[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"football-site-config":3,"world-cup-status-en":27,"news-detail-how-cesc-fabregas-built-como-s-rise-humble-hungry-players":43,"news-related-how-cesc-fabregas-built-como-s-rise-humble-hungry-players-en":80,"news-related-match-how-cesc-fabregas-built-como-s-rise-humble-hungry-players-en":193},{"adSlots":4,"affiliateMode":5,"brandName":6,"contentStrategy":7,"currency":8,"friendLinks":9,"homepageLayoutKey":10,"leagueFocus":11,"locale":12,"planVisibility":13,"seoDescription":14,"seoTitleTemplate":15,"siteCode":10,"siteName":6,"siteType":10,"subscriptionMode":5,"timezone":16,"id":17,"tenantID":18,"primaryDomain":19,"countryCode":20,"logoUrl":21,"faviconUrl":21,"theme":22,"seoKeywords":24,"status":25,"ads":4,"focusLeagues":26,"affiliatePolicies":26},[],"shared","Football Prediction Platform","scores_predictions","USD",[],"main",[],"en-US",[],"Football fixtures, results, free predictions, subscriptions, and clearly labeled partner links.","{page} | Football Prediction Platform","America\u002FNew_York",323900000000000000,1,"football.easytestdev.online","US","",{"primaryColor":23},"#1677ff","football predictions, football fixtures, football results","active",null,{"active":28,"leagueId":29,"leagueName":30,"leagueImagePath":31,"seasonId":32,"seasonName":33,"startingAt":34,"endingAt":35,"daysToStart":36,"daysToEnd":37,"phase":38,"includeQualifying":28,"hostCities":39},true,"326135624916537344","World Cup","https:\u002F\u002Fmedia.api-sports.io\u002Ffootball\u002Fleagues\u002F1.png","326255613308833792","2026\u002F2027","2026-06-11","2026-06-28",6,23,"upcoming",[40,41,42],"Mexico City","Monterrey","Zapopan",{"article":44},{"awayTeamId":45,"awayTeamName":46,"body":47,"category":48,"excerpt":49,"homeTeamId":50,"homeTeamName":51,"id":52,"leagueId":53,"leagueName":54,"matchId":55,"matchName":56,"publishedAt":57,"slug":58,"sourceName":59,"sourceURL":60,"teamId":50,"teamName":51,"teamIds":61,"teamNames":70,"title":79},"326257539425505280","Napoli","Cesc Fàbregas has transformed Como 1907 from a Serie D afterthought into a Serie A contender in just a few years. The tiny Italian club, bought by Indonesia’s Djarum Group in 2019, now sits near the top of the table under the former Arsenal and Barcelona star’s management. Fàbregas’s formula? A 4-2-3-1 formation, relentless high pressing, and a strict emphasis on signing players who are “hungry” and “humble.”\n\nLast Sunday’s goalless draw with Napoli showcased Como’s defensive solidity — the best in the league — but also their attacking flair, having scored more than any team except Inter. The match was played at the scenic Stadio Sinigaglia, where 12,000 fans create a sellout atmosphere. President Mirwan Suwarso likens the club to a “theme park,” drawing parallels to Disney. The scene is a far cry from the amateur days when crowds numbered in the hundreds.\n\nFàbregas joined Como as a player in August 2022, retired the following summer, and immediately began coaching the primavera (under-19) team. In November 2023, he became interim first-team manager, later assisting Osian Roberts – hired on Thierry Henry’s recommendation – before taking the helm permanently after promotion. Como finished 10th in Serie A last season and now chase Champions League football.\n\n“Innovation is very important,” Fàbregas said ahead of the Napoli match. “But more than innovation is new ideas. You have to comprehend your own team.” He stresses the importance of youth: Como boasts one of the youngest squads in Europe. “We always try to bring players here that are humble enough, are hungry enough, to be able to listen and to learn.”\n\nKey to that recruitment is Barend Verkerk, director of recruitment. As a child, Verkerk played Football Manager by exporting data into spreadsheets and writing his own algorithms. Now he leads a team of six scouts, three tactical analysts, and two sports psychologists. The results include Nicolás Paz, a 21-year-old Argentine signed from Real Madrid for €6m in 2024 with a buy-back clause, and Jacobo Ramón, a €2.5m centre-back from Madrid. Both have excelled, with Paz contributing 19 league goal involvements and winning the third-most tackles in Serie A.\n\nFàbregas also balances youth with experience. Veterans like Álvaro Morata and Sergi Roberto – both Champions League winners – regularly come off the bench, while Pepe Reina and Raphaël Varane (now an investor and club ambassador) helped stabilize the dressing room last season. “Keeping the chemistry is not easy with such a high turnover of players,” said Osian Roberts, now head of development. Morata’s small gestures, like doubling back to high-five a mascot after an official missed, create lasting memories.