Coach Cesc Fabregas's Como won 4-1 against RB Leipzig in the historic opening match of the Champions League

Coach Cesc Fabregas' Italy Coom made a perfect debut when he crushed away team RB Leipzig 4-1 in the first round of the Champions League qualifying round.

Last season, Como finished fourth in Serie A, ahead of Juventus and AC Milan, thereby winning Italy's final spot in the Champions League. This is also the first time in its 119-year history that Como has participated in the European Cup.

On the historic match day, the capacity of Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium was reduced to about 10,000 seats because the stadium is located on the shore of Lake Como and had to undergo some changes to meet the requirements of organizing the Champions League.

The historic moment came at minute 15, when Baturina opened the scoring in the 15th minute and became the first player in Como history to score in the Champions League. Anastasios Douvikas, Assane Diao and Maximo Perrone are the next Como players to score on this playground. On the opposite side, Leipzig's efforts only helped them score one goal thanks to Andrija Maksimovic.

"This is a great night for the team and the city," Baturina, the best player of the match, said after the final whistle. The Croatian midfielder hopes the victory over Leipzig is just the beginning of Como's European journey. "You never know what will happen in the Champions League, because every match you have to face a different style. So we need to focus on each match and try to go as far as possible."

Under Fabregas, Como built a modern ball control style, rich in organization but still flexible in transitions. Many Italian experts believe that the team has more of a La Liga style than traditional "calcio".

"Yes, he gives me a lot of freedom," Baturina said of Fabregas' tactics. "Sometimes he doesn't like it because I'm a bit out of position. But he likes to give freedom, and we play good football, very bold."

While playing professionally, Fabregas played for Arsenal, Barca, Chelsea, Monaco and was an important member of the Spain team that won the 2010 World Cup, Euro 2008, and 2012. The 39-year-old former midfielder won most important titles in his career, only missing the Champions League.

In August 2022, Fabregas joined Como, then still playing in Serie B, and retired a year later. He successively coached the U19 team, B team, interim coach, and assistant before becoming Como's head coach from summer 2024. After two seasons in Serie A, Como made a spectacular leap forward by winning a ticket to Europe's most prestigious playing field at club level and then winning the opening match.

Fabregas said he proactively gave more creative space to technically rich players like Nico Paz and Baturina, instead of requiring them to rigidly follow tactics. According to the Spanish coach, the free No. 10 midfielder is increasingly rare in modern football, so he appreciates the fact that Como owns two young talents who are capable of playing in this position and have a lot of development potential.

Fabregas also emphasized the philosophy of promoting trust in players, because a coach cannot control all developments on the field. However, he is well aware that Como is still a young team and needs to quickly return to focus for the next match against Parma in round four of Serie A on September 13. The victory over Leipzig is a big milestone for the club and the city, but Como will have to maintain their form when the schedule is tight with matches just a few days apart.