Cesc Fabregas slams Gasperini: "We are an example, the hand is always given"

Como-Roma ended without a goodbye between the two coaches, with Gian Piero Gasperini furious at the match’s performance and in particular Wesley’s sending off. Larian coach Cesc Fabregas, on the other hand, in the aftermath of the match dwelt precisely on his colleague&#8217s attitude, stigmatizing his behavior. Heavy was his judgment on the Grugliasco coach, to whom he destined a severe barb in the post-match interviews. Words, those of the Catalan coach, destined to cause discussion in the coming days as well.

Marco Enzo Venturini

“I come from another country – noted Fabregas to ‘DAZN’ -. The match is a kind of war that lasts 90-100 minutes, and in that time everything is worth everything. Before and after, however, we must seek respect. We have to give each other hand in hand. Recently I have also happened to say things that I am not proud of. But we coaches must always be a good example to the kids. People look at these things. Even when the result doesn&#8217t satisfy you, or decisions have come that you don&#8217t agree with, you still give your hand to the opponent. Already the world is going in a particular direction, we have to be an example”. No explicit reference by him to Gasperini, not named although he was evidently the recipient of his consideration.

Very harsh had been in turn Gasperini himself, particularly in his’speech to ‘Sky Sport’. “This is nothing – the Roma coach had commented to ‘Sky Sport’ shortly after reviewing the second yellow card to Wesley -. In some images you can clearly see that he doesn&#8217t even enter on the opponent. He even moves out of the way. But an expulsion changes games, and it is not the first time it has happened with Como. Let&#8217s say that these are also very much sought situations, maybe even a little too much. This is what soccer has become, we have already said this several times. I have already discussed it in other circumstances, today I will not go into it”.

Curiously, Roma and Como were also divided by refereeing controversy in the first leg match, played on December 15, 2025, and in which the controversial episode went in the opposite direction from the Sinigaglia events. At that time, in fact, it was the Larians who protested that Gianluca Mancini did not receive a yellow card (it would have been his second) after a shoulder shove on Kempf. Gasperini’s defender moreover had a heated altercation with Fabregas himself.

Another element of curiosity: the match at the Olimpico ended 1-0 to Roma and was decided precisely by Wesley, author around the time of the goal that gave the Giallorossi victory and brought down Como. Exactly three months later everything seems to have been reversed, with the same player ejected in the match that his teammates have lost against the same opponents as then.