Fabregas Wins Serie A Coach of the Year
Former Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas has been named Serie A Coach of the Year after an outstanding 2025/26 campaign with Como.
The Spanish manager received the prestigious award at the Gran Galà del Calcio AIC ceremony held at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan on Wednesday. The honour recognises Fabregas’ remarkable work in transforming Como into one of Italian football’s biggest surprise success stories.
Fabregas guided Como to a fourth-place finish in Serie A, collecting 71 points and securing Champions League football for the first time in the club’s history.
The achievement represents a major step forward for a club that finished 10th during its first season back in the Italian top flight under Fabregas.
Como’s fourth-place finish put them behind champions Inter Milan, Napoli and Roma, while earning the club a place among Europe’s elite for the first time.
The award also places Fabregas in an exclusive group.
The 39-year-old has become only the third non-Italian manager to win the Serie A Coach of the Year award.
Sweden’s Sven-Göran Eriksson was the first foreign manager to claim the honour after leading Lazio to the Serie A title in the 1999/2000 season.
Portugal’s José Mourinho followed, winning the award in consecutive seasons after guiding Inter Milan to domestic and European success.
Fabregas now joins those two legendary managers in Serie A history.
Fabregas’ achievement is particularly impressive given how recently he transitioned from playing into coaching.
The former Spain international ended his playing career with Como in 2023 before moving into coaching. He initially worked with the club’s youth teams and later took charge of the first team on an interim basis.
After obtaining his UEFA Pro coaching qualification, he was formally appointed Como’s head coach in 2024.
Since then, he has steadily built a team capable of competing with some of Italy’s most established clubs.
Fabregas’ success was accompanied by another major individual honour for Como.
Young midfielder Nico Paz was named Serie A Young Player of the Year, underlining the importance of the club’s youth development and Fabregas’ work with emerging talent.
Paz enjoyed a standout campaign, making 40 appearances across all competitions, scoring 13 goals and providing eight assists.
The fourth-place finish means Como will now compete in the UEFA Champions League, allowing Fabregas to test his managerial philosophy against some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
The club’s Champions League schedule includes home meetings with Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, RB Leipzig and AEK Athens, alongside away games against Barcelona, Real Betis, Feyenoord and Lens.
For Fabregas, the achievement marks another major milestone in a rapidly developing managerial career.
Once celebrated as one of Europe’s finest midfielders, he is now establishing himself as an increasingly respected coach.
The Serie A Coach of the Year award is more than an individual achievement for Fabregas. It represents the remarkable transformation of Como under his leadership.
From a club fighting to establish itself in the Italian top flight, Como have now secured European football and earned a place in the Champions League.
Fabregas’ journey from the pitch to the dugout continues to gather momentum—and after this historic season, his reputation as one of football’s promising young managers has received a significant boost.
