COMO, Italy (AP) — Serie A newcomer Como appointed Cesc Fabregas as its head coach on Friday after the former Spain midfielder helped the club earn promotion last season as an assistant.
Como said Friday that Fabregas signed a four-year contract and that “the appointment comes after a successful campaign last season as interim and assistant coach culminating in the promotion back to Serie A.”
Fabregas and his former Arsenal teammate Thierry Henry are minority shareholders in the club, located in Italy's Lombardy region, and the Spaniard joined Como as a player in 2022 before becoming interim manager in November last year. He then served as an assistant to former Wales manager Osian Roberts as he did not have the required coaching license yet to take charge of the team on a permanent basis.
“I am so happy to be starting this season as head coach and I thank the ownership group for trusting me with this position," Fabregas said in a club statement. "I share the ambitions of the group and believe this is just the start of where this club can go. It’s going to be a tough and important season but myself and the rest of the coaching staff are ready and we all believe.”
Como said Roberts will move into a role as head of development for the club.
“It’s an honor for us to officially appoint Cesc as head coach," said Mirwan Suwarso, a representative of the cllub's ownership group. “The impact of his knowledge, experience and passion is already evident in the success of last season and the evolution of our playing style.”
Como became embroiled in a racism row this week after a preseason game against Premier League club Wolverhampton in Spain, when South Korean forward Hwang Hee-chan said he was subjected to an anti-Asian remark from a Como player in the second half.
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