After Como defeated Torino 3-1 away, Sky Sport Italia asked Fàbregas about the prospect of contending for the title.
Let's talk about growth. The most direct measure is points. Two years ago, you had 18 points in the first half of the season and 31 in the second half. Last year, 33 in the first half and 38 in the second half. You've been improving steadily. Now you have 4 more points than last season at this stage. I'll ask directly: if you continue progressing at this pace, I'm not saying you're already a title-contending team, but you already have the competitiveness to contend. Is this your goal—to fight for the title this year?
Fàbregas responded: "You know the answer very well. This year is the first time in our club's history that we're playing in the Champions League, not the Conference League or Europa League. In those competitions, you can rotate more freely. In the Champions League, one mistake and you could lose 0-5 or 0-6—that's the level we're at. We must find the best approach for every match."
"We played Sassuolo just 66 hours after Manchester United, not even three full days apart. Rotation is essential; it's impossible to maintain both tactical stability and squad consistency. We already have six injured players, and honestly, I don't focus on how many points we have. Points aren't what matters right now—it's only October. I'm more concerned with performance, with seeing how the team plays and continuously raising our level. This is a growth process, and we must stay the course."