Berliner Tageblatt - World Cup winner Fabregas joins Italian Serie B side Como

"I want to bring Como back to where the club deserves to be, in Serie A," Fabregas told a press conference.

"I wasn't chasing money. I was looking for a project that I was enthusiastic about," he added, stressing that he was committing himself to the "long term" beyond his two-year contract and was thinking of becoming a shareholder in the club, which is run by former Chelsea and England midfielder Dennis Wise.

Fabregas, who previously played for Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea, had a frustrating season last year, not playing for Monaco's first team after September.

"On an individual level, it's ending badly, that's for sure. Every professional wants to play and feel important," the Spaniard told AFP in May, claiming to have experienced the "worst" season of his long career.

"I still want to play. I don't want to end like this. The year has been too bad to end like this. I want to have fun, end with good feelings," he added, saying he wanted to join a club where he "will play, where people believe in me".

The club, which was founded in 1907, finished 13th in Serie B last season. Como begin their season on Saturday away to Serie A side Spezia in the Italian Cup.

Fabregas said he did not know if he would be fit to play on Saturday, but "if not, there will be another chance".

Y.Bouchard--BTB