MILAN (AP) — Cesc Fàbregas' Como has completed a remarkable rise to qualify for the Champions League along with Roma on the final day of the Serie A season.
The club, which has never participated in any continental competition in its 119-year history, was playing in the fourth division of Italian soccer just seven years ago.
Fabregas Celebrates "Massive Achievement"
"When I arrived four years ago as a player we changed in a bar, today we're in the Champions League," Fabregas said. "Today I spoke with two physiotherapists, back then we trained without a sports center. We had massages in the back room of a bar."
"Less than four years later, we're going to play in the Champions League. It's a huge achievement — this is a squad full of kids. Nearly all the 15 players who played the most are under 23. I think that's marvelous."
Fabregas' post-match press conference was interrupted by his overjoyed players, who threw water over their coach as they sang the Champions League anthem.
Final Round Results
Four teams were vying for the final two Champions League berths in the final round.
Roma finished third after winning 2-0 at already-relegated Hellas Verona. Como clinched fourth place by winning 4-1 at Cremonese, leapfrogging Milan, which lost 2-1 at home to Cagliari.
Juventus let slip a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Torino. The match kicked off an hour late because of fan trouble.
Serie A Standings
- Roma: Third place, two points above Como
- Como: Fourth place — Champions League qualification
- Milan: Fifth place, one point below Como
- Juventus: Sixth place, one point behind Milan
- Cremonese: Relegated
Club Background
Como, based on the shores of Lake Como in northern Italy, has made rapid progress since Indonesian tobacco billionaire brothers Robert Budi Hartono and Michael Bambang Hartono purchased the club in 2019.
The Champions League could prove to be enough to keep Fabregas at Como, with bigger clubs across Europe reportedly interested in the 39-year-old coach.
Other Serie A Results
Inter Milan secured the league title. Napoli finished second after Antonio Conte's last match in charge was a 1-0 win over Udinese.
Lecce beat Genoa 1-0 to secure Serie A safety, moving four points above 18th-place Cremonese, which will join Verona and Pisa in the second division next season.