CESC FABREGAS BLASTS MORATA AFTER SHOCKING TWO-MINUTE RED CARD AGAINST FIORENTINA
Cesc Fabregas tells Alvaro Morata to "change careers" after a red card vs Fiorentina. Read the full Como vs Fiorentina report here.
Cesc Fabregas didn’t hold back after Como’s 2-1 loss to Fiorentina on Saturday, firing a scathing shot at striker Alvaro Morata. Morata, brought on as a sub in the second half, completely lost the plot, getting two yellow cards in as many minutes, and suddenly, Como were down a man, chasing a game they just couldn’t save. Fabregas, furious after the final whistle, went as far as to say Morata should “change careers.”
Morata’s night really went off the rails. He came on in the 57th minute; Como were already 2-0 down at Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia. With so much at stake, the pressure was on. Como needed points for a shot at Europe, and Fiorentina was fighting to stay up. Fabiano Parisi’s own goal cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 77th minute, so Como had hope. But then Morata lost his cool. First, he argued himself into a yellow in the 88th. Then, just a minute later, he headbutted Luca Ranieri off the ball. Ranieri went down, and Morata got his second yellow. Off he went, leaving his team hanging in the dying moments.
Fabregas, who knows Morata well from their Chelsea days, couldn’t believe what he saw. He ripped into him in front of reporters: “Provocation is part of football. If you can’t handle it, you need to find another job. He’s experienced; I expect more from him. The line between winning and losing is razor-thin. I don’t want excuses. We need to play our game, not worry about what others are saying.”
Fabregas was also frustrated with the whole team. “I’m annoyed I couldn’t get the message across about how important this match was. I shared my experience all week, maybe too much, but it wasn’t enough. We’re a young team. The second half barely felt like football. Still, you have to show the right energy and focus. I feel bad as a coach that I couldn’t get this through to them. Maybe the problem was in our heads. Our attitude was wrong. We’ve got to want it more. The first half wasn’t great; the second half, honestly, didn’t even feel like football.”
Morata’s really been struggling since landing in Como on loan from AC Milan. He’s bounced around Europe, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Atletico, now Milan and Como, but never truly settled anywhere. That big £70 million move to Chelsea didn’t work out: 24 goals and six assists in 72 games, and then he was gone. At Como, he’s barely played, with just one goal and two assists in 18 matches, mostly playing backup to Tasos Douvikas. Now, with his latest red card mess, he’s not making life any easier for himself. Fabregas’s criticism stings, but he’s not wrong. Morata should be leading by example at this point in his career.
Things aren’t much better for Morata with Spain. Luis de la Fuente dropped him from the national team last October for the first time since 2018. That’s a big deal, especially for a player who captained Spain to Euro glory in 2024. Missing out on the World Cup squad this summer in the US, Canada, and Mexico would be huge news. If Morata wants back in, he needs to sort himself out at Como and get back on track. Off the pitch, it’s been tough too; he just split from his wife, Alice Campello. Right now, nothing’s going Morata’s way, and time’s running out for him to turn things around.
THE 2028 VISION: UNEARTHING THE LONG-TERM BLUEPRINT TO KEEP LUCIANO SPALLETTI IN TURIN
Juventus are going all-in on Luciano Spalletti: Read about the 2028 contract offer, the Galatasaray fallout, and Serie A top-four hopes.
Juventus isn’t wasting any time. Even after crashing out of the Champions League against Galatasaray, they’re pushing hard to lock Luciano Spalletti into a long-term deal. The board just wrapped up a few important contract renewals, and now they want to keep Spalletti around until 2028. The goal? Give the club some real direction and stability while they turn their focus fully to domestic trophies and building for the future.
They’re not just thinking about Spalletti, either. Juventus has already nailed down new contracts for Kenan Yildiz, Carlo Pinsoglio, and Weston McKennie. Talks are rolling with captain Manuel Locatelli and Dusan Vlahovic, too. The message from the top is loud and clear: Spalletti, who only arrived at the end of October, is at the centre of everything now. His short-term deal is up in June, but the club wants him to lead the rebuild.
