Fabregas wins Serie A Coach of the Year after guiding Como to fourth place and historic Champions League qualification in the 2025/26 season

Cesc Fabregas, the 39-year-old Como manager and former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder, has been named Serie A Coach of the Year after guiding Como to fourth place and the club’s first-ever Champions League qualification during the 2025/26 season.

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Fabregas received the prestigious honour at the Gran Galà del Calcio AIC ceremony at Teatro alla Scala in Milan on Wednesday, capping an extraordinary campaign in which Como established themselves among Italy’s leading clubs.

The Italian Footballers’ Association, AIC, selected Fabregas as the league’s outstanding coach, while Inter Milan were named Serie A Club of the Year.

Lega Serie A confirmed the recognition, listing Fabregas as the recipient of the “premio di Allenatore dell’Anno” and Inter as “Società dell’Anno”.

The award represents a remarkable achievement for Fabregas, who has moved swiftly from an illustrious playing career into one of European football’s most promising coaching stories.

Como finished fourth in Serie A with 71 points, behind champions Inter, Napoli and Roma. The position secured Champions League football for the first time in the club’s history.

The achievement marked a dramatic transformation for a club that had only recently returned to Italy’s top flight. Under Fabregas, Como developed into an ambitious and competitive side capable of challenging established Serie A institutions.

The Fabregas Serie A Coach of the Year award also places the Spaniard in an exclusive group.

Fabregas is now only the third non-Italian manager to receive the honour, following Sweden’s Sven-Göran Eriksson and Portugal’s José Mourinho.

Eriksson became the first foreign winner after guiding Lazio to the Serie A title during the 1999/2000 season.

Mourinho subsequently won the award twice after leading Inter Milan to major domestic and European success.

His second recognition came after the 2009/10 campaign, when Inter completed a historic treble featuring the Serie A title, Coppa Italia and UEFA Champions League.

Fabregas has now joined those two celebrated managers after producing his own landmark season.

The achievement was made even more notable by the strength of the individual recognition received by his players.

Como midfielder Nico Paz was named Serie A Young Player of the Year, underlining the quality and development within Fabregas’ squad.

Inter’s Federico Dimarco was voted the overall best player of the 2025/26 season.

The awards were determined primarily through votes from professional footballers, with players selecting the outstanding performers in their respective categories. The Goal of the Year award was the exception, with fans deciding the winner.

For Fabregas, the honour provides powerful recognition of a managerial journey that is still in its early stages.

The former Spain international enjoyed an outstanding playing career, winning major honours with Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea before turning his attention to coaching.

His transition has been particularly striking because of the speed with which he has established himself in one of Europe’s most tactically demanding leagues.

The 2025/26 campaign represented a breakthrough not only for Fabregas but also for Como.

Champions League qualification gives the club an opportunity to compete on Europe’s biggest club stage while continuing the remarkable upward trajectory that has accompanied its recent revival.

The challenge now will be sustaining that progress against clubs with considerably greater European experience and financial resources.

For Fabregas, however, the award confirms that his reputation is no longer based solely on what he achieved as a midfielder.

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At 39, he has already secured a place in Serie A history alongside Eriksson and Mourinho. His next task will be to build on a season that transformed Como’s ambitions and established Fabregas as one of the most compelling young managers in European football.