In a story that captures the essence of resilience and strategic foresight, Como clinched a dramatic promotion to Serie A. This marked their return to Italy’s top flight for the first time in two decades.



This milestone comes after a tumultuous two decades that saw the club go bankrupt twice and plunge to the depths of Italy’s soccer pyramid. 



However, Como’s recent achievements symbolize a remarkable turnaround; largely attributed to the collective efforts of the Djarum Group and a cadre of strategic appointments. 



This includes minor shareholders <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/wales-targets-thierry-henry-as-their-next-manager/">Thierry Henry</a> and <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/cesc-fabregas-explains-why-statistics-in-soccer-are-misleading/">Cesc Fabregas</a> as well.



The Azzurri’s descent began in 2003 when they were relegated from <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/serie-a-tv-schedule/">Serie A</a>. The situation worsened with another relegation and subsequent bankruptcy, pushing them into Serie D, Italy’s fourth tier. 



The years that followed were arduous. 



Although the club managed to climb back to Serie B by 2015, they endured a dismal 2015-16 season, finishing rock bottom and returning to Serie C. Another bankruptcy in 2017-18 saw Como back in Serie D, yet it was here that their fortunes began to change.



The turning point came in April 2019 with the takeover by the Djarum Group. Just over a month later, they secured a return to Serie C. This followed after a dominant campaign where they won 28 of their 34 matches, losing only once. 



This upward trajectory continued as they won the title in 2020-21, clinching their second promotion in three seasons and setting their sights on Serie A.



<h2>Already agreed first star signing</h2>



With promotion to Serie A now secured, Como’s focus has shifted to building a squad capable of competing at the highest level. The club’s ambition is evident in their recent moves in the transfer market. As a result, Raphael Varane, the former <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/manchester-united-tv-schedule/">Manchester United</a> defender and World Cup winner, is set to join them. 



<a href="https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1812208908238258376" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fabrizio Romano</a> reported Varane has agreed to the move, with the player’s representatives currently reviewing the terms before a formal deal is signed. Fabregas played a pivotal role in convincing the Frenchman to make the switch, showcasing the club’s pulling power.



The 31-year-old free agent after his contract with United expired, had a challenging season plagued by injuries. Nevertheless, his experience and quality make him a valuable addition to Como’s defensive line. Alongside <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/ronaldo-reunion-varane-offered-substantial-salary-by-saudi-side-20240207-WST-488204.html">Varane</a>, the Lariani have also reached agreements with veteran goalkeeper Pepe Reina and defender Alberto Moreno. Both will <a href="https://gianlucadimarzio.com/it/como-pepe-reina-calciomercato-news-12-luglio-2024" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">join from Villarreal</a>.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="439" height="811" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/07/16035728/image-6-439x811.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-516454" sizes="(max-width: 439px) 100vw, 439px"></figure></div><figcaption>Varane is heading to Como.</figcaption></figure>



<h2>Building Manchester United colony?</h2>



In addition to Varane, Como are eyeing further reinforcements, particularly targeting former Manchester United players. The club has reportedly made a formal offer to Anthony Martial, another free agent after leaving Old Trafford. While Besiktas have also shown interest in Martial, Como are hopeful of securing his signature, leveraging the club’s ambitious project and the influence of Fabregas.



Moreover, Italian journalist <a href="https://x.com/NicoSchira/status/1812189033105412358" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nico Shira</a> says that they have also approached Dutch forward <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/bidding-battle-between-milan-and-another-serie-a-club-for-depay/">Memphis Depay</a>. Nonetheless, the player remains unconvinced about the move as of now. Depay, who had an underwhelming stint at Manchester United from 2015 to 2017, could potentially add firepower to Como’s attack if they persuade him to join.



Photo credit: IMAGO / Sportimage.

Como building star-studded Man United colony after Varane deal

With promotion to Serie A now secured, Como’s focus has shifted to building a squad capable of competing at the highest level.

Como building star-studded Man United colony after Varane deal - World Soccer Talk

