Cesc Fàbregas has warned that Como must produce a "perfect performance" against Frosinone, while insisting his side are not chasing the Serie A title alongside Roma and Inter. The Como head coach reached for a famous line from José Mourinho: "I belong to the category of coaches who have not yet won any titles."
His comments come ahead of Sunday's meeting at the Benito Stirpe, and they arrive after a remarkable rise. Como have rocketed up the Italian pyramid, climbing from the second division to Champions League contention in just three years. Rivals and media alike are left guessing at the club's ceiling.
Asked about the top-of-the-table clash between Roma and Inter, and whether he views Como as part of the title race, Fàbregas told reporters on Friday, as reported by "Football Italia": "In my opinion, they are the two strongest teams in Italy. I will watch the match because I love football and I trust it will be an enjoyable encounter, not because they are direct rivals to us for the top places."
Pressed on the comparison between his project at Como and what Johan Cruyff built at Barcelona, Fàbregas replied: "I am far removed from Cruyff and many others. José Mourinho once said that there are coaches who have won titles and others who have won zero titles, and I fit the second description. What matters most is the Como project, not Cesc Fàbregas. I give everything I have to this club, and the time factor is fundamental for any coach. This team has developed greatly over the past two years, and if this group stays together for several years we will achieve something big, whereas changing every six months makes things complicated."
Frosinone, newly promoted to Serie A, arrive on the back of two wins and a draw in their last three. Fàbregas is wary: "This will be one of the five hardest matches we play as a team this season. Frosinone are going through a wonderful period, and when you watch them you see 11 friends fighting for one another, playing with courage and drive to attack. We need to produce a perfect performance to stop the danger of Massimiliano Alvini's side, which possesses fluidity and a positive spirit that makes it a threat to any opponent."
For the first time this season, Como go into the game with a full squad. Jayden Addai has recovered from Achilles tendon surgery to return to the bench, and that leaves Fàbregas with a goalkeeping call to make: the veteran Jean Butez or new arrival Robert Sánchez, on loan from Chelsea.
Fàbregas weighed up the decision: "Sánchez came from a big club and is used to the pressures and to winning titles, and we did not expect him to join us. But resting players is important, even for goalkeepers, and last week's match was the first in which Butez did not start since a year and a half ago. It was an experience and a test, and we will deal with each match on its own to see what happens."
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