Fabregas: I told my Como players to show Manchester United mercy, but I regretted it!

The Spanish coach is proud of his team after United's four-goal haul

Cesc Fabregas has revealed that he told his Como players to ease off Manchester United during Wednesday's humiliating 4-1 Champions League defeat.

Como led Michael Carrick's side by four goals when Fabregas ordered his players to conserve their energy for Saturday's Serie A trip to Sassuolo, according to the British newspaper "Daily Mail".

Substitute Joshua Zirkzee pulled one back late on, and Fabregas admitted he was furious with himself for not piling on more embarrassment.

The former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder said: "I regret the last ten minutes because I was the one who asked the team to slow the pace of play because there is another match, and when the score was 4-0 we could have controlled things a little".

He added: "I asked the players to stop running and to stay in midfield, and this is what I regret because I was the first to urge them to fight until the end. Their goal hurt me because we dropped in our enthusiasm and dropped in our defending, but the mistake was mine".

There was pride in his frustration, too. "I am extremely happy with the way the players applied everything we tried to do, not only in terms of quality, which was high, but also in terms of the way we were pressing relentlessly until the 85th minute".

The Spaniard pointed to the bigger picture. "We are trying to create a culture at the club, a style of play and an identity. Tonight was another convincing moment for us".

Beating a club of United's stature clearly meant something. "I cannot lie to you about the fact that beating Manchester United was not a source of pride. We know the history of our club, and how much it has suffered over the years. It is obvious that I hope all the boys and girls will wear the Como shirt tomorrow when they go to school. I feel proud".

His message to the youngsters was simple. "I always tell the young ones: enjoy yourselves, fight, do everything to achieve the best possible career for each one of you, because it passes quickly".

Fabregas saved his warmest words for how the win arrived. "They made me enjoy tonight, but not so much because of the win, rather because of the result, because they played the way I love my team to play, with belief, with quality, with a clear mind, with aggression, and with ferocious pressing".