Cesc Fabregas has distanced himself from the vacant Chelsea job, insisting he is fully focused on his future with Italian side Como. The former Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder, who spent five seasons at Chelsea and won two Premier League titles, is among the favourites to take over at Stamford Bridge after the club parted ways with Liam Rosenior this week.
Chelsea are searching for their sixth head coach in five years under the BlueCo ownership. Calum McFarlane has stepped up from the Under-21 side to serve as interim boss until the end of the season, with a permanent replacement expected to arrive this summer. Among the candidates are Andoni Iraola, who will leave Bournemouth at the end of the season, Fulham's Marco Silva, and former Chelsea left-back Filipe Luis, who is excelling in Brazil with Flamengo.
Fabregas, however, has moved to quash speculation linking him with a return to west London. The 38-year-old is enjoying a successful spell in Serie A with Como, where he began his coaching career just three years ago. Como are on course to qualify for Europe in what is only their second season in the Italian top flight, and Fabregas appears committed to the project.
Como president Mirwan Suwarso told City AM on Friday that he would not stand in Fabregas' way if he wanted to take the reins at Chelsea. "You want your employees to stay with you for as long as possible, but at the end of the day we don't own him and he's free to go to Chelsea if he wishes," Suwarso said.
When quizzed on those comments, Fabregas replied: "I don't have to say anything, because I haven't heard anything from the president. You say that, I know nothing about it. It would be stupid to think about things that aren't important now, because this isn't important to me: the most important thing is Genoa, the next match, and we want to do everything to win."
Expert Analysis: A Modern and Exciting Style
Italian football journalist Lorenzo Bettoni, editor of Football Italia, offered insight into Fabregas' coaching approach: "In Italy, most people and most pundits like his playing style. It's a modern playing style, it's an exciting play style, which has the features that you expect from a young, emerging manager and a young, emerging team. A lot of courage, playing with a high line, trying to keep the ball as much as possible and really trying to have a strong identity, a strong attacking identity against any opponent. It's like a Spanish team playing in Serie A. He has a clear philosophy in mind."
Fabregas himself added: "I think I'll continue as Como's coach: my experience as a player gives me peace of mind."
Fabregas' Coaching Journey
Fabregas joined Como in 2022, ending his playing career at the club before immediately transitioning into coaching. After initially working with the youth and B-team, he was promoted to first-team assistant, helping Como secure promotion back to Serie A. In 2024, he took over as head coach, guiding the Italian club to a tenth-place finish in their first season back in the top flight. Como have continued their progression this season and currently sit fifth, in contention for European qualification with just five games remaining.
Fabregas won two Premier League titles with Chelsea before leaving for Monaco in 2019. He also enjoyed a successful playing career at Arsenal and Barcelona, earning 110 caps for Spain. Now, he is focused on building his managerial reputation in Italy, with Chelsea's interest seemingly not enough to lure him away from his current project.
