After Como’s disappointing defeat against Empoli, head coach Cesc Fabregas addressed the media in a post-match press conference, analyzing his team’s current situation. He acknowledged the challenges they face, using the term “crisis” to describe their struggles.
“Crisis is a strong word; it’s what’s happening in Valencia,” Fabregas said. “We lost today, and congratulations to Empoli. It was a low-level match. They found a goal from a long ball; perhaps they had more hunger and aggression than we did.”
Fabregas conveyed a message of resilience to his players, stating, “We are close to competing and we concede very little, but it punishes us greatly. I knew there would be difficult moments; I was prepared for that. I would be surprised if people thought otherwise. Last year, we were not a team meant for Serie A; we had a great season and found our way here. The road is long, and we need to improve.”
When asked about the lack of aggression in his team’s performance, he noted that individual mentality plays a role: “This is also an individual issue. As a player, I’ve seen that there’s a limit an coach cannot surpass. The players need to believe and manage better. There were many one-on-one situations that we didn’t handle well. We can change, but today we played with four center-backs. We need to fight; we are like a family, and that’s what brought us here last year. Serie A is a new path for us, and many players need to adapt to this.”
Fabregas also addressed his decision to change the goalkeeper during the match: “If it were the cause of our problems, I wouldn’t say it here. I think we are a family and must fight together. Today I had to put a center-back in midfield; these are choices every coach must make. From Audero, I expect a lot; he needs to be a leader. Given the characteristics of today’s match, I thought it was better to have Reina’s experience.”
