Como marked an unforgettable milestone in their European journey by thrashing Manchester United 4-1 in the Champions League at a rain-swept Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium. The Italian side, led by progressive head coach Cesc Fabregas, repeatedly sliced through their English opponents to leave the visitors winless in their past seven fixtures across all competitions for the first time since 2015. Club staff hailed the dominant performance by the lake as undeniably the biggest night in Como's history.
Central to the historic display was 22-year-old playmaker Nico Paz, who scored two goals and set up another. Signed from Real Madrid in 2024, the Tenerife-born Argentina international drew acclaim from TNT pundit Glenn Hoddle for a creative and risky display that paid off in full. Paz has now registered nine goal involvements in eight outings—comprising four goals and five assists—giving him more direct goal involvements in all competitions than any other Serie A player since the start of September. He also became the youngest Argentine to be involved in three goals in a single Champions League match since Lionel Messi faced Bayern Munich in April 2009.
The resounding triumph illustrates Como's rapid ascent since 2008, when Manchester United captured the last of their three Champions League titles while the Italian club were competing in the semi-professional regional leagues of Serie D. After London-based Sent Entertainment—owned by Indonesian billionaires Robert Budi Hartono and Michael Bambang Hartono—acquired the club in 2019, an initial TV project was scrapped in favour of an aggressive sporting rise. Supported by investors such as Thierry Henry and Raphael Varane, Fabregas transitioned from player to coach, guiding the squad from Serie B to fourth place in 2025-26 after capitalising on an AC Milan loss at Cagliari.
Looking ahead, Como must navigate UEFA financial scrutiny and the physical limitations of their 12,300-capacity ground, though chief executive Mirwan Surwaso has stressed that the club keeps its books in order. While Fabregas described the current era as another world compared to when he retired from playing, he warned against complacency, maintaining that his team must focus entirely on the challenges in front of them rather than dwelling on how far they have journeyed.