Beating Napoli at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona — away, in the second match of the season — is the kind of result that doesn't get filed under 'nice surprise.' That's a statement. And Como made it.
Cesc Fabregas has built something genuinely strange by Serie A standards: a high-pressing team in a league that historically punishes high-pressing teams. The goal against Napoli came directly from a forced turnover under that pressure. It wasn't luck. It was the system working exactly as designed.
Two seasons ago, Como were a fourth-division club. Last season, they finished fourth in Serie A — ahead of Juventus and AC Milan — to claim the final Champions League spot. They didn't sneak in on favourable fixtures. They earned it with a repeatable identity, and they've picked up exactly where they left off.
The money is real, but so is the risk
The Hartono brothers, Indonesian billionaires behind the Djarum Group, put more than $151 million into the squad this summer. Only Juventus spent more in Italy. Nico Paz — one of the most exciting young playmakers in the league — was kept. The infrastructure is being built around a clear vision.
The problem is up front.
Anastasios Douvikas was Como's best forward last season, finishing tied for second in Serie A scoring. He's already scored twice in two games this season. He is also, right now, essentially their only recognized centre forward. Alvaro Morata, who rotated into that role last year, is on loan at a Spanish second-division side after an injury-plagued campaign.
Fabregas hasn't sugarcoated it: "Playing every three days at this level isn't easy." That's manager-speak for 'we need another striker or this could unravel.' With Serie A, Coppa Italia, and Champions League fixtures stacking up, running Douvikas into the ground isn't a strategy — it's a countdown.
The Kean question and the European debut
Como have turned to Fiorentina's Moise Kean in the final hours of the transfer window. This isn't an ambitious splash. It's damage control, and necessary damage control at that. Without cover up front, every Douvikas knock or suspension becomes a crisis.
Get the striker situation sorted, and Como's Champions League odds as a dark horse nuisance become genuinely interesting. Leave the squad as is, and fatigue will eventually do what Napoli couldn't.
The European context makes all of this more vivid. Como's first-ever continental fixture is at home against RB Leipzig, followed by Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain in the league phase. The Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium has been modified to meet competition standards and will hold barely 10,000 fans for those nights. A five-figure crowd hosting the reigning European champions. That contrast is the whole story.
- Como finished 4th in Serie A last season — above Juventus and AC Milan
- Owners invested over $151 million this summer, second only to Juventus in Italian spending
- Douvikas tied for second in Serie A scoring last season; two goals in two games this year
- Champions League group stage opponents include RB Leipzig, Manchester United, and PSG
- The Sinigaglia will hold just over 10,000 for European nights after mandatory modifications
Seven years ago, Como were in the fourth tier of Italian football. On Sunday, they walked out of Naples with three points. Whether this ends in a fairytale or a cautionary tale about squad depth will depend almost entirely on what happens in the next 72 hours of the transfer window.
