Cesc Fabregas Calls for Perfect Performance from Como Against Frosinone

Cesc Fabregas insists Como must deliver “the perfect performance” away to Frosinone on Sunday, warning that his fast-rising side are nowhere near the Roma–Inter Scudetto fight and reminding everyone, including himself, of one blunt truth.

“I’ve won zero titles.”

The former Spain and Barcelona midfielder has become the face of Como’s remarkable rise, a project that has taken the Lariani from Serie B to the Champions League in three whirlwind years. The surge has sparked big talk, big comparisons and, in some quarters, unrealistic expectations.

Fabregas is having none of it.

‘Roma and Inter are on another level’

Como travel to the Stadio Benito Stirpe for a 14.00 UK time (15.00 CEST) kick-off against a Frosinone side that has taken Serie A by surprise with two wins and a draw from their last three games. Before that, though, Fabregas was asked about the other big fixture of the weekend: Roma vs Inter, billed as an early Scudetto showdown.

He was clear where Como stand in that picture.

“In my view, they are the two strongest teams in Italy. I will watch it because I love football and think it is going to be an incredible game, not because they are our direct competitors for position,” he said in his press conference.

As Como’s football has become more daring and sophisticated, some have even suggested Fabregas is building a Cruyff-style project on Lake Como, a long-term idea that could reshape the club. The comparison made him bristle.

“I am a long way from so many, let alone him. Jose Mourinho said there are coaches who have won titles and others who won zero titles, and I am in the latter camp.

“The most important thing is Como, not me. I am within this project and I give it my all. The key for a coach is time to work, and I think this team has improved so much over the last two years. If we can continue with this same side for two, four, five years, then we can really do something, but if we change every six months, it's difficult.”

The message was unmistakable: this is a long game, not a sprint to the Scudetto conversation.

Frosinone test ‘one of the five most difficult’

All that talk of Cruyff and titles quickly gave way to something more immediate: Frosinone, promoted in the summer and playing like they never got the memo about being cautious newcomers.

“It is going to be one of the five most difficult matches of our Serie A season,” Fabregas warned.

“Frosinone are in great form, watching them I can see 11 friends giving their all for each other, they play with courage and on the front foot. We need the perfect performance and I really enjoyed seeing Massimiliano Alvini's team in action.

“They have a fluidity and a very positive mentality, they're a genuine danger for anyone they face, and if we want to win, we need our best performance of the season.”

That is a strong statement from a coach who has already taken his team into some of Italy’s most hostile grounds. But it also reflects where Como are now: respected, scouted, no longer a surprise. Every opponent is ready for them.

On Sunday, they meet a side that mirrors some of their own traits: brave, energetic, aggressive with and without the ball. Any hint of complacency, and the new boys will punish them.

Full squad, big decisions

For the first time this season, Fabregas will have a full squad at his disposal. Jayden Addai is back on the bench after surgery on a torn Achilles tendon, a significant boost for the months ahead.

The bigger dilemma lies in goal.

Jean Butez has been the long-term No.1, an ever-present until the last match. Then came Robert Sanchez, on loan from Chelsea, bringing with him a different profile and a winning background.

“Sanchez arrived from a very important club, he won trophies and knows how to deal with constant pressure to win. We didn't expect him to come here, but it's important for every player to get rest, even the goalkeepers. The last game was the first time in a year and a half that Butez didn't start.

“That was a test, we'll take it one game at a time and see what happens.”

It is the kind of decision that marks a growing club: internal competition, big reputations on the bench, and a coach who knows he cannot afford sentiment.

Como’s rise has already bent the usual timelines in Italian football. On Sunday in Frosinone, Fabregas wants something more basic: 90 minutes of perfection, from a team still learning how far – and how fast – it can really go.