\n\nThe long-term vision includes sustainability. Como reported a pre-tax loss of €105.1m, but Suwarso compares it to a “start-up” and aims for profitability within two years. The stadium will receive a facelift and a few thousand new seats in 2027. Meanwhile, the women’s team has been promoted to Serie A for the first time, and the primavera are on the verge of joining them.\n\nFàbregas’s own growth as a coach is evident. He regularly spends 16-hour days at the training ground and reflects on his evolution: “I look at when we got promoted from Serie B to Serie A … and now I’m saying: ‘I would never do this in my life.’” He adds, “We were humble enough and open-minded enough to be always constantly growing and getting better.”\n\nComo’s rise is not just a Cinderella story but a blueprint for modern football: a data-driven, player-centric approach led by a legend willing to learn. As Fàbregas continues to refine his methods, the club’s trajectory suggests they are building a foundation for sustained success.\n\nBased on reporting from The Guardian.","news","Cesc Fàbregas leads Como's Serie A surprise, blending young talent like Nicolás Paz with veteran leaders, data-driven recruitment, and a 4-2-3-1 system pushing","326257539962376192","Como","329566463855693825","326135624606158848","Serie A","326329487270612992","Como vs Napoli","2026-05-07T12:00:49Z","how-cesc-fabregas-built-como-s-rise-humble-hungry-players","The Guardian","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Ffootball\u002F2026\u002Fmay\u002F07\u002Fwe-bring-in-hungry-humble-players-how-cesc-fabregas-is-leading-the-incredible-rise-of-como",[50,45,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69],"326257565195309056","326257565535047680","326257546258026496","326257546094448640","326257789854814208","326257545968619520","326257546052505600","326257546220277760",[51,46,71,72,73,74,75,76,77,78],"Barcelona","Real Madrid","Manchester City","Tottenham","Indonesia","Arsenal","Everton","Chelsea","How Cesc Fàbregas Built Como's Rise: Humble, Hungry Players",[81,108,136,170],{"awayTeamId":-1,"awayTeamName":-1,"body":-1,"category":48,"excerpt":82,"homeTeamId":-1,"homeTeamName":-1,"id":83,"leagueId":53,"leagueName":54,"matchId":84,"matchName":21,"publishedAt":85,"slug":86,"sourceName":87,"sourceURL":88,"teamId":89,"teamName":90,"teamIds":91,"teamNames":99,"title":107},"Mauricio Pochettino has held initial talks with AC Milan about their managerial vacancy, though his focus stays on the 2026 World Cup with the United States.","335536741324689409","0","2026-05-28T19:37:40Z","pochettino-in-ac-milan-talks-usmnt-future-unclear","BBC Sport","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fsport\u002Ffootball\u002Farticles\u002Fc794gn7n955o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss","326257539333230592","AC Milan",[89,92,93,94,95,65,96,97,69,98],"326222713016291328","326257807630274560","326222712110321664","326257545918287872","326257539366785024","326257565501493248","326257536078450688",[90,100,101,102,103,74,104,105,78,106],"USA","Southampton","Argentina","Liverpool","Cagliari","Espanyol","Paris Saint Germain","Pochettino in AC Milan Talks: USMNT Future Unclear",{"awayTeamId":-1,"awayTeamName":-1,"body":-1,"category":48,"excerpt":109,"homeTeamId":-1,"homeTeamName":-1,"id":110,"leagueId":53,"leagueName":54,"matchId":84,"matchName":21,"publishedAt":111,"slug":112,"sourceName":113,"sourceURL":114,"teamId":115,"teamName":116,"teamIds":117,"teamNames":126,"title":135},"Bernardo Silva nears free transfer to Barcelona after Man City exit, beating Juve and Atletico. Deal close; player wants World Cup certainty.","335531490525843457","2026-05-28T19:25:18Z","bernardo-silva-to-barcelona-what-it-means-for-juve","Tuttosport","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tuttosport.com\u002Fnews\u002Fcalcio\u002Fserie-a\u002Fjuventus\u002F2026\u002F05\u002F28-148921127\u002Fbernardo_silva_niente_juve_vicinissimo_a_firmare_con_il_barcellona_lindiscrezione_dal_portogallo\u002F","326257539542945792","Juventus",[115,118,64,119,120,121,122,123,63,62,124,125],"326257565233057792","326257545754710016","326222712592666624","326222713054040064","326255039171530752","326255041851691008","326222712143876096","326257604382691328",[116,127,73,128,129,130,131,132,72,71,133,134],"Atletico Madrid","Newcastle","Congo DR","Haiti","Dinamo Minsk","Cherno More Varna","Portugal","GOES","Bernardo Silva to Barcelona: What It Means for