So who might be in the running if this departure were to go ahead in a few months’ time? First of all, we need to draw up a profile of the potential successor. We need a coach on the rise, perhaps young, perhaps foreign. Above all, we need someone who can build on his predecessor’s legacy – a ‘playmaker’, a coach who knows how to instil an attacking style in his team and bring out the best in the many talented players who have arrived over the years on the shores of Lake Como.
It is possible that Fabregas and the club will scour the coaching market abroad, given the distinct preference for foreign talent that has characterised Como. We should not be surprised, therefore, if the next manager were to come from the Premier League or La Liga, perhaps someone Cesc has played with or knows well – a trusted figure to whom he can hand over the reins with confidence.
There are three main avenues to explore. The Spanish route, given the club’s existing ties, for example, with Real Madrid, which could lead to candidates such as Davide Ancelotti, Carlo’s son, who has been approached in the past, or Arbeloa himself, who, despite performing well with Los Blancos at present, is unlikely to remain there in the future. Other viable options could be Raul or more established managers such as Iraola and Marcelino. In this vein, candidates such as Xavi or Scaloni, a World Cup winner with Argentina, remain mere dreams for the moment, or – why not – one of Fabregas’ mentors, Guardiola,who appears to be nearing the end of his time at City and might finally want to test himself against Serie A, which he has, incidentally, had a brush with through Brescia – a club not far from Como and one he often returns to visit.
The second avenue to explore is the English one, even in the broadest sense. There are many Premier League managers who could appeal to this board, which also includes former stars from across the Channel. It would be difficult to secure Amorim, who is still under contract with Manchester United; more likely candidates, however, are Glasner, who is leaving Crystal Palace, Fulham’s Marco Silva, and Lampard, who has had an excellent season with Coventry.
Finally, the Italians. The managers who could best follow in Fabregas’s footsteps – albeit with their own characteristics and differences from the Catalan – could be three who are currently available: Thiago Motta, De Zerbi and Maresca. It will be a difficult choice – one that could even be postponed for another year – but Fabregas himself will certainly be called upon to make it, to turn the dreams of greatness of the now former minnow Como into reality.
