There is something inexplicably beautiful about Como. The city is, of course, stunning and the lake perhaps even more so. But the football club, Como 1907, hasn’t always lived up to the charm of its surroundings; far from it in fact.
But it has certainly become a more attractive proposition in recent months, with former Real Madrid and Manchester United defender Raphael Varane having officially agreed a deal to join the newly-promoted club last week.
The French international has signed a two-year deal with the option to extend for an additional year. He joins Pepe Reina and Alberto Moreno as the notable new editions and most experienced players in the Como squad by far; with Moreno having won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2019, while Reina was a part of Spain’s World Cup winning squad in 2010.
Varane, similarly, boasts one of the most impressive resumes in football today, having won the World Cup with France in 2018 and Nations League in 2021, along with four Champions League titles and three LaLiga titles during his time at Real Madrid.
He joined Manchester United in the summer of 2021 and enjoyed three seasons in the Premier League, helping the club win the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup earlier this year.
Como is gearing up for their most exciting season yet, with the club set to return to the Italian top flight in August following a 21-year absence.
Led by former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder and freshly-minted manager Cesc Fabregas, Como has found its way back to Serie A after a highly tumultuous period post relegation in 2003, including multiple bankruptcies, demotion to non-professional league football and several frantic ownership changes.
Still, there is an air about Como.
Perhaps helpfully boosted by the natural beauty of the city, this is a small club with a relatively modest history that features more downturns than up, but there is a sense of possibility about this project. An anticipation that Como could well become the next big power in Italian football.
They are not close, not yet anyway. But the ingredients are there for now and the palpable excitement continues to fill the air.
In football, we often hear of “projects” as clubs constantly undergo rebuilds and gear up to push themselves to new levels of success.
Como is perhaps one of the most compelling projects today, given how young they are — both in terms of their resurgence under new owners Michael and Robert Budi Hartono of the Djarum Group, as well as Fabregas, who is embarking on his first professional stint as head coach.
The idea of potential is so strong here perhaps because Como feels a bit like a blank canvas at the moment. This is a club that has spent more time outside the top divisions than inside them. They are, quite literally, a fresh face in what has become one of the most unpredictable leagues in the world.
This means they will be hungry.
Hungry to announce that there’s more to marvel at than just the scenery over in Como. Hungry to prove that they have what it takes to make it at the top. Hungry to show that these Champions League veterans aren’t just here to vacation, but to guide them to success.
Of course a lot of this depends on how they perform on the pitch. Winning promotion in Serie B and doing something of significance in Serie A are two monumentally different tasks, as Como will no doubt soon find out.
But if all things fall into place and Fabregas leads the Italian outfit through an impressive first season as he’s expected to, the future does indeed look very bright.
With owners who are willing to invest, a manager who is eager to work harder than ever before and growing experience in their ranks, Como could well be here for the long run.