It is quite early to discuss next season’s Champions League particularly with the World Cup looming ahead but Inter’s historic treble was much more than a great achievement. It proved once again how difficult it is to repeat as a champion in Europe’s elite club competition. For the Nerazzurri winning the Champions League is the ultimate experience having waited for more than four decades to repeat as champions of Europe.
President Massimo Moratti helped fund the building of the Nerazzurri squad and brought in Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho with the specific objective of bringing European glory to Milan considering the current Serie A title holder have not won the Champions League since the 1960s. Previous boss Roberto Mancini succeeded in breaking the dominance of Juventus and Milan since the early 1990s but failed to combine domestic success with an extended run in Europe’s elite competition as he never guided the Nerazzurri to the Final.
Mourinho succeeded in winning Serie A, Coppa Italia and the Champions League yet he is racing to the exit door leaving the Nerazzurri in a delicate situation following the best season in the club’s history. Players such as Maicon and Diego Milito are now being linked with a move to Real Madrid which is Mourinho’s likely destination. It is only time before Mourinho is confirmed as the boss in Madrid unless he has a change of heart and opts to stay with the Nerazzurri. Other clubs are beginning to assess their chances of luring some of Inter’s key players to leave the peninsula as Arsenal have reportedly shown interest in goalkeeper Julio Cesar while Manchester City are looking to capture midfielder Esteban Cambiasso. These reports might not become reality but all these claims are a major distraction for a club celebrating a historic treble and with some of the star players headed to South Africa 2010.
Assuming Mourinho and some of the players jump ship, the Nerazzurri will be losing some key components while skipper Javier Zanetti is only getting older despite his consistent displays. Zanetti deserves credit for his fighting spirit and for putting in solid performances time and again despite his age. Below is a brief look at some of Inter’s main competitors for next season:
Barcelona: The former holders were ousted by Inter and will be looking to regain their lost title. Barca are one of the most talented teams in the world with Lionel Messi and Xavi Hernandez leading the charge. Barca have added a star name in the shape of striker David Villa while the Catalans remain in pursuit of Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas. If they do sign Fabregas then the team will likely start the next La Liga season and Champions League campaign as one of the favourites.
Real Madrid: The record winners of the Champions League will welcome with open arms Mourinho who has made it clear he will only leave the Nerazzurri for Madrid. In Madrid he will have greater individual talent to work with yet less of a cohesive unit and a weaker team spirit. Mourinho will be motivated to turn this team of stars into a strong and unified squad. Los Galacticos already have former Milan idol Kaka and world record signing Cristiano Ronaldo in their ranks but it would not be a surprise if Mourinho asked for Maicon and Diego Milito to be signed from Inter. If they do, then Los Galacticos will be considered as a firm favourite considering they only missed on La Liga title by three points and many forget it does take time for news players to gel together.
Chelsea: Ironically Mourinho was shown the doors at Stamford Bridge because he failed to bring European glory to the London club but he did punish his former&nbsp;employers by eliminating them in the knockout stages of the Champions League by beating them twice home and away. Chelsea hired former Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti and the Italian succeeded in leading the Blues to a historic double&nbsp;by winning&nbsp;the Premier League and FA Cup in his first season in charge. Ancelotti made it clear his main objective for next season is to repeat the domestic double and to win in Europe. While Chelsea have a strong squad with experience and talent, the players as individuals are below the talent level of Spanish giants Real and Barca.
Bayern Munich: Bayern proved they are a solid team after a slow start to the season and the final in Madrid was perhaps a small representation of their season as they only began to show their potential after conceding the first goal to Inter’s hero Milito. The Bavarians will have Arjen Robben (despite rumours linking him with Juventus; &nbsp;just unlikely to happen for a number of reasons) and French star Franck Ribery will apparently return after missing the Champions League final due to suspension. The Germans are a solid group but like Chelsea they are not on par with Real and Barca if individuals are compared on a position by position basis.
Manchester United: Manchester have one of the best managers in Sir Alex Ferguson but he can certainly be stubborn leading him to make the odd mistake here and there, particularly when it comes to offloading certain players or refusing to bring in the appropriate players to replace outgoing stars. The Red Devils did not replace Cristiano Ronaldo and their challenge for Chelsea in the Premiership and before that in the Champions League tie against Bayern&nbsp;&nbsp;faltered once it became clear Wayne Rooney is carrying injury. If Manchester do not sign a couple of solid players, in particular one goal scorer to complement Rooney, then they will likely fall short in the early knockout stages with perhaps a quarter-final spot at best.
There are other less likely contenders but the strongest ones would be Italian duo Roma and Milan yet the two sides have a number of limitations such as their restricted budget for bringing in players and in the case of the Rossoneri an aging squad. Milan will need Brazilian stars Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato to stay and will hope a capable coach will take charge at Milanello to promote a few promising players from the youth sector and sign a number of quality players to reinforce the team. As for Roma they have do not have a deep bench and their first team is often riddled with injuries due to the age of some key players such as Francesco Totti. It is unlikely either squad will win the Champions League but they can play the role of a spoiler if their stars remain healthy and fit.
It is quite hard to repeat in the Champions League as shown by the famous Milan side in the 1990s which dismantled Barca 4-0 in an epic encounter only to loss the next year in the final to Ajax Amsterdam who in turn were defeated the following year by Juventus. The Bianconeri would go on to play in two more consecutive finals yet the curse of repeating would also prove to be their downfall despite having the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Alessandro Del Piero (at his peak).
	<a href="http://polldaddy.com/poll/3246497/">Team to Win Champions League Next Season?</a><a href="http://polldaddy.com/features-surveys/">online surveys</a>

What Next For Inter After Winning The Champions League?

