Cesc Fabregas has added another major milestone to his rapidly developing managerial career after being named Serie A Coach of the Year for the 2025/26 season following an extraordinary campaign with Como.
The former Arsenal, Barcelona and Spain midfielder becomes only the third non-Italian coach to receive the prestigious individual honour, placing him in an exclusive group of foreign managers who have made a significant impact on Italian football.
Fabregas was recognised after guiding Como through one of the most remarkable seasons in the club’s history. Under his leadership, the newly established Serie A side finished fourth and secured Champions League football, completing a dramatic transformation for a club that was playing in Italy’s fourth tier only seven years ago.
The award represents another significant step in Fabregas’ transition from elite midfielder to highly regarded young manager.
During his playing career, Fabregas built a reputation for his intelligence, vision and understanding of the game. Those qualities have increasingly become visible in his coaching, with Como developing an attractive and tactically flexible style that allowed the club to compete against some of Italy’s biggest teams.
His success with Como has been particularly impressive given the club’s relatively recent return to the top flight. Como secured promotion to Serie A in 2024 and have continued to progress rapidly since then. Fabregas has been central to that development, helping establish the club as a serious force rather than simply a newly promoted side fighting to avoid relegation.
The 2025/26 campaign was the clearest evidence of that progress.
Como finished among Italy’s top four teams, earning a place in the Champions League for the first time in the club’s 119-year history. The achievement was made even more remarkable by the fact that established giants such as AC Milan and Juventus missed out on qualification.
Fabregas’ recognition also places him alongside two other foreign coaches who previously won the Serie A Coach of the Year award. Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson became the first non-Italian to claim the honour in 2000, while Portugal’s Jose Mourinho later won it twice. Fabregas is now the third foreign manager to join that exclusive list.
The Spaniard’s achievement comes at a time when his reputation as one of Europe’s most promising young coaches is growing quickly.
His journey into management began at Como after he retired from professional football. He initially worked with the club’s youth setup before taking temporary charge of the senior team in 2023. Although that first spell was brief, he helped move the team from seventh to third in Serie B, recording three victories, two draws and one defeat in six matches.
He subsequently returned to the first-team coaching staff before eventually taking permanent control. What followed has been a remarkable rise, culminating in Como’s Champions League qualification and Fabregas’ latest individual recognition.
The award is also a reflection of the broader transformation taking place at Como. The club has attracted considerable attention because of its ambitious project, investment and recruitment strategy, but Fabregas has been responsible for turning those resources into a competitive team on the pitch.
His tactical approach has helped Como challenge more established clubs, while his ability to develop players has further strengthened the team’s identity.
Como’s impressive start to the 2026/27 season has suggested that last season’s success was not simply a one-off. The club recently produced another major statement by defeating Napoli 2-1 away from home, maintaining its strong momentum as it prepares for its historic Champions League campaign.
The Champions League will now provide Fabregas with perhaps his biggest managerial challenge yet. Como will face some of Europe’s biggest clubs, offering the Spaniard an opportunity to test his tactical ideas on the continent’s biggest stage.
For Fabregas, the Serie A Coach of the Year award is more than an individual honour. It is confirmation that his transition from world-class midfielder to elite-level coach is gathering serious momentum.
At just 39, Fabregas has already achieved what many managers spend decades trying to accomplish. He has taken a club with little recent experience at the highest level and helped transform it into a Champions League team.
His story at Como is far from finished, and with European football now on the horizon, the former Spain international has an even bigger stage on which to demonstrate just how far his managerial ambitions can take him.
