MILAN (AP) — Cesc Fàbregas' Como has completed a remarkable rise to qualify for the Champions League alongside 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 historic 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, in a place I don't remember where it was."
"We had massages in the back room of a bar, in a field… And today, less than four years later, we're going to play in the Champions League. It's a huge achievement."
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 day drama determines qualifying spots
Four teams were vying for the final two Champions League berths heading into the final round. Roma finished third in the Italian standings, two points above Como in fourth place.
Key results from the final day:
- Roma 2-0 Hellas Verona — Roma secured third place
- Como 4-1 Cremonese — Como finished fourth, qualified for Champions League
- Milan 1-2 Cagliari — Milan finished fifth, one point below Como
- Juventus 2-2 Torino — Juventus finished sixth, two points behind Como
AC Milan was loudly booed at the end of its match. Juventus let slip a two-goal lead in a match that kicked off an hour late because of fan trouble.
Club's rapid rise under Indonesian ownership
Como, based on the shores of the eponymous lake in northern Italy, has made rapid progress since Indonesian tobacco billionaire brothers Robert Budi Hartono and Michael Bambang Hartono purchased the club in 2019, when it was in Serie D.
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 following his impressive early success.
Other Serie A results
Napoli sealed a 1-0 win over Udinese in Antonio Conte's final match in charge, finishing second in Serie A behind Inter Milan.
Lecce beat Genoa 1-0 to secure Serie A safety, moving four points above 18th-place Cremonese.
Relegated clubs: Cremonese, Verona, and Pisa join the second division next season.