Como boss Cesc Fabregas has revealed the secret behind a photo of Ciro, son of the legendary Lionel Messi, wearing his side's shirt, an image that sent social media wondering why that particular jersey had been chosen.
The picture took off after Antonela Roccuzzo, Messi's wife and Ciro's mother, posted it on her Instagram account. It soon reached Fabregas, Messi's former Barcelona team-mate, who spilled the behind-the-scenes details in an interview on Tuesday.
Fabregas told Sky, in comments carried by Football Italia: "I am the one who gave him that shirt. Our wives, our children and I have been close friends for many years, and I have sent them a lot of Como shirts."
Italian media had claimed Ciro picked the Como shirt out of admiration for Nico Paz, one of the leading candidates to inherit Messi's number 10 for Argentina once he retires.
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The Como manager put that one to bed. "It's my shirt," he explained. "The name Fabregas is written on the back, and the number is 4, of course."
Fabregas and Messi shared several years at Barcelona, lining up together 123 times in the Catalan colours. They won plenty along the way, among them La Liga in 2012-2013 and the UEFA Super Cup in 2011.
Como, under Fabregas, host Manchester United in the third round of the Champions League today, Wednesday.