Como coach Cesc Fabregas conceded it is “impossible to understand what’s happening” in Serie A, given the complex nature of the division.

Fabregas, who took charge at Como on a permanent basis in July 2024, is fresh from leading I Lariani to a fourth-place finish in Serie A, securing qualification for next season’s Champions League.

It marks the club’s first venture onto the continent in their history, highlighting a significant achievement just under two years into Fabregas’ first management role.

The former Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder previously had a successful playing career that saw him feature in the Premier League, LaLiga, Ligue 1 and Serie A.

And the 39-year-old explained what it is like to coach in the Italian top flight, and how it differs from the other top leagues.

“Here, a lot of teams think about how to eliminate you by pressing and defending, not by attacking,” he told The Athletic.

“That means a team that wants to win needs to be ready to break down a defence that has been created to cause you pain, to kill you. This requires more attention to detail.

“Let’s put it this way. They want to bring you into the context of the duels. They know you’re going to play. So you need to take them into positions where they’re not comfortable, and try to attack their weaknesses.

“Winning in Italy, believe me, people say there are a lot of 0-0s and 1-0s, it’s difficult. Trust me, I analyse a lot of football. I watch the Bundesliga, LaLiga and the Premier League. Teams defend very, very differently to how they defend in Italy.

“You watch Premier League teams, you see a structure. You see what they’re trying to do. You see the style they want to apply. Here, a lot of the times, it’s impossible to understand what’s happening. That’s why you need to pay great attention to detail.”

Save this!

Full fixtures of the 2026-27 @SerieA seasonpic.twitter.com/rpoUVqJXSH

— Como1907 (@Como_1907) June 5, 2026

Como’s impressive season was achieved by a squad mainly consisting of foreign players, though the lack of Italian involvement drew criticism from some areas.

Fabregas revealed the process he undertakes when recruiting a new signing.

“The first thing we look at is the person,” he explained. “In my first meeting with a player, I don’t speak about football. I only speak about their personal life.

“I want to identify their mentality, explain who we are, how we do things, how we work. The players and the families are more important than anyone. You mark some clear things about the culture of the team and the club, and then after that, we start talking football.

“I believe in them blindly and when a coach believes blindly in his players — look, there are always things you cannot control. But you will always get the best out of the player or do better than someone who brings them in because they have good data, but the coach doesn’t trust or know the player.

“What I don’t understand is sometimes clubs sign players without speaking to the coach, or without the coach studying and speaking to the player. It’s the coach who needs to make these players play and make them better.”