Cesc Fabregas sparks Milan storm as Allegri brands him ‘a**hole’

Como manager Cesc Fabregas was allegedly called “an a**hole” by AC Milan counterpart Massimiliano Allegri following a fiery 1-1 Serie A draw on Wednesday.

Milan missed the opportunity to close the gap on Inter Milan at the top of Serie A as they had to fight back from behind at San Siro to grab a point thanks to an equaliser from Rafael Leao.

But the main talking point at full-time was Fabregas’ behaviour.

Fabregas tug sparks dramatic confrontation

The Spaniard, who has been making waves as a highly rated coach in Italy since taking the Como job on an interim basis in 2023, courted controversy in Milan when he reached across the touchline and made contact with Rossoneri star Alexis Saelemaekers while play was going on.

The winger reacted to the contact, which in turn brought a response from Fabregas. Allegri got involved and was ultimately sent off.

After the match, Allegri responded to the incident in an acid manner, stating: “In that case, the next time I see someone run past me, I’ll just go into a sliding tackle.”

The Milan boss was not so forgiving of his counterpart behind the scenes.

TuttoMercatoWeb reports that there was a heated exchange with Fabregas behind the scenes after the game, during which he screamed: “You’re a child, you’re an a**hole, you’re a child who just started as a coach!”

Fabregas’ reaction to Saelemaekers tug

Fabregas was quick to apologise for his actions in front of the cameras.

“I apologise, it was just a little touch and Allegri’s response was exaggerated, but I admit I shouldn’t have done it,” the Como boss admitted.

“It was unsporting behaviour. As Inter boss Cristian Chivu said the other day, we’ve got to keep our hands to ourselves, especially if you are a coach.

“I would’ve got angry too, so I can only apologise and say I hope it never happens again in my career.”

Cesc Fabregas: Why the Como boss is a manager to watch

This incident is a blot on what has been a very promising coaching career to date from Fabregas.

He has drawn aspects of legendary managers he has worked under, such as Arsene Wenger (Arsenal) and Pep Guardiola (Barcelona) in his philosophy.

Fabregas prefers a possession-based approach to the game but he is not dogmatic and will not stick to a single system, which has been a downfall of other up-and-coming coaches such as Ruben Amorim and Roberto De Zerbi in recent jobs.

While he is prepared to allow players such as Nico Paz the freedom to express themselves offensively, he has made Como one of the most disciplined defensive teams in Serie A. With 19 goals conceded in 25 games, they have the joint-second meanest rearguard in the league.

Fabregas’ success with Como, which could well end with the Lombardy side qualifying for Europe next season, has already led him to be linked with a string of high-profile jobs.

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