Raphaël Varane set to join 

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Back in 2003, Como 1907 were relegated from Serie A. What followed was a tumultuous 15 years. Plagued by bankruptcy, they found themselves in the top tier of non-professional Italian football in Serie D. However in 2017 things began to ameliorate. A new company re-found the club and it’s been a rapid rise ever since. Based in one of the most aesthetically pleasing locations in Europe on the stunning banks of Lake Como in Northern Italy, Como 1907 are now back in the big time, and will play the likes of Juventus, Inter Milan and Napoli in Serie A next season. And there’s plenty of familiar faces on and off the pitch.

Former Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fàbregas joined the North Italian side as a player back in 2022 when they were in Serie B. He’s now got the top job, confirmed as the club’s official head coach for the forthcoming season on Sunday. Behind the scenes, former Chelsea captain Dennis Wise is the club’s Sporting CEO, whilst Premier League legend Thierry Henry is on the board of directors. With all this superstar backing the club have gone from Serie D to Serie A in just five seasons, and after a positive start to the summer transfer window, this could be just the beginning. With the help of Transfermarkt’s expert insight from Italy, we take a look at their journey.

How Como 1907 went from Serie D to Serie A in five years 

When Como 1907 were re-instated in Serie D, with a strong financial infrastructure behind them, many expected them to make a gradual push up the Italian football pyramid. However, few could have envisioned such a swift return to the top of the tree. Jatin Dietl is Transfermarkt’s Area manager in Italy, and tells us more about the rise of Como: “In 2020 they got a new investor, the Djarum Group from Indonesia. They brought a lot of invention and good ideas, and the club managed to grow and rise – also the money they spent obviously helped. From the outside, it looks like a well thought-out and long-term project, not just throwing money about. Getting promoted to Serie A was really only a matter of time.”

Cesc Fabregas: one of Europe’s most exciting young coaches

In the 2018/19 season, they were promoted from Serie D at the second time of asking, after finishing in second place in the division in the 2017/18 campaign. It then took just two seasons in Serie C before Como were going up again. In Serie B came the biggest challenge. But Como didn’t rush to get to the next stage, building a solid infrastructure around the team, and making long-term decisions rather than rushing to get instant promotion. Fàbregas arrived in 2022 on a free transfer from Monaco as the first real superstar name to join the club. He made just 17 appearances as a player, before moving into the dugout for a different role.

Fàbregas became the assistant head coach to Welshmen Osian Roberts last season, after managing five games as caretaker boss between November and December 2023. However, Roberts made the decision to step aside after last season’s promotion to allow Fàbregas to take the main role. Following his appointment being confirmed on Sunday, the Spaniard said, “I am so happy to be starting this season as head coach and I thank the ownership group for trusting me with this position. I share the ambitions of the group and believe this is just the start of where this club can go.” 

Dietl gives us his impression of the appointment of Fàbregas, “He became the official coach only a few days ago, but that was mainly a bureaucratic matter because he didn’t have the necessary coaching license until then. He seems to be a young, innovative coach, with high ambitions and he is loved by his squad.” Dietl continues, “He has a lot of fresh ideas and he is very appreciated by the club and the fans. I think if they give him time and support, even if not everything doesn’t work out right away, he can achieve a lot with Como.” He will become the youngest manger in Serie A at just 37 years of age.

Como 1907’s transfer business this summer

Already to date, Como have confirmed seven new signings, and spent €20.5 million. The most expensive incoming was centre-back Alberto Dossena, with the 25 year old arriving from Cagliari for a club record fee of €8m. Three of those seven arrivals are 30 years old or over and household names to European football fans. The trio of 30-year-old Striker Andrea Belotti, 32-year-old left-back Alberto Moreno and 41-year-old keeper Pepe Reina have all put pen to paper to sign for Como. And there’s one other experienced head in a 2018 World Cup winner who looks to be coming through the door imminently.

On Sunday, Fabrizio Romano reported that former Manchester United centre-back Raphaël Varane will sign a two-year deal to play for Como. The four time Champions League winner will be a real marquee acquisition and at just 31 years of age should still have a lot to give. Dietl explains some of the reasoning behind the strategy to bring in experienced players, “They know that in Serie A you need players with experience to stay in the league. I also think that they want to make the name Como more well-known in the footballing world, and buying some big names obviously helps.”

When asked how he expects Como to cope in Serie A next season, Dietl said, “That’s very hard to say, it depend’s on which players they are able to buy in the next weeks. Varane seems quite a coup. They certainly have high ambitions, and could follow the footsteps of Berlusconi’s Monza. But the Italian league is tough, especially for promoted teams, and I think even with Varane, the first aim will be to stay in the division.” The picturesque Lake Como attracts tourists from far and wide, to admire the stunning views, indulge in the award winning cuisine and soak up the traditional Italian culture. The location is likely to be a factor in signing players, particularly footballers coming towards the end of their careers. Dietl believes the club has a lot to offer, “For sure they can offer a very interesting mix of ambition, good salary and great quality of living (Lake Como is spectacular), and with Fabregas they have a well known name on the bench. I can therefore understand that the offer has a certain appeal for many.”