Destination Calcio feature by Calcio England

Como marked their return to Serie A in 2024-25 with a composed and convincing campaign, securing top-flight safety with room to spare.

Their comfortable mid-table finish offered stability and a platform they can now build upon. But for all the promise of the modern day, Como fans of a certain age will remember the 1980s as the golden era.

Back then, the team from the shores of Lake Como punched above their weight through nurtured homegrown talent and astute transfer market manoeuvring. They spent seven seasons in Italy’s top flight during the decade, and in 1985-86 came agonisingly close to something truly historic.

That year would deliver a ninth-place finish in the league and a heroic run in the Coppa Italia – one that remains both a source of pride and bitter regret.

The Rise

Como began the season brightly, progressing easily through the early rounds of the Coppa Italia in the summer of 1985. But their league form faltered. A third of the way into the campaign, they were joint bottom of the table with just a single victory to their name.

The club acted decisively, replacing coach Roberto Clagluna with the experienced Rino Marchesi. It proved a masterstroke. Marchesi steadied the ship and inspired a nine-game unbeaten run that lifted morale and momentum heading into the Coppa’s knockout rounds in the new year.

Awaiting them in the last 16? Juventus.

Top of the league and led by the talismanic Michel Platini, the Bianconeri were clear favourites. But Como were fearless. A first-leg winner from Swedish forward Dan Corneliusson handed them a slender advantage, and a gritty 1–1 draw in the return in Turin was enough to send Platini and his team-mates packing.

Then came Verona, Scudetto winners just a season earlier. In the first leg Como fell two goals behind before teenage midfielder Egidio Notaristefano scored a pivotal late reply.

Back in Como, they delivered one of the most stirring performances in their history. Corneliusson struck again, and a brace from local hero Stefano Borgonovo turned the tie on its head. Final score: 4–3 on aggregate. Como had secured their passage to the semis.

The Dream

Standing between Como and the Coppa Italia final were the holders, Sampdoria.

With the tie taking place at the end of the season, the Genovese side were missing several stars – Graeme Souness, Pietro Vierchowod, and Gianluca Vialli – away on World Cup duty in Mexico. For once, fortune seemed to favour the underdog.

The first leg at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris witnessed Sampdoria control much of the play. Fausto Salsano gave them a deserved lead on the hour, converting the rebound from a Roberto Mancini free-kick. Como’s hopes dimmed further when Antonio Tempestilli was shown red for a violent clash with Salsano. But this team was not built to surrender.

With 10 men, Como found an unlikely equaliser – and a crucial away goal – from defender Stefano Maccoppi. A 1–1 draw meant everything was still to play for.

The Drama

The return leg at Stadio Sinigaglia unfolded with the drama and intensity befitting a cup semi-final. Sampdoria edged the early exchanges but Como were resolute, winning the midfield battle and threatening through the relentless Borgonovo.

As the clock ticked down, the deadlock remained unbroken. Then, with just three minutes to play, came the moment that should have been immortalised in Como folklore. And it came from the most unexpected of sources.

Sweeper Massimo Albiero had scored just four goals during his five seasons with the club. He chose his moment perfectly for number five, driving forward from inside his own half and unleashing a low drive past Ivano Bordon. The Sinigaglia erupted. Como were on the brink of their first Coppa Italia final.

But the Comaschi euphoria lasted barely two minutes. Sampdoria’s Trevor Francis, assisted by former Como playmaker Giuseppe Matteoli, sent a looping header into the net to break Lariani hearts.

Extra Time

Como, remarkably, summoned one last push. And once again, it was Borgonovo. Collecting the ball on the break, he surged at a posse of retreating defenders, shifted on to his left foot, and rifled a shot beyond Bordon. Como led 2-1. Their place in the final was once again within touching distance.

The Madness

Sampdoria poured forward in desperation. Como held firm – until tormentor-in-chief Matteoli burst down the right and crossed into the area. Sampdoria’s Giuseppe Lorenzo went down under minimal contact and referee Giancarlo Redini pointed to the penalty spot.

Shock, Fury, Despair

As tempers flared, an object – believed to be a cigarette lighter – was hurled from the crowd. It struck Redini on the back of the neck and he went down to the ground as crimson began to pour from the wound.

Redini was helped from the field and treated in the dressing room. After several tense minutes, it became clear he could not continue. The match was abandoned.

In the cold aftermath, the sporting authorities awarded Sampdoria a 2–0 win a tavolino. The scoreline may have been bureaucratic but the consequences were devastating.

The Fall

Como had been just minutes from the greatest moment in their history. A fairytale run, fuelled by local talent and an indomitable spirit, undone by the reckless impulse of a single tifoso.

Coach Marchesi was composed before the press, saying: “We deserved to play the Coppa Italia final, but we were defeated by a hooligan.” He was seething.

Como have never been as close. That semi-final remains a painful ‘what-if’ and a reminder of how something so carefully built, so nearly realised, can shatter in an instant.

History rarely remembers the near misses. But in Como, they do.