Cesc Fabregas could be set for a Celtic reunion this weekend as his Como side prepare to face either the Hoops or Ajax in the Football On The Lake tournament and the former Spain midfielder hasn’t forgotten his trip to Paradise.
Cesc Fabregas celebrates after scoring Barcelona’s first goal
Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Carl Recine
Fabregas was part of the Barcelona side that lost 2-1 to Neil Lennon’s Celtic in a famous Champions League night back in 2012. Now in charge at Serie A side Como, he could face Celtic again, albeit this time from the dugout.
“It was incredible to play at Celtic Park,” he said to the Glasgow Times. “It will be nice because they have quality players. They won the league by far this year and they play in Europe. If we do play against them, it will be a big test.”
Celtic take on Ajax on Thursday evening in what is effectively a semi-final, with the winners advancing to Sunday’s final against either Como or Al-Ahli. The losers will square off in a third-place play-off.
A meeting with Celtic would set up a reunion not only for Fabregas, but also for two of his players – Nicolas Kuhn and Alex Valle. Kuhn departed Glasgow earlier this summer in a £17 million deal, while Valle had a short loan spell at Parkhead last season before Como secured his permanent transfer from Barcelona in January.
Both are expected to feature heavily for Fabregas’ side as they ramp up preparations for their second consecutive season in top-flight Italian football.
By the time Celtic jet home from the Como Cup, it will be under a week until the Hoops kick off their preparations.
