The chosen one: Barcelona have already mapped out the post-Flick era, and it leads to Como
Barcelona are playing chess while everyone else plays checkers: the successor to Hansi Flick has already been identified, sounded out and given his instructions.
Details: Cesc Fàbregas is Barcelona's absolute priority to take over from Hansi Flick as manager, Sport reports. The Como coach has already received a very clear message from a Barça director: if he decides to leave the Italian club, he must contact Barcelona before considering any other option.
The courtship of Fàbregas is no longer a rumor but a strategy. The 39-year-old Catalan has built the most romantic project in European football at Como: from the lower leagues to a historic first ever Champions League qualification, sealed with a top four Serie A finish, and announced to the continent with a stunning 4:1 demolition of RB Leipzig on their debut in the competition. Barcelona's sporting leadership, headed by Deco, has backed him as the heir since the summer, when Flick indicated he would not extend his adventure beyond his current deal and spoke of retiring after Barça. The German's position may yet evolve, but the machinery of succession is already moving: Fàbregas has been told directly that no other offer should be answered before a call to Catalonia. The parallels write themselves, a La Masia graduate and World Cup winner returning home to lead the club, just as Guardiola and Xavi did before him. For now, Flick's champions sit top of La Liga with a perfect record, so the handover is not imminent. But when the day comes, Barcelona's future coach will not need an introduction.
It's worth noting that Fàbregas began his coaching career in Como's academy in 2023 and, within three years, took the club from Serie B to the Champions League for the first time in its history.
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Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
