Cesc Fabregas wanted Inter talks but Como shut down request as president says ‘nothing extraordinary’ was needed to convince ex-Arsenal & Chelsea star to stay at Serie A club

Fabregas "never expressed any desire to leave" Como, as per president Surwaso, who asserts that the club did "nothing extraordinary" in their efforts to retain the services of the head coach despite the ex-Barcelona star's wish to hold conversations with Inter. 

Having played for Como for one season and then coaching them for five games in an interim capacity in 2023, Fabregas returned to the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia as the full-time manager ahead of the 2024-25 season, with the club attaining promotion to Serie A. In his debut managerial campaign in the top-flight, the 38-year-old guided Como to a respectable 10th-placed finish, which including some shock wins over bigger teams in the league. 

Earlier this summer, though, the former Spain international was subject to speculation which linked him with a move away from Como. Bundesliga sides Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig showed interest, while Inter seriously considered appointing him as their new boss following Simone Inzaghi's decision to step down from the post in the wake of the Nerazzurri's Champions League final humiliation. In June, president Surwaso had already stated that they will not allow the Spaniard to leave Como.

Speaking to Corriere della Sera, Surwaso has further opened up on Inter's interest, saying: "It's not like we did anything extraordinary to keep him; he never expressed any desire to leave. Was I offended by the Nerazzurri's pressure? No, Inter approached Fabregas professionally: he asked us for permission to negotiate, and we refused. From the outside, the deal seemed like a soap opera, I understand." 

Fabregas oversaw a brilliant 2-0 win over Lazio on the opening Serie A weekend of the 2025-26 season last Sunday. Como will now take on last season's Coppa Italia winners Bologna on Saturday in their upcoming clash.