Drones take off in Cesc Fàbregas' ambitious, multi-million-dollar project

BarcelonaA drone flies over the Como 1907 training ground and records Cesc Fàbregas's team training. They analytically work on the ball release and rehearse the same play around fifty times. When it's over, the Arenys de Mar native turns to his coaching staff and requests that play number 33 be stopped because there's been an error. "We didn't know which one he was referring to, but he nailed it, he was right. He has all of football in his head," they explain from Italy. With Cesc in charge, Como returned to Serie A 21 years later, and his first season in the top flight hasn't gone unnoticed by the big European clubs. Some have come knocking, but he believes it's not yet time to jump in.

Como lives in the conflict between a luxurious city and a football project built by hand, from the ground up, where Fàbregas wields all his powers. He's tailored the project to his needs, similar to Pep Guardiola's approach to Manchester City. They're also not short of money, as they have the protection of the Hartono family, a multimillionaire Indonesian family with a presence on the Forbes list. However, they've shown Cesc the patience that big owners don't usually have. They weren't alarmed when Como had only won four games by January. They strengthened their game in the winter transfer window and finished the season in a comfortable mid-table position, with a final run of six wins, one draw, and just one defeat, against Inter Milan, Barça's Champions League losers.

Cesc and his coaching staff's workdays typically last no less than 12 hours. It wasn't much different when, after retiring, he began coaching Como Primavera, the youth team. "His sessions were intense and fun; he always proposed something different and he enjoyed the games. We learned a lot," explains Alberto Mocchetti, who was in his ranks. "He demanded that you be alert and focused, and sometimes he trained with us," he adds. "He liked building from the back: looking for the third man, using the goalkeeper to attract pressure from the opponent, looking for the unmarked teammate..." comments Francesco Lipari, another of his former players.

In this regard, Cesc has reviewed the Barça ideology, although those close to him suggest that the influence of different coaches can be seen in his approach. As a player, he passed through the hands of very different managers. From Guardiola to the legendary Arsène Wenger, via José Mourinho and Antonio Conte, this year's champion with Napoli, a team Como defeated. "He's a very humble coach, very direct, very transparent, and close to the player. And, above all, ambitious. He has a very good coaching staff that individualizes the players' performances," explains someone who knows Fàbregas well. "We look at each other and we already know what he wants. This rarely happens. Football-wise, we speak the same language," explains a player in the squad.

Since Cesc took over as coach, Como has relied especially on young talent. First, they began by bringing in experienced players, such as Sergi Roberto (33), Pepe Reina (42), and Raphael Varane (31), who retired due to physical problems shortly after announcing the signing. On the other hand, they also bet on the ex-Real Madrid player Nico Paz (20), one of the great sensations of the season, the ex-City player Máximo Perrone (22) and the ex-Barça player Álex Valle (21). In addition, this summer they will also land, among others, Jesús Rodríguez (19), one of the pearls of Betis. Álvaro Morata could join him. Last season they invested close to 100 million euros and this summer they could talk about similar figures.

All power to Cesc and illustrious visits

"They pretended it was the best place to continue growing. Although we had other offers, we knew the bet was on Cesc first and then on the Como project," explains a representative. "It's a very ambitious project, with a lot of money behind it, and young, very professional people eager to grow the club. Cesc has all the power; the board doesn't interfere. This translates to signings, the way we play..." explains the same person.

The club wants the team to be a representative element of the city. It could be a differentiating feature in an Italy accustomed to having two major teams per city: Roma and Lazio in the capital, Inter Milan and Milan, Juventus and Turin, and Sampdoria and Genoa. The project to remodel their stadium, Giuseppe Sinigaglia, has already been approved. Five seasons ago, they had just over 200 spectators, and now they fill the stadium with around 10,000, and it's common for big-name Hollywood actors such as Andrew Garfield, Keira Knightley, and Hugh Grant to appear in the stands. Occasionally, they also receive visits from Thierry Henry, a small shareholder in the club. So do Fàbregas and Varane. Although football is unpredictable, in Como, they've found all the ingredients needed for a potentially winning project. They make no secret of the fact that this season they'll want to look towards Europe.