Fabregas and Conte: A Journey Through Challenges and Triumphs

Cesc Fabregas joined Chelsea in 2014 when Jose Mourinho reintroduced him to the Premier League. Two years later, under the management of Antonio Conte, the team adopted a 4-2-3-1 formation. However, following a series of disappointing results, including a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal, Conte shifted to a 3-4-3 formation that revitalized Chelsea’s season. In this new setup, Fabregas often served as a substitute behind the primary midfield duo of Nemanja Matic and N’Golo Kante.

Despite not being a regular starter, Fabregas’s influence remained significant, as he utilized his exceptional passing and creativity to dismantle opposing defenses during critical moments. Over 86 appearances under Conte, he scored 10 goals and provided 23 assists, playing a vital role in Chelsea’s triumphs, which included the 2016–17 Premier League title and an FA Cup victory. This period marked a memorable chapter in his career at Stamford Bridge.

Conte’s training sessions gained a reputation for being extremely rigorous, leading Chelsea’s captain John Terry to request a reduction in intensity. Although Conte eventually agreed, he later noted that his former teammates Alessandro Del Piero and Zinedine Zidane had trained even harder than the Chelsea squad that secured the 2016–17 Premier League title.

In an interview with La Provincia de Como, Fabregas commended Conte’s coaching prowess while acknowledging the grueling nature of his training sessions, stating, “He’s great. I really like him. But his training sessions at Chelsea are exhausting.” He recounted an instance where he nearly fainted from exhaustion, leaning on a teammate for support at the end of a session.

After leaving Chelsea, Fabregas continued his professional journey with stints at Monaco and subsequently Como, where he transitioned into management in 2023. Despite being relatively inexperienced as a coach, he quickly made an impression with his clear vision and tactical organization. In his inaugural full season, Fabregas led Como to a respectable 10th-place finish in the 2024-25 Serie A campaign, setting the stage for a more ambitious project. This season, Como has made notable strides, achieving impressive results such as a 2-0 victory over Juventus and a resilient 0-0 draw against defending champions Napoli. These performances have propelled them to seventh place in the table, just four points shy of fourth-placed Napoli, and have kept their hopes of European qualification alive.

Conversely, Conte has charted a unique managerial path since departing Chelsea. He took the helm at Inter in 2019, guiding them to a Europa League final in his debut season and securing the Scudetto in 2020-21, thus ending Juventus’ long-standing dominance. In 2024, Conte embraced a challenge at Napoli, leading them to their fourth Serie A title, the club’s second in three years. However, the current season has proven to be more challenging, as Napoli has struggled with attacking fluidity, suffering two defeats in their last five league matches and failing to score in three consecutive games across all competitions. These difficulties have put Conte under scrutiny, prompting him to acknowledge the need for serious discussions with club officials to redirect the team’s trajectory and avoid a repeat of the dramatic collapse experienced in the 2023-24 season, when Napoli finished 10th after winning the Scudetto the prior year.

With Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis publicly supporting Conte and dismissing rumors regarding his possible resignation, Conte’s position at the club appears stable. During the international break, he is likely assessing the situation at Napoli, particularly as he confronts the challenge of revitalizing their season without key players Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne.

Meanwhile, Fabregas and Como will utilize the international break to devise new strategies aimed at maximizing the performance of pivotal players like Nico Paz, whom Fabregas praised this week. With the appropriate adjustments, Como aims to contend for a top four finish.