It’s not just talk. The board is pushing for a two-year extension – no more flirting; this is a full-court press. Spalletti has managed 27 games so far, picked up 14 wins, and drawn seven. The recent Champions League exit stings, but it hasn’t changed the club’s mind. They want him to sign on for two more years, aiming for a handshake by mid-March and then the paperwork soon after. Champions League qualification didn’t factor into their decision at all. Meetings could even happen this week if things move fast.
For Spalletti, it’s not just about the money. He wants to build something real in Turin, especially after that wild 7-5 defeat to Galatasaray. Even with a 3-2 win in the second leg after leading 3-0, only to have everything fall apart after Lloyd Kelly’s red card, the ending was brutal. Extra-time goals from Victor Osimhen and Baris Yilmaz finished the job, and Juventus’s European hopes went up in smoke.
Now, both Spalletti and the club want to settle things quickly. He wants a clear plan for the future and some new signings, and he’s expected to earn between €4 million and €5 million a year. For him, the project on the pitch comes first.
With 11 games left in Serie A and the top four still up for grabs, Juventus needs a lift after their European letdown. Right now, they’re 6th with 47 points, just behind Como, Roma, and Napoli. It’s tight, but the club sees Spalletti as the right man for the job.
The big conversations ahead will focus on squad building and investments. By tying down both the coach and several core players before summer, Juventus is trying to set up a united front ahead of the transfer window. They’re betting that experience and a clear plan can get them back where they want to be.
THE MCTOMINAY VOID: WHY NAPOLI STATISTICALLY STRUGGLE WHENEVER THEIR SCOTTISH STAR IS SIDELINED
With Scott McTominay sidelined by tendon inflammation, Napoli relied on a late Lukaku strike to keep their top-four hopes alive.
Napoli finally got a win without Scott McTominay, thanks to a wild stoppage-time goal against bottom-of-the-table Hellas Verona on Saturday. It’s the first time all season they’ve managed a victory without him.
McTominay missed his fourth straight game for Gli Azzurri. He’s been out since aggravating an injury in that 3-2 win over Genoa back on February 7. Right now, Napoli aren’t taking any risks with their star midfielder. He’s still dealing with tendon inflammation between his hamstring and groin, which has kept him from really training at full speed.
There’s talk in Italy that McTominay could be back for the Torino match on Friday. Scotland manager Steve Clarke has his fingers crossed, hoping his 29-year-old midfielder will be fit in time for friendlies against Japan and the Ivory Coast later this month. That’s when Scotland’s World Cup prep really kicks off.
Napoli have looked lost without McTominay. They hadn’t won any of the four games he missed, including a 1-0 loss to Torino back in October when he was out with an ankle strain.
But they finally broke that bad run in Verona. Romelu Lukaku came off the bench and buried a huge winner in the 95th minute, after Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro had cancelled out Rasmus Hojlund’s early goal for Napoli.
The win keeps Napoli third in Serie A. They’re 14 points behind Inter Milan, so the title is probably out of reach, but they’re still fighting for a Champions League spot.
McTominay wasn’t the only Scot involved. There were actually two Scotland internationals on the pitch at the Marcantonio Bentegodi Stadium. Kieron Bowie played the whole game for Verona and nearly put his team ahead just minutes before Lukaku’s winner. The former Hibs man, who netted his old club a £7 million transfer fee in January, got on the end of a deep cross. Napoli’s keeper Alex Meret missed it, but Bowie, stretching at a tight angle, couldn’t steer the ball home. It rolled right across the empty goal.
Things went from bad to worse for Bowie. Moments later, he was marking Lukaku in the Verona box. The Belgian shrugged him off and slotted in the winning goal. Another tough blow for Verona, who are now bottom of the table, nine points from safety with 11 games left, and they’ve played a game more than everyone they’re chasing.
Billy Gilmour also got a run for Napoli, coming on with Lukaku in the 73rd minute. He earned praise from the Italian media for giving Napoli a late boost. This was only his second appearance off the bench since coming back from nearly four months out with a groin injury. He also played in the 2-2 draw against Roma on February 15.
