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.
He 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
‘We run. 1 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.
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 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.
Arsene Wenger and Thierry Henry were pictured watching Como’s victory on Sunday
Fabregas has led Como to sixth in Serie A and the result saw them jump ahead of Juventus
‘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 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.