Juve",{"awayTeamId":137,"awayTeamName":138,"body":-1,"category":48,"excerpt":139,"homeTeamId":45,"homeTeamName":46,"id":140,"leagueId":53,"leagueName":54,"matchId":141,"matchName":142,"publishedAt":143,"slug":144,"sourceName":145,"sourceURL":146,"teamId":147,"teamName":148,"teamIds":149,"teamNames":159,"title":169},"326257539651997696","Bologna","Napoli have agreed a two-year deal with Massimiliano Allegri, succeeding Antonio Conte, pending resolution with AC Milan.","335499931622051841","327053597239939072","Napoli vs Bologna","2026-05-28T16:56:46Z","massimiliano-allegri-set-to-join-napoli-on-two-year-contract","L'Equipe","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.lequipe.fr\u002FFootball\u002FActualites\u002FNaples-aurait-choisi-massimiliano-allegri-pour-les-deux-prochaines-saisons\u002F1679680#at_medium=RSS_feeds","326257593842405376","Naples",[147,45,137,89,150,151,152,153,154,155,115,156,157,158],"326222767416414208","326257541291970560","326257561546264576","326257600507154432","326257610309242880","326257664612896768","326257539769438208","326257661500723200","326222707169431552",[148,46,138,90,160,161,162,163,164,165,116,166,167,168],"Lesotho","Trabzonspor","Sonderjyske","Deportivo Pasto","Club Queretaro","Finland","Inter","Italy","Anderlecht","Massimiliano Allegri Set to Join Napoli on Two-Year Contract",{"awayTeamId":-1,"awayTeamName":-1,"body":-1,"category":48,"excerpt":171,"homeTeamId":-1,"homeTeamName":-1,"id":172,"leagueId":53,"leagueName":54,"matchId":84,"matchName":21,"publishedAt":173,"slug":174,"sourceName":59,"sourceURL":175,"teamId":176,"teamName":177,"teamIds":178,"teamNames":185,"title":192},"Mauricio Pochettino has held talks with AC Milan, but US Soccer says the focus is on the World Cup. The USMNT opened camp with friendlies before facing","335497072708947969","2026-05-28T16:53:41Z","pochettino-milan-talks-what-usmnt-world-cup-hopes-mean","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Ffootball\u002F2026\u002Fmay\u002F28\u002Fmauricio-pochettino-in-talks-with-milan-amid-broader-interest-as-us-opens-world-cup-camp","326257590726037504","Charlotte",[176,179,180,181,182,158,183,119,98,184,65,89],"326222712936599552","326222711783165952","326222712076767232","326257661743992832","326222713142120448","326257688839196672",[177,186,187,188,189,168,190,128,106,191,74,90],"Paraguay","Senegal","Germany","Georgia","Canada","The Strongest","Pochettino Milan Talks: What USMNT World Cup Hopes Mean",{"awayScore":194,"awayTeam":195,"description":199,"homeScore":194,"homeTeam":200,"id":55,"kickoffAt":204,"length":205,"leagueId":206,"leagueName":54,"leagueSlug":207,"probabilityLabel":54,"slug":208,"status":209,"tvStations":210,"venueCity":21,"venueName":21},0,{"code":196,"id":45,"imagePath":197,"name":46,"slug":198},"AWY","https:\u002F\u002Fmedia.api-sports.io\u002Ffootball\u002Fteams\u002F492.png","napoli","The stage is set for a compelling Serie A clash at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia as newly-promoted Como host the mighty Napoli on May 2, 2026. For the home side, this fixture represents a critical juncture in their battle for top-flight survival. Every point is precious in their fight to avoid an immediate return to Serie B. For Napoli, the stakes are equally high but at the opposite end of the table; they arrive in Lombardy locked in a fierce battle for the Scudetto or a coveted Champions League spot, making dropped points potentially catastrophic for their ambitions.\n\nWhile not a historic rivalry, the match carries the weight of contrasting eras. This is their first Serie A meeting since the 2003-04 season, evoking memories of a time when Como were a stable top-division club. The tactical battle will be fascinating: Como, likely organized in a compact and resilient defensive block under their manager, will aim to frustrate Napoli's fluid attacking machinery. The visitors, boasting a dynamic forward line, will seek to dominate possession and break down the hosts' low block with intricate passing and movement.\n\nThe intimate, lakeside atmosphere of the Sinigaglia will be electric, with the passionate *Lariani* supporters creating a cauldron of noise to spur on their team. Fans can expect a classic encounter of grit versus guile, where Como's defensive discipline and counter-attacking threat will be pitted against Napoli's technical quality and relentless pressure. The result will have significant ramifications at both ends of the table, making this a must-watch encounter for any Serie A enthusiast.",{"code":201,"id":50,"imagePath":202,"name":51,"slug":203},"HME","https:\u002F\u002Fmedia.api-sports.io\u002Ffootball\u002Fteams\u002F895.png","como","2026-05-02T16:00:00Z",90,"326135624706822144","it-serie-a","como-vs-napoli-2026-05-02","finished",[]]