Cesc Fàbregas was a teammate of Thierry Henry's for a number of years at Arsenal, so it's no surprise the Como manager has spoken so highly of the support and help he receives from his great friend.
Fàbregas has led the ambitious Italian side, backed by an Indonesian conglomerate, to a top-half finish in the club’s first Serie A season in 21 years. Henry bought a minority stake in Como last summer, while Fàbregas has been a minority owner since joining as a player in 2022.
The pair were already well-acquainted from four years as Arsenal teammates two decades ago, with their bond now as strong as it's ever been.
“His support is important, you know, even, from far because not only because he’s a shareholder of the club, but because, I know the person,” Fàbregas explained in an interview with Sports Illustrated.
“I know Thierry and, even if he wasn’t [a shareholder], I would speak to him, and I would ask questions if I had to, you know?”
Fàbregas noted that Henry is always willing to offer advice and help, drawing on an illustrious playing career, as well as coaching career that has so far taken in head coaching roles with Monaco, Montreal, France’s Under-21 and Olympic teams, but is also careful never to overstep.
“He’s a guy that always helps you when he’s asked. If not, he always tries to stay quite out of the focus,” Fàbregas said. “But he’s a guy that really I trust a lot that he always helped me. He helped me already when I was a very young player, when I went to Arsenal.
“I consider him a friend and it’s always nice to have him around.”
When Henry joined Como’s ownership group, he said that the club being rooted in its local community was an important factor for him.
“I have been waiting to get involved in a project like Como for a long time,” he said. “A club with ambition but most importantly one that holds the same values as me, that the club and its local community both need to thrive. For me, a football club is nothing without its local community.
“So many times you see commercial objectives overtake and break that special connection and the heart of the club is lost. When I spoke to the team here and they told me about the community initiatives already in place and the ambition to ensure that as the club prospers so does the community, I knew this was the perfect opportunity for me.”
Fàbregas also explained the influence former manager Arsène Wenger has had on him, namely the importance of “behaviours, discipline, respect and hard work,” when striving for success.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cesc Fàbregas Addresses Brilliant Thing Thierry Henry Does for Him.