching can take a club from the lower leagues to the Champions League.