Como President Mirwan Suwarso Says Cesc Fabregas Has 'Exceeded All Expectations'
Ameteoric rise from Serie B to Europe's elite
Como president Mirwan Suwarso has credited Cesc Fabregas with giving the club the direction behind its remarkable ascent, saying the Spaniard has surpassed everything the ownership had hoped for. In an interview with Cronache di Spogliatoio, with quotes carried via TuttoMercatoWeb, Suwarso spoke at length about the model that has taken Como from Serie B to the Champions League in little more than two seasons.
Speaking about the club's philosophy, Suwarso was keen to downplay the idea that Como are reinventing the wheel. "We don't consider ourselves revolutionaries, and we don't think we're doing anything different from anyone else," he said. "We're simply doing things we've seen others do, perhaps in other countries or other sports. At the end of the day, it's business and we have to be sustainable."
The results have been striking. Como thrashed RB Leipzig 4-1 on their debut in Europe's premier club competition, and followed that up with a 3-1 win at Fiorentina on Sunday, ahead of Wednesday's visit of Manchester United.
Fabregas gave Como a direction
Suwarso was effusive in his praise for Fabregas, arguing that the former midfielder's clear vision has been the cornerstone of the project.
"Fabregas has exceeded all our expectations. That's why people think we built the roof first, but we always tried to build the foundations first, because you need a broad vision and a direction. Cesc brought us that," Suwarso explained.
"When he was with the Primavera, it was clear to everyone how incredibly intelligent he was. He had a clear vision, and I felt that vision should guide us in the first team too."
Fabregas, a World Cup winner as a player, initially arrived at Como in 2022 as a player before taking charge of the first team. Suwarso revealed that the coach also writes reports for the club's owners before matches, a practice he believes should be far more commonplace in football.
"I'm surprised it isn't more widespread, because it's quite normal in other companies and other sports," he said. "It means we're all on the same wavelength and can judge results more objectively."
An all-Italian ambition — and a nod to Athletic Club
Despite Como's squad being built largely on foreign signings, Suwarso set out an ambitious long-term goal for the club's identity, holding up Athletic Club as the model.
"We are Italian more than anything else, and our aim is to develop as many young talents as possible for the national team," he said. "Step by step, we will build a team made up entirely of Italians, ideally all from Lombardy if we manage it, just like Athletic Club."
Suwarso also praised the contribution of minority shareholders Thierry Henry and Raphaël Varane, both former internationals.
"Henry has played a fundamental role in our growth," Suwarso said, adding that Varane "has made an incredible contribution to the youth sector".
Context: Fabregas's standing at Como
The praise echoes comments attributed to Suwarso in earlier reporting, in which he described Fabregas as Como's "Johan Cruyff" for the foundations he laid at the club. That coverage also noted claims about a clause in Fabregas's Como contract allowing him to depart under affordable conditions should Barcelona, Arsenal or Chelsea come calling — talk that fuelled speculation he could one day succeed Hansi Flick at Camp Nou.
On the pitch, Como's 4-1 win over RB Leipzig on their Champions League debut — secured with goals from Martin Baturina, Tasos Douvikas, Assane Diao and Maximo Perrone, with Andrija Maksimović replying for Leipzig — underlined the scale of the club's transformation in a short space of time.