Cesc Fabregas praises Arsenal hierarchy for showing 'patience' with Mikel Arteta as Como boss aims to copy Gunners' culture

Fabregas returned to the Emirates Stadium as his Como side held Arsenal to a 1-1 draw in a pre-season friendly before the Gunners won on penalties on Wednesday. The former Arsenal captain offered open praise to the club's hierarchy for their patience in backing Arteta through difficult periods, which ultimately led to them lifting the Premier League title last season. Fabregas highlighted Arsenal's commitment to a long-term project as a rarity in modern football, something he now aims to replicate with his Italian side.

The Spaniard, who made 303 appearances during his playing days for the Gunners, pointed out how the club's board firmly stood by their strategic vision despite early struggles under Arteta's tenure.

Speaking after the match at the Emirates Stadium, Fabregas expressed his admiration for the club's long-term planning: "Congratulations to the club in general starting from seven, eight years ago when they first started with this project. Because what you see in football every day, what Arsenal did, especially in the difficult moments, it doesn’t exist.

"I told Edu, I told Andrea [Berta] when I came last year to a Champions League game, I said congratulations to the whole club for the patience, for sticking together, for sticking to the plan when for three years in a row, correct me if I’m wrong, finished eighth, eighth, eighth, fourth year nearly Champions League, it was a big disappointment, Tottenham came, you finish fifth, but you keep going because you have a plan, because you have an objective, because you have progression, you keep going forward."

Fabregas noted that the modern tendency toward reactive managerial sackings often destroys consistency, adding that he feels fortunate to build a similar project at Como by instilling the culture and values established by Arsenal.

The former Spain midfielder continued: "We lack this in football today. You lose three games, change the coach, he was playing one style, now you play another, at the end of the day I don’t believe in this a lot.

"I’m very lucky I’m in a project, of course with much lower level, the history, everything, but we’re trying to look at the stability Arsenal had, the values, the culture that they are bringing.

"I think Mikel has done a tremendous job. So I can only wish them the best, really. Because most of the group, these guys now you talk to them, I don’t know… they’re good guys, they want to play good football, they are respectful, you can see how they stick to the plan all the time. Really, I’m super happy to come back here and smell this feeling."

Arsenal face Manchester City in the Community Shield in Cardiff on Sunday, 16 August, before kicking off their Premier League title defence against newly promoted Coventry City six days later.

On that same Sunday, Como are set to play a double-header of friendlies against Liverpool, with the first fixture held behind closed doors before the second welcomes supporters. The Italian outfit will then turn their attention to their Serie A season opener against Udinese the following Saturday.