Como coach Cesc Fàbregas spoke at a press conference before the match against Udinese. Among the topics discussed was Italy’s elimination in the 2026 World Cup play-offs. Asked about the Italian generations, Fabregas gave his opinion bluntly. “Are there any Italian players I like? Of course, but they play Juve and Inter. I obviously like Palestra, I’ve always liked Locatelli. It would be unfair to name only two; if they play there, they are good. As a coach, I like a lot of Italian players. But go ahead and ask for Palestra, but they ask for 40 million. As a club, I am not here to give lessons. We focus on our goals, to build the future we dream of. Osian Roberts manages the Academy structure brilliantly, with great enthusiasm and determination“.
Concerning youth and the Como project, and more generally the lack of young Italians in his squad, the Spanish coach, much criticized and named among the culprits by part of popular opinion, said. “Our main objective? Allow as many players as possible to join the first team. We must therefore start from the under 8s, for example, where my son also plays, to train them differently, both technically and personally, and thus make a difference. Not just at 23, but from 7 or 8 years old. When I see my son, I meet players who have been here for years and who have the feeling of having missed out on something. They got lost. I discuss it a lot with them, and it fascinates me. We encourage players by making them enjoy themselves in a more targeted way. Not everyone can make it, but maybe 1, 2 or 3% will. This is a very important project for us, and we… We want to support them with the greatest care. We are not afraid of losing or of defeat. We know the way forward. I understand that we don’t have many Italians, I understand what is being said, but we started in the first team two years ago with many Italians, Goldaniga being the one who played the most last year. We all have to make our choice at the right time. We are very young, we started from scratch two years ago, we are in a new phase“.
