Cesc Fabregas has his heart set on a "dream" return to Barcelona as manager as he prepares himself for a career in the dugout - having taken notes on the qualities and shortcomings of his former bosses.
The iconic midfielder, 35, is working towards his coaching badges while continuing to ply his trade in Serie B - the Italian second tier - with Como. Many suspect Fabregas appears well-suited to life in the technical area due to his brilliant footballing brain and his wealth of trophy-winning experience from his decorated spells with Arsenal, Barca and Chelsea, as well as Spain at international level.
He has also worked under some of the finest managers in history, including Arsene Wenger, Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho. Fabregas did not rest on his laurels during that time and instead wrote down what he saw as the pros and cons of the various managers he has learned from.
"I have notebooks with notes about the things I liked and didn't like about the different coaches I've had, to keep it in mind for the future," he told Catalan outlet RAC 1.
Fabregas burst onto the scene as a teenager for Arsenal after departing Barca's famed La Masia academy for North London in 2003. He won the FA Cup with the Gunners and established himself as one of the finest creative midfielders in the world before returning to the Spanish giants in 2011.
He lifted the La Liga title and the Copa del Rey before arriving back in England three years later, going on to enjoy Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup triumphs with Chelsea. Yet Barcelona are the club the Catalan native would like to manage most, admitting it is his ultimate aim to take charge of the Camp Nou club in the future.
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He added: "I can't deny that it would be a dream to coach Barca one day. Time will tell. Right now, all I want to do is prepare myself well to become a coach."
Barcelona are managed by Fabregas' former teammate Xavi, who has led them on an unbeaten start in La Liga this season to sit two points behind reigning champions Real Madrid at this early stage. The former Arsenal prodigy is "not surprised" to see his compatriot in the dugout of one of Europe's giant clubs due to his incredible reputation in world football.
"I'm not surprised that Xavi is the coach of Barca," Fabregas said. "His name is already enough credit to manage a team like Barcelona." While the Blaugrana have impressed in domestic competition this season, they were beaten 2-0 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League last week, prompting an outburst from a frustrated Xavi.
