Como’s rise has been remarkable, but the ambition is for their success to be sustainable.
The club’s journey from Italy’s lower leagues to qualifying for Serie A and the Champions League is a remarkable story. However, what makes it so compelling is the speed of their progress, combined with a determination to establish themselves as a force in Italian football for years to come.
In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports NewsComo sporting director Carlalberto Ludi reflects on the club’s transformation, the influence of coach Cesc Fabregas and an unlikely reunion with Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes.
Cesc Fabregas: The driving force behind Como’s rise
To understand Como’s recent history, look at the transformation since Fabregas joined the club in 2022.
The former Spain international arrived at the end of his playing career, with Como in Serie B. He then retired, joined the club’s academy coaching staff and eventually became head coach of the senior team.
In the four years since his arrival, Fabregas has helped Como secure promotion to Serie A for the first time in 21 years before guiding them to Champions League qualification last season for the first time in the club’s history.
Ludi believes the Spaniard’s influence extends far beyond the pitch.
“Cesc made a big difference. Not only on the pitch but also off the pitch, in my opinion – the culture of the club, everything. The professionalism, everything, to be honest,” he said.
“He brought his mentality to the club and that’s one of the reasons why we improved and grew so quickly. Thanks to him, we’re fantastic, to be honest.
“We have been fantastic on the field, but thanks to him we have also improved our mentality, so we were ready to compete for the Champions League.”
Fabregas’ presence was evident in his press conference ahead of Como’s meeting with Manchester United. Sitting alongside summer signing Nico Paz, he fielded questions on a range of topics, including whether he could one day become United’s head coach.
The calm with which he handled the questions reflected the authority he has established in Como. While the word ‘aura’ is often thrown around in football, it’s hard to ignore the impact Fabregas has made at the club.
Ludi is particularly impressed by the 39-year-old’s willingness to continue learning.
“He’s very young, but he’s so open-minded, to be honest. He’s the first one who wants to improve and learn,” he said.
“That, in my opinion, is one of his best qualities and he is making a difference.
“Our team is Cesc Fabregas on the pitch. Courage, intelligence, talent, talented players. We are trying to do the same with our team. The way Cesc is and the way Cesc was as a footballer is what we want to be as a team.”
Bruno Fernandes and an unlikely reunion
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes and Ludi share a similar journey in Italian football, having both experienced the promotion from Serie B to the Champions League.
The pair shared a dressing room at Novara when Fernandes was just 17, with Ludi serving as his captain as the teenager began his professional career.
Asked how young Fernandes was, Ludi smiled before describing him as “phenomenal”.
Bruno Fernandes played alongside Carlalberto Ludi at Novara
Fernandes went on to play for Udinese and Sampdoria before moving to Sporting Lisbon and eventually Manchester United. Ludi, however, still remembers the teenager who is now set to lead United against Como.
“I am very happy to talk about Bruno”, said Ludi.
“We met each other when he was a kid, literally a kid. He was a kid in a professional environment, so maybe he wasn’t ready to join a professional environment.
“In the beginning I had to guide him to our dressing room so that he understood what it means to be a professional.
“But then, to be honest, it was fantastic because I met a fantastic guy, a humble person, a top footballer, but an open-minded guy, always ready to support, ready to help, ready to enjoy, ready to have fun with all of us.
“He’s a very good boy, so I was very happy and I’ve always celebrated his improvement because he deserves it.
“I think it will be good to see him, maybe after the game, but to be honest, it would be fantastic to meet him in the Champions League. It’s something I never expected and it would be just fantastic.
“It was only one season, but a great season for all of us, and I think I met one of the best people I’ve ever met in my life.”
Manchester United come to Como
There have been defining moments in Como’s recent history, not least the draw against Cosenza in May 2024 that secured the point they needed for promotion to Serie A.
This achievement laid the foundation for the club’s subsequent promotion to the Champions League. But Manchester United’s reception represents another landmark in a journey that has exceeded expectations.
Spending time around the club in the build-up to the game, the excitement is palpable. There is a sense of disbelief, pride and appreciation at the prospect of welcoming back Michael Carrick’s United side.
For Ludi, who joined Como in 2019, the scale of the transformation is particularly striking.
“Yeah, it’s unbelievable, to be honest,” he said.
“I started working here in 2019 and there was nothing.
“Now we have the Champions League, we have Man Utd at home and it’s something that’s amazing, literally amazing.
“Sometimes it is good to look back because sometimes we forget what we have done. In football every day there is something to achieve, there is a reason to move forward.
“I don’t want to be arrogant, but we are here to write the history of Como and this is another page, a big page of our history.
“We want our fans to be proud of us and we want to compete, to fight, so that we can write another page. First of all, it will be another beautiful page in the history of Como.”
