De Rossi vs. Fàbregas: former midfield icons face off at Marassi

On Sunday at 15:00 CEST at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa and Como meet on Serie A Enilive matchday 34 in a game that brings together the present and the past. In the dugouts, two iconic figures of European football over the past 20 years, Daniele De Rossi and Cesc Fàbregas, will face off as opponents for the first time in their coaching careers.

For De Rossi, there is also a personal angle: it was against Como that he made his Serie A debut on 25 January 2003, when Como beat Roma 2-0 at the Garilli in Piacenza. Since then, however, he has never faced Como again, not even as a coach: in the reverse fixture, Vieira was still at the helm of Genoa. That match ended 1-1, with Ekuban grabbing a late equaliser. Much has changed since then on both sides, starting with a different man in charge at the Grifone.

De Rossi’s revolution: numbers and identity of the new Genoa

Daniele De Rossi’s arrival marked a real turning point in Genoa’s season. At that stage, the team were third from bottom with just six points from ten matches. Since then, there has been a clear shift in momentum: 33 points from 23 games, averaging 1.43 per match – form worthy of a top-half side. Even more striking is their position when compared directly with the other teams over the same period: since De Rossi took charge, Genoa rank seventh in the table for points earned, behind only Como, Inter, Juventus, Napoli, Atalanta and Roma.

Growth has also come through attacking output. Under De Rossi, Genoa have scored 34 goals, averaging 1.48 per game, compared to just six in the previous period. Over the last 23 matchdays, the Rossoblù have the fifth-best attack in Serie A, behind only Inter (54), Como (45), Juventus (43) and Roma (36).

At the heart of the Grifone’s transformation has been a clear shift in approach: from a cautious, defence-minded side, Genoa have become a more proactive team, focused on building play and creating chances. The trip to Pisa highlighted another key aspect of De Rossi’s tenure: the revival of the team’s attacking players. Colombo and Vitinha, for example, have scored seven and five goals respectively, all coming from matchday 10 onwards, playing a decisive role in a side that has reached a total of 40 goals for the Serie A season.

DDR’s work has followed a clear direction: making the most of the experienced core – with players such as Messias and Malinovskyi becoming key reference points, alongside the continued growth of Frendrup – while also integrating new arrivals. From this perspective, players like Bijlow, Baldanzi and Amorim are emerging as potential pillars of the club’s future project.

The Genoa boss has pulled off a remarkable turnaround: he took over a flat, struggling Genoa side and restored intensity and a competitive edge, guiding them to the brink of safety with five games to spare.

State of play for Como: European hopes and recent setbacks

Como arrive at Marassi during a difficult spell. Two consecutive league defeats, together with a disappointing Coppa Italia Frecciarossa loss, represent a clear slowdown, but they do not undermine the strength of the project built by Cesc Fàbregas.

Securing Champions League football has become more complicated, although upcoming fixtures – such as the big clash between AC Milan and Juventus – could reopen a window of opportunity. In any case, qualification for a UEFA competition would represent a historic achievement for the club, something never achieved before, and a success of considerable significance in its own right.

Como’s progress has remained at a high level, both in terms of playing quality and consistency. Their development has been stalled mainly by the two Milan sides, particularly Inter, who twice in April managed to turn games around despite Como setting the tempo from the opening stages. Those matches underlined both the team’s potential under Fàbregas and the need for greater maturity in managing key moments.

It’s an inevitable step for a young squad, which now aims to finish the season strongly, maintaining high performance levels and staying in the European race.

De Rossi and Fàbregas: two huge playing careers

If their coaching journeys are still in their early stages, their playing careers tell the story of two extraordinary journeys on football’s biggest stages.

Daniele De Rossi embodied the archetypal all-action midfielder: a balance between defensive work and build-up play, charismatic leadership, and an unbreakable bond with Roma. Cesc Fàbregas, meanwhile, was one of the symbols of Spain’s golden generation – a technically gifted playmaker and key figure in the tactical evolution of coaches such as Wenger, Guardiola and Conte, starring at Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea.

Their most significant encounters came on the international stage. They first faced each other in the EURO 2008 quarter-finals, decided on penalties: De Rossi missed his spot-kick, while Fàbregas scored the decisive one. In 2012, they met again both in the group stage – with Fàbregas used as a false nine and De Rossi deployed in a back three – and later in the final, where Spain ran out 4-0 winners. In 2016, the Azzurri had their revenge with a 2-0 win in the round of 16, De Rossi’s only victory over Fàbregas in an Italy shirt.

At club level, their only real meeting came when Roma, captained by De Rossi, beat Chelsea 3-0 in the group stage of the 2017/18 Champions League.