Aside from the disappointment of Chelsea’s inability to hold on to a lead against Leeds United, Antonio Conte is left to lick his wounds from Tuesday night after suffering defeat to Cesc Fabregas.
Chelsea will certainly have eyes on both Napoli manager Conte and Como gaffer Fabregas as the former Stamford Bridge duo did battle for the second time this season, following a 0-0 draw earlier this season.
Liam Rosenior failed to match a record held by Maurizio Sarri, who won his first five Premier League games as Blues gaffer. Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro put Chelsea 2-0 up, but Leeds came back to draw.
Whenever Boehly pulls the trigger on Rosenior, who are YOU hiring? 😤
Terry would love Fabregas…
Over in Italy, Como and Napoli played out a 1-1 draw in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia. A match that saw the experienced Conte share a dugout with the highly rated young gaffer Fabregas.
Fabregas proves his potential as Como continue trophy hunt
Como are enjoying a stellar season. Promoted to Serie A at the end of 2023-24, the ambitious Italian side, under the guidance of Chelsea’s former playmaker, sit in the top six and are looking good for Europe.
Antonio Conte and Cesc Fabregas
Photo by Andrea Staccioli/Insidefoto/LightRocket via Getty Images
Not only that, but they’ve reached the semi-finals of Coppa Italia after drawing 1-1 with Conte’s Napoli. A side that Rosenior managed to beat 3-2 in Naples last month, to secure a last-16 Champions League spot.
Martin Baturina’s penalty was cancelled out by Antonio Vergara, forcing the game to go to spot-kicks. The two sides could not be separated after the initial five, and it went to sudden death, with plenty on the line.
Eventually, experienced midfielder and Napoli stalwart Stan Lobotka – often so reliable for Napoli in the middle of the park – failed to find the back of the net, and Napoli progressed to the Coppa Italia semis.
Cesc Fabregas is a future Chelsea manager ⭐
He got the better of Antonio Conte last night!
Passing of the torch as John Terry and Eden Hazard proved right
If Chelsea fans were offered either Fabregas or Conte at the start of the season, it is easy to imagine that many will have picked the latter. But this season, Fabregas is working miracles. Surely, he’d be the choice.
Of course, Rosenior has only just joined Chelsea and has made a superb start, winning seven of 10 games, and the Blues gaffer cannot be blamed for Chelsea’s inability to hold onto a win against Leeds last night.
But if Chelsea ever needs a gaffer over the next couple of years, Fabregas has to be high on the list. John Terry thinks Fabregas will eventually become Chelsea or Arsenal manager at some point in the future.
Eden Hazard dreams of watching a Chelsea side led by Fabregas from the Stamford Bridge stands. If he had anything left to prove as Como manager, he did it on Tuesday night, getting one over Conte.
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