Why Como’s emphatic Leipzig win is huge for Italian football

Why Como’s emphatic Leipzig win is huge for Italian football Serie A side Como picked up an emphatic and convincing 4-1 win over Leipzig in a historic Champions League night for Cesc Fabregas’ side. The result is huge for the lakeside club but will also prove to be a watershed moment in Italian football. It isn’t as if Calcio hasn’t seen clubs outside the likes of Milan, Inter, Juventus or even Roma do well in Europe. Atalanta have won the Europa League and Fiorentina reached two Conference League finals. Even Lazio have played in the Champions League a fair bit in the last few years. But none of them have done it the way Como are doing. Granted, Fabregas’ side had a fair share of detractors not too long ago. They were accused of spending more than what Italian football is used to seeing. Their promotion of themselves aligned closely with lake Como’s tourism appeal and they were often frowned upon for attracting non-sporting stars from the western world – possibly to inflate their value. But the win over Leipzig – one that Como played in as if they’ve been in the Champions League for ages, will now always stand for the fact that the model works. Fittingly, it was Luis Milla who dominated the midfield. He joined them for €6m, which goes slightly against the criticism around spending significantly they have attracted.  However, Owner Mirwan Suwarso has indeed spent quite a bit on the likes of Martin Baturina, Nico Paz, Assane Diao and even Trevoh Chalobah. Usually, Serie A clubs don’t go around doing business fearlessly but Como have taken that risk rather openly. But they have taken it while weighing the risk and reward. The key to their success lies in a stable footballing identity under Cesc Fabregas. When it comes to on-pitch activities, the noise off the pitch simply goes away and the Leipzig game was a great example. They barely seemed fazed by the occasion. Football and their identity on the pitch became the only focus and this stability allows them to reap dividends on the risks they took. As a result, the valuations of their key players have grown multifolds. But they are under no pressure to sell whatsoever because the club has a project which is going in the right direction. The players have no reason to leave either, which is why they haven’t seen a major outgoing yet. While that may happen down the line but it won’t harm Como at all. Their recruitment of talent is exceptional – with Milla, Jacobo Ramos and Yan Couto being excellent examples. Having a core system in place makes it easier for players to improve. Stability, specifically, is a huge problem for Italian clubs apart from Inter. So many like Milan, Juve, Lazio and now even Atalanta are struggling for a stable identity. They are taking desperate routes that leave them disappointed, when European clubs take them on. Como’s rise comes at a point in history where Italian football needs a reminder for how important maintaining an identity is. Roma have a trump card in Gian Piero Gasperini for that and Inter have known this for years now. Besides, Calcio has grim stories of clubs dying out after featuring in the Serie A many years ago. Brescia are a notable example. Como are the exact opposite. Yes, it has involved significant funding. But that has come as a risk but having the right people for the right project has minimised any possible negative. More than anything, the win is a lesson for Italian football about how to make it work, despite the league’s financial and structural shortcomings. It screams that – yes, it can be done. Kaustubh Pandey – GIFN