The Lake, the Lights and European Glory Nights… Como Gripped by Champions League Fever

For Cesc Fabregas and Como, the reality of qualifying for the Champions League in just their second season back in Serie A, hit home in the tunnel of the Stadio Giovanni Zini in Cremona.

The Lariani had swept Cremonese aside 4-1 on the final day of the season and did their part in the race for the final Champions League spot. However, with the game at the Zini finishing slightly earlier than proceedings at San Siro between AC Milan and Cagliari, all the players could do was wait.

Huddled in the tunnel, they watched the final minutes on a mobile phone with the Sardinians leading 2-1. When the full-time whistle sounded in Milan, Fabregas’ young side erupted in celebration.

“I had a feeling, and I always go by feelings,” Fabregas said as he got his troops into a circle back out on the pitch. “But this was up to you. It was all thanks to you. We try to help you, give you certain solutions, but you are the reason why this is so beautiful.”

Como had finished above not just Milan, but also Juventus, two of the three most successful sides in Italian football. 

Fast forward a few months and the draw in Monaco at the end of August pitted Fabregas’ fledglings against European royalty in the shape of Manchester United and defending champions Paris Saint-Germain, both at the Stadio Sinigaglia. A trip to Barcelona came also out of the hat and will prove an emotional night for the Como coach, given his past. But to kick things off, they were handed a home tie against RB Leipzig.

Club president Mirwan Suwarso said: “In seven years we’ve gone from Serie D to the Champions League: it’s incredible. We can only enjoy the moment.”

And they did. Como made their bow in the tournament with a 4-1 win over the German outfit, after the demand for tickets had been, as expected, through the roof. With capacity reduced to about 12,000 for UEFA competitions, club executives give up their own seats to allow the team’s oldest fans in.

“We want those seats to be allocated to supporters who have waited the longest, fans born in 1950 or earlier, who have followed Como through every division and every era,” Suwarso said. “We will be honoured to give up our seat for them.”

A 3-2 defeat at Feyenoord followed, and now it is Manchester United set to arrive on the shores of the lake. Champions League fever has gripped this small city.

“When we played the first game against Leipzig it was electric. I arrived at the stadium early and people were already flooding the streets around it,” said 21-year-Como supporter Giordano Galdini.

“That happens a lot but on this day it was different. People were more excited, noisier. The whole week before was a bit like that: pubs and restaurants were already offering a warm place to watch the game and have a drink.

“The Leipzig fans were warmly welcomed because people from Como felt that this was also part of the Como story.

“Now, for the United game, we are curious. This is the first real big team to come to Como. So we feel like our story is just starting and we don’t feel afraid. We feel that Como can compete with everybody and at the same time we are trying to enjoy where we are now.

“It’s incredible. It feels almost fake. Just two years ago we were celebrating the promotion to Serie A, unsure how long our adventure there would last. Now we are in the Champions League. It’s amazing, and it’s a feeling that is spreading in the whole city.

“After years of being on the verge of bankruptcy, not knowing our future, to now hearing that (Champions League) music and playing against the big clubs of European football. It feels like everything can change in a second.”

It will be a different Sinigaglia waiting for Michael Carrick and his United squad from the one that welcomed Leipzig. The lake provides one of the most stunning backdrops in football, but as we edge towards November, it becomes a different beast.

“Of course, Como is cold in winter,” said Giordano. “Since the stadium is so close to the lake, the wind is very cold and you see people covered with scarfs, jackets, jumpers and everything they have. 

“But there is one thing that never changes: over all the layers of clothes, many fans always wear the Como shirt. Whether it’s the new one or an old one, our badge and colours are always on show.” 

Day games at the Sinigaglia are a tremendous experience and Como is the hot ticket in Italian football right now. But under the lights, in club football’s premier competition, it reaches another level… the decibel count goes up, the air becomes electric and even the grass looks greener.

A game here isn’t comparable to going to San Siro or the Stadio Diego Maradona in Naples. From the city centre, there’s no need for public transport. You can stroll from a restaurant or bar and be outside the ground in minutes, soaking in the atmosphere along the way.

From the outside especially, parts of the Sinigaglia look old, but behind the goal, to the left of the main stand, there’s a brand-new Curva Como. It was built over the summer, with work starting as soon as the season finished, to meet UEFA regulations. It is a symbol of a club going places, one that refuses to rest on its laurels and is constantly striving for better. 

For United’s travelling contingent, they’ll have experienced bigger and more boisterous stadiums over the years, yet the idyllic uniqueness of the Sinigaglia will likely be a first. 

A European tie with the glimmer of the lights bouncing off the lake in the background as that famous anthem hits? There are some big nights ahead.