This weekend, Serie A fans are in for a treat as Como coach Cesc Fabregas prepares to face off against his former mentor, Antonio Conte, when Napoli visits the Stadio Sinigaglia on Saturday at 17:00 UK time. But ahead of the highly anticipated clash, Fabregas has opened up about the grueling training sessions that defined his time under Conte at Chelsea—and the lessons he’s carrying into his own coaching career.

Speaking in a press conference, the Spanish legend didn’t hold back when recalling the intensity of Conte’s methods. "Nobody made me suffer more than Antonio in training," Fabregas admitted. "He was always demanding pace, intensity, and full speed. It was purely physical, and it pushed me to my limits."

But the suffering came with a payoff. Fabregas explained that after a tough four-to-five-month adjustment period, everything clicked. "By December, I was flying. I felt physically incredible. Once I adapted to his way of doing things and his mentality, I truly believed in what he was doing."

That belief translated into results on the pitch. From 2016 to 2018, Fabregas made 86 competitive appearances under Conte at Stamford Bridge, racking up 10 goals and 22 assists. It’s a partnership that helped define an era for Chelsea, blending Conte’s relentless drive with Fabregas’s creative genius.

Now, on the verge of his 39th birthday, Fabregas is channeling that same fire into his role as Como’s head coach. The former midfielder is proving his mettle in Serie A, pushing for a top-four finish while instilling a similar intensity in his squad—though with his own twist. "I want that too from my team, perhaps in a slightly different way, some with or without the ball," he said.

As Fabregas and Conte prepare to reunite on the touchline, it’s a reminder of how the toughest training sessions can forge champions—and how those lessons echo through a career, from player to coach.