It’s one thing to reach the top of the mountain: it’s another thing to stay there. Quite a few teams that have challenged European football’s hierarchy have discovered this lesson the hard way in recent years.

By Zach Lowy

Two years after halting Paris Saint-Germain’s domestic dynasty and winning the Ligue 1 title, Monaco avoided relegation by two points. And two years after masterminding a top-three finish in LaLiga, Girona now find themselves in Spain’s second division.

Given that recent trajectory, it would make sense for Como to suffer a sharp decline this season after their historic fourth-place finish. However, there’s reason to believe that they can buck this trend and deliver an even better campaign in 2026/27.

After a turbulent start to the 21st century that culminated in two bankruptcies, Como was acquired by Indonesian tobacco company Djarum Group in 2019. Bolstered by the richest owners in Italian football, Como ascended from Serie D to Serie A and returned to the top flight for the first time in 21 years. After placing tenth in 2024/25, they shocked the entire world by finishing ahead of traditional heavyweights like Milan, Juventus, and Atalanta and qualifying for the Champions League for the first time.

Como have now gone from being the hunters to the hunted, but they have what it takes to cope with the pressure and consolidate their presence in Serie A’s crème de la crème.

For one, their squad has gotten significantly better. This summer, Como acquired Yan Couto, who proved crucial in Girona’s Cinderella story, and Samuele Ricci, who previously established himself as one of Serie A’s top midfielders with Torino. Whilst Como have continued to invest heavily in young talents like Mattia Liberali (19) and Andrés Cuenca (19), Willy Kambwala (22), and Kaiki (23), they’ve balanced that out with experienced veterans like Robert Sánchez (28) and Luis Milla (31).

One year removed from his 19-goal season with Fiorentina, Moise Kean (26) is seeking to challenge Anastasios Douvikas (27) at the centre-forward position. 

Perhaps their best signing, however, wasn’t actually a signing. Nico Paz looked set to return to boyhood club Real Madrid after claiming the Serie A Midfielder of the Season award, but instead, he remained in Lombardy.

For a team like Como that finished first in Serie A for possession (61.6%), Paz’s ability to recover the ball in dangerous areas and weave between the lines makes him an essential figure in Como’s attacking system. And while he racked up 21 goal contributions last season, he doesn’t need to score or assist to make his presence felt on the pitch.

Paz is one of a handful of promising talents who can take a major step forward this season alongside Assane Diao (21), Jacobo Ramón (21), and Martin Baturina (23) under Cesc Fábregas. He only just turned 39, but Fábregas is already the longest-serving manager in Serie A, and that longevity could prove instrumental this season as Como balance three competitions. Whereas last season, he was still figuring out which combinations worked and how aggressive his possession game should be, he now has far more knowledge under his belt. Como’s players have spent the three years learning Fàbregas’ principles like aggressive counter-pressing, a high defensive line, and creating numerical advantages around the ball, and they now execute his tactics like it’s second nature.

Last season, Como occasionally looked vulnerable out of possession and failed to remain compact and protect their advantage. This came to the fore in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal, where, after racing to a 2-0 lead, they conceded three goals to Inter in the final half-hour. Since that heartbreaking defeat in Milan, Como have taken 20 points from a potential 24, conceding just four goals in the process. After commencing the season with a 1-1 draw at Udinese, Como were made to suffer at Napoli but escaped with a 2-1 win. And when they conceded after 19 minutes to Genoa, they quickly dusted themselves off by scoring three goals in 11 minutes in a 4-1 win.

The Lariani currently sit sixth in Serie A, two points behind early pacesetters Roma, Inter, and Lazio, and they’ll be looking to build on their momentum as they take on Parma next Monday. Before that, however, they’ll be hosting RB Leipzig on Tuesday in what will be their first European football match since the 1980/81 Mitropa Cup.

“Como have a very complete squad—two players for every position and, above all, a very high technical level across the board,” stated Italian football expert Pipe Olcina. “But if there’s one thing they need to improve on, it’s defence. Fàbregas’ teams defend by keeping possession, which is fine, but when the level of competition rises, there are stretches of the match where they can’t hold onto the ball, and that’s where Como struggle quite a bit.”

“It’s natural, because it goes against their DNA, but they need to learn how to dig in and suffer, just like they did against Napoli. Qualifying for the Champions League was a huge success, but at times Como was guilty of being too committed to their style of play. They need to manage results better and, above all, address these defensive issues. However, after seeing the match at the Maradona, there are reasons to be optimistic about Fàbregas. No one learns faster than him.”

Seven years after playing in Italy’s fourth tier, Como now embark on their maiden UEFA Champions League voyage.

In contrast to future opponents like Barcelona, PSG, and Manchester United, they haven’t won the Champions League – in fact, they haven’t won any silverware above Serie B or even reached a top-level final.

But with a thoroughly exciting group of players and a coach who is quickly leaving his imprint in calcio, 2027 may well see Como lift a trophy that glistens as brightly as the lake they call home.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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