'They think they're playing for Bayern' - Cesc Fabregas savages his Como players as ex-Arsenal & Chelsea star sees few positives after Serie A draw against Empoli

Empoli took the lead through Anastasios Douvikas, only for Christian Kouame’s towering header to bring Como level. In fact, the hosts were lucky to escape with a point as Empoli had several more opportunities to secure all three points.

Despite an upturn in performances in 2025, Como sit just seven points above the relegation zone in the 13th spot. The match against an 18th-placed Empoli was an opportunity to further climb up the table, and Fabregas was frustrated to see the chance go begging.

"I'm not happy, I say that I didn't like my team. Maybe it's my fault, but I think the only positive thing today is the point," Fabregas told reporters after the match.

"I tell the players that we have to get back down to earth, some of them thought they were at Bayern Munich. That's not good. Now we need to keep working, that's football. Empoli could have won, we had prepared the match, but I didn't like some things about their attitude.

"We didn't press high and hard, we recovered a lot of balls. The team is made to play like this. Empoli was also good. We have to be ready, we have to be more careful in this type of game. We have to approach the game differently and raise the level."

While Fabregas was critical of most of his squad, he did single out one player for praise - Assane Diao.

“The only player from today I liked was Assane Diao," he said. "Despite the fact, he only returned from international duty on Thursday. He was the only one who tried to do something. I believe we can do much better.”

On a positive note, Sergi Roberto and Alberto Moreno returned to the starting XI, providing a boost for Como. However, they were without Nico Paz and Dele Alli, who were both suspended for the match.

Como will now shift their focus to their next Serie A fixture against Monza on April 5. With the relegation battle heating up, Fabregas will expect a much-improved display from his side as they aim to strengthen their position in the league table.