Como were beaten 1-0, with Pietro Pellegri scoring the winner for Empoli.
Cesc was asked afterwards if Como are now in crisis.
Have you lost your brilliance? Can we talk about a crisis?
"I don't know, crisis is an important word, it's what's happening in Valencia. We lost, congratulations to Empoli, it was a low-level match. They scored on a long ball, maybe they were hungrier and more aggressive. My message to the team is that we are close to competing and we give little away, but it penalises us a lot. I knew there would be difficult moments, I was prepared.
"I would be surprised if people thought otherwise. Last year we weren't a team to go to Serie A, we had a great championship finding Serie A. We are here, the road is long and we have to improve."
Como has always conceded goals in every game. Will you change something?
"We are an offensive team but I repeat, we lacked more nastiness and hunger. I don't think it's a technical or tactical issue, if we analyze the data we concede very little."
How do you explain this lack of malice?
"This is also an individual thing, even as a player I saw that a coach has a limit that he cannot cross in this. It is the players who must believe in it and manage it better. There are many man-to-man actions that we have not managed well. We can change, but today we played with 4 central defenders. We have to fight, as a family, this is what brought us here last year. Serie A is a new path for us, we have a lot of people who have to adapt to all this."
How do you justify the choice to change in goal? How do you explain the changes you made?
"If it were the cause I would never say it here. I think we are a family, we all have to fight together. Today I have to put a central defender in midfield, these are choices that every coach has to make. I expect a lot from Audero, he has to be a leader, for the characteristics of the match today I thought it would be better to have Reina's experience. Mazzitelli got hurt, I don't think he'll make it for the next one."
What room does Como have for improvement?
"A lot, but I am very demanding and I only see where we can improve. I think we need to look at things in a more realistic way and help the team feel good."