Clash on the Sidelines: Conte and Fabregas Stir Up Napoli-Como in a Goalless Rollercoaster
1 November 2025
Conte-Fabregas clash on the Napoli-Como touchline
A tense atmosphere enveloped the Napoli-Como Serie A clash as Antonio Conte and Cesc Fabregas, the coaches of Napoli and Como, traded heated moments on the touchline, recalling their Chelsea days.
Conte coached Chelsea in 2016 when Fabregas was still a player, yet tonight they found themselves face to face at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in the 10th round of Serie A.
The historical relationship did not soften the on-field tension, with DAZN, present at the Maradona, reporting continuous exchanges between the coaches along the touchline throughout the match.
Conte flared up when a Como player went down needing attention, turning to his former teammate with a pointed question: “Your players dive. Is this your plan? Was this your preparation?”
Fabregas attempted to calm his former boss, and moments later Napoli midfielder Billy Gilmore had to leave the pitch with a muscle injury, prompting Fabregas to quip, “See? Your players get injured too—these things happen.”
Fabregas was seen sprinting toward Conte as they approached the tunnel at halftime, trying to clarify the events, but Conte showed little interest in explanations.
The debate persisted into the second half as neither side could break the deadlock and open the scoring.
What did Conte say after the match?
Conte praised Napoli’s spirit and enthusiasm after the hard-fought 0-0 draw with Como at the Maradona, calling it an “European-style” match between two brave and active teams.
In his post-match remarks, Conte said: “I watched a very exciting game; they may complain about a penalty, but in the second half we deserved more. People think Como is a small team just because of the name, but they are a real side delivering a great performance. A salute to them and to us, because we produced a strong performance despite the difficulties of having players sent off.”
He added: “Elmas and Gutierrez delivered a great display, we pressed high and sought control, they did the same; it was European football—no team retreated from their half. I am happier today than after some wins because I got a reaction from a real team.”
When asked about Fabregas’ assertion that Como deserved to win, Conte replied: “Como played very well, but let’s not forget they recently beat Juventus; they are a developing side. In terms of the result, I don’t recall any Milenkovic save; overall, the first half was better, but we were stronger in the second.”
Regarding Romelu Lukaku’s situation, Conte said: “I don’t know, you have to ask the doctors. He is making a big effort to overcome a serious injury; his presence is always positive for the team, and we’ll be happier when he’s back on the pitch.”
Stance of the teams
With the draw, Napoli reached 22 points and remains top of the table but now faces greater risk as Roma could overtake them with a win over Milan tomorrow. Napoli have played 10 games: 7 wins, 2 losses, 1 draw; 16 goals for and 8 against.
Como continues its strong start to the season, currently on 17 points in sixth place, with 4 wins, 5 draws, and 1 loss. They have scored 12 and conceded 6.
The Spanish coach Fabregas’ side has 12 goals for and 6 conceded.
Punchlines to wrap this one up: Conte on the touchline looked like a sniper of sass—each stare a reminder that the whistle can be louder than the ball. Fabregas eased the tension with a wry grin: “Relax, coach, we only shoot for goals, not headlines.”
