Fàbregas: Morata Is Working Hard to Integrate into the Team; We’re Not Yet a Team Like Napoli

In Serie A Matchday 3, Como drew 1-1 with Genoa at home. Como head coach Cesc Fàbregas attended the post-match press conference and answered questions from camel.live reporters.

On the Match Result

“That’s the beauty of football. I heard Patrick Vieira say that Como would be more satisfied with this result. In the latter stages of the game, we experienced a drop in fitness—our squad has very young players, and we have high demands on them, so some of them still find it tough to play the full 90 minutes.

“Of course, we could also talk about that late controversial decision, and the moments of chaos when Sergi Roberto played at full-back, but regardless, we have to learn to keep our emotions in check.

“I actually pay close attention to how the team performs in these aspects, but as they gain more match experience, these young players will definitely do better one day and handle similar situations more properly. As I’ve said before, for players who are 20 or 21 years old, it’s normal to make mistakes.

“Will this kind of situation affect me as a coach? Of course it will. In the long run, these lads will definitely become very strong, and our team will become more competitive as a result.”

On Jacobo Ramón’s Red Card

“That was a choice he made in a moment of tension. At that time, the opposition launched a fast counter-attack, and he probably felt his defensive position wasn’t right, so he chose to commit a foul. I don’t want to comment on whether that foul deserved a red card—after all, referees’ decisions are often unpredictable. But what’s certain is that in three years’ time, he will never make such a choice again; he needs to learn to stay calm.

“These players will have the chance to play in the World Cup in the future, and they will definitely make Como’s fans proud of them. The fans today were sincere—they stood up and applauded us, and the fans in the North Stand sang for the team throughout the game. This fully shows their pride in the team.”

On Kakere and Nikolas Kuhn

“Yes, I think they put in a good performance today. Kakere has been very proactive, and he’s fought for playing time on multiple occasions. I can see he’s in great form recently, and his level in training is also very high. He has strong individual ability, and the competition within our squad is fierce by nature, so I have to make cautious and wise team selection decisions.

“As for Kuhn, everyone has seen his ability. We needed to play more vertical football in this game, so we had Kuhn mark Aaron Martín and Jesús Rodríguez mark Norton—and I’m very satisfied with their performances.”

On Álvaro Morata

“Morata is in good form, and he’s gradually integrating into this new team. He even provided an assist for Nico in this game, which made me very happy. Next, he needs to keep working hard, and our coaching staff will find ways to create a tactical environment that suits each player’s strengths.”

On the Match Itself

“It’s actually very difficult to maintain control of the game throughout the 90 minutes, not to mention that there’s never just one team competing on the pitch. Genoa is a strong side, and they also have a sense of pride and fighting spirit. We, on the other hand, are a young team that’s still in a phase of growth and learning.

“Compared to last year, we’ve made obvious progress, and we will get better and better through training and playing together. Of course, we still make wrong choices occasionally, but that also means we have a lot of room for improvement.”

On Substitutions

“The reason I made substitution adjustments was mainly to boost the team’s stability on the pitch. Earlier, 12 of our players were called up to their national teams, and some of them haven’t fully regained their form since returning, and they also have some physical fatigue.

“And let me say it again—we are a very young team. Many players have only been in professional football for one or two seasons, and they still need more time to accumulate experience. Currently, we’re not yet a mature team like Napoli; only Morata and Sergi Roberto in our squad have title-winning experience. But even so, I have confidence in the team’s future.”