RismadarVoice Reporters
October 21, 2026
Former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fàbregas is preparing for a reunion with Manchester United as his Italian side, Como, hosts the English club in Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League encounter.
The meeting at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia in Italy brings the Spanish coach face-to-face with a club involved in one of the most controversial episodes of his playing career.
Fàbregas, now manager of Como, was part of Arsenal’s squad during the fierce rivalry between Arsène Wenger’s side and Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United in the early 2000s.
One of their most memorable encounters occurred on October 24, 2004, when United defeated Arsenal 2-0 at Old Trafford, ending the London club’s remarkable 49-match unbeaten Premier League run.
The result was overshadowed by heated confrontations between players and officials in the stadium tunnel after the final whistle.
During the disturbance, Ferguson was struck by a slice of pizza thrown by an Arsenal player, sparking a controversy that became widely known as Pizzagate or the Battle of the Buffet.
For years, speculation surrounded the identity of the person responsible.
However, Fàbregas eventually admitted during an October 2017 appearance on the television programme A League of Their Own that he had thrown the pizza.
The former Spain international explained that he had been carrying a slice when he encountered players confronting one another in the tunnel.
Fàbregas, who was 17 at the time and remained an unused substitute during the match, said he threw the pizza amid the confusion without intending to hit Ferguson.
He subsequently apologised to the former Manchester United manager for his actions.
More than two decades later, Fàbregas is approaching the fixture from a different position, having established himself as a coach in Italian football.
His Como side faces a Manchester United team seeking to recover from a difficult run of results under manager Michael Carrick.
United enter Wednesday’s Champions League fixture without a victory in their previous six matches across competitions, while Como hopes to build on its progress in Serie A and European football.
The Italian club opened its Champions League campaign with a 4-1 victory over RB Leipzig before suffering a 3-2 defeat against Feyenoord.
Although the historical incident adds interest to the encounter, attention will turn to the tactical contest as Fàbregas attempts to secure an important European result against his former rivals.
The match is scheduled to kick off at 5:45 p.m. Nigerian time
