Features
In-depth football stories exploring the clubs, people, history, culture and communities that shape the game.
The Como project: can a small Italian club become a global football brand?
The ninth goal in Lens came from an 18-year-old who had grown up in Como’s academy. Matteo Papaccioli collected Mattia Liberali’s pass and scored in stoppage time, adding his name to a night dominated by Tasos Douvikas and Nico Paz. For football fans largely focused on Como’s billionaire owners, celebrity connections and luxury positioning, it was a wonderfully inconvenient detail. Como had just won 9–1 away in the Champions League. UEFA confirmed it as the competition’s biggest away victory, matching the eight-goal margins Liverpool and Real Madrid had achieved at home. A project associated with lake views and fashion partnerships had produced a historic result. Yet the football and the commercial ambition cannot be separated neatly. The team gives the business credibility; the owners’ mo...