Como 1907, a club playing in Italy's fourth division just seven years ago, stunned English powerhouse Manchester United 4-1 on Thursday in the UEFA Champions League league phase.
Argentina international Nico Paz, a 22-year-old dubbed Lionel Messi's successor, starred with two goals and one assist at the Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium.
Como is the only Italian team with two Champions League wins, against one loss, and ranks ninth among 36 teams, ahead of Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Atlético Madrid. Manchester United's winless run extended to seven matches across all competitions, with three draws and four losses.
Based in the northern Italian city of Como, home to about 80,000 people, the club remained in the amateur Serie D until 2019. After financial troubles in the 2000s, it faced two bankruptcies and dropped to the fourth tier.
Its fortunes changed in 2019 when an Indonesian billionaire family acquired the club for about 800,000 euros. With heavy investment, Como rose to Serie B by 2021 and began explosive growth after Spanish midfielder Cesc Fàbregas, now 39, joined in 2022.
Fàbregas played one season before retiring and became youth team manager in 2023. He quickly took over as interim and de facto head coach, leading Como to its first Serie A promotion in 21 years in 2024. He was praised for building a tactical identity around high possession and strong pressing.
Last season he guided the club to fourth place in Serie A, securing its first Champions League berth. Como opened its debut campaign with a 4-1 victory over Bundesliga giant RB Leipzig.
