Full Breakdown
Fabregas Given Green Light by Como as Chelsea Search for New Manager Intensifies
4/24/2026, 8:42:57 PM
Chelsea’s Immediate Managerial Crisis
Chelsea dismissed Liam Rosenior after a 3-0 loss to Brighton and a five-match Premier League slide, the first goalless run in over a century. Interim coach Calum McFarlane now leads the side while owners James Benge and Todd Boehly begin a search for a permanent manager.
Fabregas’s Progress at Como
Cesc Fabregas took over Como in 2024, guiding the club from Serie B to fifth-place Serie A and a Coppa Italia semi-final. He has overseen 84 matches, giving the team the joint-second best attack and second-best defence. Fabregas holds about 1 % of the club’s shares, alongside Thierry Henry, and is contracted until July 2028.
Official Statements & Responses
Como president Mirwan Suwarso said the club will not block a move to Chelsea and that Fabregas could keep his minority stake if he does not join a rival Italian side. Fabregas has called Premier League “the biggest dream a coach can have.”
Criticism & Opposition
Former Chelsea midfielder Emmanuel Petit warned a return would put Fabregas in “a mess” and suggested Barcelona as a safer option. Former academy coach Jody Morris agreed, noting Chelsea would need to overhaul its recruitment policy for Fabregas.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on Fabregas’s willingness to leave: Suwarso says he is “free to go,” while Fabregas has called a summer exit “very unlikely.” His shareholding is described as “around one per cent” in some reports and simply “a minority stake” in others; the contract clause for moves abroad is undisclosed.
Why It Matters
Fabregas could reconnect Chelsea with a recent club legend and calm a restless fanbase after Rosenior’s dismissal. Yet his limited top-level managerial experience raises doubts about his ability to restore Chelsea’s performance in a competitive Premier League. For Como, losing him would jeopardise a project that lifted the club from the fourth tier to European contention.
Quotes
- “If that makes him happy, that’s him.” — Mirwan Suwarso, Como president
- “You want your employees to stay with you for as long as possible but at the end of the day we don’t own him and he’s free to go to Chelsea if he wishes.” — Mirwan Suwarso, Como president
- “The Premier League is the objective; it is the biggest dream a coach can have.” — Cesc Fabregas, Chelsea midfielder
- “Chelsea is a mess. It’s a nightmare for managers, it’s kind of a nightmare as well for the players.” — Emmanuel Petit, Chelsea midfielder
Next
Chelsea must appoint a permanent manager before the season’s final fixtures, with an FA Cup semi-final against Leeds United imminent. Como’s last five games will decide whether the club secures a top-six finish and a Champions League berth, a factor that could shape Fabregas’s decision.
