Fabregas to return to Arsenal as Como coach in pre-season friendly
Quick summary
Cesc Fabregas, currently head coach of Serie A side Como, will return to Arsenal for a confirmed pre-season friendly, revisiting the club where he began his senior career.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceCesc Fabregas is set to step back into The Emirates with his Como side, who will take on Premier League champions Arsenal in a pre-season friendly on August 12, the clubs have confirmed.
Confirmed: Como to take on Arsenal in pre-season friendly This will be the first ever meeting between Como and Arsenal, competitive or otherwise, but will be a return for Fabregas who spent eight years in North London and made his professional debut with the Gunners back in 2003.
This pre-season clash comes as Como prepare for their first ever season in the Champions League, having beaten both Milan and Juventus to a top-four finish in a dramatic end to the 2025-26 Serie A season.
The game will take place at The Emirates Stadium, kicking off at 19.30 BST on August 12, a Wednesday evening. This falls 10 days before Como begin their 2026-27 Serie A season away against Udinese and nine days before Arsenal begin their Premier League title defence at home against newly-promoted Coventry City.
“Como 1907 will travel to Emirates Stadium this summer to face Arsenal, the reigning English champions and European runners-up, in a preseason friendly scheduled for Wednesday, August 12, at 7:30 p.m. BST,” a statement confirmed.
CREMONA, ITALY – MAY 24: Lucas Da Cunha of Como 1907 celebrates after scoring the 1-3 penalty during the Serie A match between US Cremonese and Como 1907 at Stadio Giovanni Zini on May 24, 2026 in Cremona, Italy. (Photo by Marco M. Mantovani/Getty Images) “The match will mark the first-ever meeting between Como 1907 and Arsenal, bringing the Lariani to the magical and iconic setting of the Emirates Stadium.
“For the BiancoBlu, it will be an excellent opportunity to test themselves against one of Europe’s strongest and most consistent teams in preparation for a season that will see Como 1907 compete in the UEFA Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.
“Fans will be able to purchase general admission tickets for the match; further details regarding ticketing will be announced shortly via the club’s official channels.
“From Lake Como to North London.”
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What happened
Como, managed by former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas, have confirmed a pre-season friendly at Arsenal. The match marks a sentimental return for Fabregas, who came through Arsenal's academy and made over 200 appearances before departing for Barcelona in 2011. The fixture is part of Como's summer preparations following their promotion to and consolidation in Serie A. Further details including date and venue specifics are expected to follow.
Chance analysis
This is a low-stakes pre-season story with strong nostalgic value but minimal competitive impact. Como under Fabregas are an emerging project in Serie A, and facing a Premier heavyweight like Arsenal in pre-season offers a useful benchmark. For prediction systems, the only actionable signal is a minor data point on Como's pre-season schedule intensity, which has no bearing on Serie A or Premier League outcomes.
No competitive impact; purely a pre-season scheduling and sentimental story for both clubs.
Pre-season friendly; no impact on upcoming competitive fixtures or league standings.