Italian second-tier side Como have appointed former Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea and Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas as their interim manager.
The 36-year-old transitioned into coaching with the Serie B outfit this summer, having spent the final year of his playing career with Como before hanging up his boots.
Fabregas has been in charge of Como's Under-19 outfit since the start of the 2023-24 season, picking up three wins, three draws and three defeats from his first nine matches as a head coach.
Amid Fabregas's indifferent exploits with the youth team, Como's senior squad have made a respectable start to the 2023-24 Serie B campaign, picking up 18 points from 12 games to sit seventh in the table.
Gli Azzurri's ranking would be enough for a spot in the preliminary rounds of the promotion playoffs at the end of the season, and they made it three games unbeaten with a 1-0 triumph over Ascoli on Saturday.
However, former head coach Moreno Longo - who took the reins in September 2022 - has surprisingly been relieved of his duties, and the club have confirmed that Fabregas will oversee operations while the search for a new permanent manager intensifies during the international break.
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"The paths separated between Como 1907 and Moreno Longo. The search for a new coach begins immediately, with Cesc Fabregas and the coaching staff taking on the duties on an interim basis," Como said in a statement.
"After several months of strategic planning, the Como 1907 board decided that dynamic change was in the club's best interest. Longo joined Como in September 2022 and helped the team avoid relegation, finishing in 13th place last season.
"Cesc Fabregas, who currently coaches the Primavera del Como 1907, will have his first training session on Wednesday morning."
Board member Mirwan Suwarso offered his own gratitude to Longo, but he believes that Fabregas's caretaker appointment will begin a new era of "greater emotions and fun", adding: "We thank Moreno Longo for his hard work and dedication, especially for managing the team after a difficult period last season.
"However, we want to embark on a new path which we hope will give greater emotions and fun to the Como fans and beyond. We hope to be able to make a new appointment for the coaching role in the near future. We thank the fans for their understanding and unwavering loyalty and support. As always, Forza Como."
Fabregas - who won the World Cup, European Championship, Premier League, La Liga and Club World Cup during his distinguished playing career - will take charge of his first senior match when Como host FeralpiSalo on November 25 following the international break.
Ben Knapton
