Fabregas hails Como's recent progress
Como has stunned Serie A with its rise through the ranks, earning a fourth-place finish last term and UEFA Champions League for the upcoming season.
Fabregas joined Como's coaching staff in 2023 and helped the team gain promotion to Serie A before officially taking charge ahead of the 2024-2025 season.
That season, Como finished 10th – its best finish since finishing ninth in 1987.
Its rise up the rankings has seen Fabregas catch the eye of other clubs, with Inter Milan, Napoli, AC Milan and Chelsea all showing interest, but he chose to stay at Como.
While some have credited the vast investment put into the squad as the reason behind its ascent, Fabregas noted that Como has still over-performed against what was expected.
"It's true Como spent money, but the growth of the club has been at a frankly unprecedented pace," Fabregas told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"Paris Saint-Germain spent hundreds of millions and waited 15 years before winning the [UEFA] Champions League, while Arsenal had to wait seven years to win the Premier League.
"I don't look at the money spent so much as getting the best out of the squad and individuals.
"It's also fair to say our salary bill is not enormous; there are eight or nine teams in the league with higher wages than us.
"When I make a decision, I do not change it, so I was never likely to leave Como. I was very clear with my President; I listen to others as a sign of respect, because it also allows me to explain my reasons."
Among its investments was the signing of Nico Paz, who opted to stay with Como despite Real Madrid reportedly wanting to use its buy-back clause this season.
"Nico Paz has everything, physique and quality," Fabregas said of the youngster.
"When I talk to him, I try to understand how eager he is to get to the top. If I turn towards him, and he looks the other way, then that's the moment to let him go. Nico has extraordinary courage, vision and ambition. He is 21 years old, but it feels like he's been playing for a decade.
"Like with all young players, you need to keep pushing him, to help develop the person as well as the player. That's how you create a player who can fit in at Juventus, Inter or Real Madrid.
"Kaka was a little more explosive," Fabregas added when asked about Paz's comparisons to Kaka. "He had this surge forward that, like Andres Iniesta, was unstoppable.
"When he started, you couldn’t get him back. Nico is a little more physical, more positional, more static, but he knows how to use his body in a different way to others.
"He's got the goal in his mind, a great final pass, has started to understand the game a lot better. He is a talent."
Como will begin the Serie A 2026-2027 season with a trip to Udinese on 23 August.