What Next For Inter After Winning The Champions League? - World Soccer Talk

Barca will host Arsenal this week in the return leg of the Champions League&nbsp;as the Spaniards continue their quest to retain their crown as European champions. Barcelona appeared headed to an easy 2-0 victory before Arsenal mounted a comeback to salvage a home draw.
The two sides will suffer&nbsp;consequences as a result of the incidents from the entertaining first-leg&nbsp;with Cesc Fabregas suffering from an injury which ended his season while Barca will miss their captain Carles Puyol for the return match due to the red-card after he conceded the late penalty which Fabregas duly converted. The loss of Fabregas cannot be underestimated because he is the beating heart of the club, the undisputed leader and the orchestrator of most of the Arsenal attacks. The Spaniard, who ironically started his career in Barca’s youth ranks and moved to Arsenal without playing a single game for the first-time, has scored 15 goals in the Premiership and assisted on 13 others. No one is close to the midfielder in either ranking with Andrei Arshavin the closest having scored 9 goals in the league.
No doubt the statistics show the loss of Fabregas is a massive one for the Gunners and there is a possibility Arshavin might miss as well leaving Arsenal with few weapons to cause Barca any major concerns. The hosts will miss Puyol and Gerard Pique but their best strategy will be to rely on their offensive weapons to keep Arsenal at bay and locked in a more defensive stance. Barca’s choice will be to attack and this should force the Gunners to focus on their defensive duties.
With Lionel Messi leading the charge and having looked ordinary for once in recent weeks when the two sides played in London, it would be hard to bet against the star player performing some magical moves and even tormenting the Arsenal back-line. Messi is fortunate to have midfield duo Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta who can supply some incisive and quality passing as well as maintain the ball when required.
Arsenal will also be without William Gallas&nbsp; and the performance of their goalkeeper Manuel Almunia&nbsp;this season has been inconsistent at best.&nbsp;&nbsp;On the other side Barca have announced their Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who scored both goals for the visitors &nbsp;in the first-leg, will miss the mid-week clash against Arsenal.
Considering injuries and suspensions as well as the quality and depth of the two sides, it would be fair to say Barca have the edge and this was outlined with the favorable 2-2 draw in London. Barca will likely advance unless some decisive incidents and officiating decisions will go Arsenal’s way during the match.

Barcelona-Arsenal: Barca Have Home Advantage And 2-2 Tie In Their Favor

Barcelona-Arsenal: Barca Have Home Advantage And 2-2 Tie In Their Favor - World Soccer Talk

<div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" style="border: 0px initial initial" src="/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/gun__1256999931_rvpspurs.jpg" alt="gun__1256999931_rvpspurs]" width="510" height="250"></figure></div>Every summer sees rampant speculation that Barcelona will finally pull Cesc Fabregas away from Arsenal. &nbsp;In the lead up to Saturday’s North London Derby, even former Gunner Emmanuel Adebayor once again fueled rumors by saying that if Arsenal fail to qualify for the Champions League, then Fabregas will be on his way to Catalunya come summer.
Ade’s comments speak to his confidence that his own Manchester City have what it takes to break in to the oligarchy at the top. &nbsp;Robbie Keane’s midweek comments, in which he claimed that Tottenham’s bench was stronger than Arsenal’s, show that he believes Spurs can challenge as well. &nbsp;But as Aston Villa can attest from last season, and Tottenham can attest from 2006: breaking into the top four is no mean feat, and it requires practically perfect concentration for a season that spans 10 months. &nbsp;In the day’s early kickoff, Arsenal hosted their most bitter foes in a match where the visitors were looking to prove their credentials for Europe’s top club competition.
Instead, what was on display yet again was Cesc Fabregas’s commitment to the Arsenal cause. &nbsp;Earlier in the season, he celebrated a goal by kissing his badge and pointing to the stands, as if to say once more that he is indeed an Arsenal player for the long term. &nbsp;Today, Fabregas collected a loose ball at the halfway line, beat two players, nutmegged Ledley King, and then coolly drilled the ball into the low near corner–in a manner that was&nbsp;reminiscent of Thierry Henry’s famous Bernabeu solo effort (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuCL2wvjOtU)&nbsp;–before jubilantly sprinting toward the stands in celebration. &nbsp;While Robin van Persie’s breakthrough goal gave Arsenal a slightly fortunate lead, the captain’s strike was both a literal goal that put the game beyond Spurs, and a figurative statement to fans and foes alike: that this team will go as far as Cesc Fabregas will take them.
Earlier in the season, Pat Dolan of Setanta Sports criticized Fabregas for not celebrating enthusiastically enough when he scored a late goal. &nbsp;While Dolan’s commentary is often prescient, in that case it seemed to be a bit of a reach. &nbsp;Fabregas is in the unfortunate position of having to constantly deny that he has designs on returning to Spain. &nbsp;He has said whenever asked that he would like to go back someday, but not in the near future. &nbsp;This is the sort of game that clearly demonstrates that his heart is with the Gunners–and he showed his fans exactly that with a spectacular effort against their fiercest rivals.
On top of the performance of Fabregas, it should be noted that Arsenal finally managed to keep a clean sheet and by all rights should have had more goals. &nbsp;Eduardo, a first half substitute for the injured Nicklas Bendtner (whose groin pull will be one of the few low points of the match), spurned three legitimate chances to score. &nbsp;Two of those chances were efforts that he ordinarily would make short work of, and the third was a header that he could easily have put to either side of Heurelho Gomes. &nbsp;Abou Diaby made a great run late on a corner, only to have the ball hit his shoulder instead of his head, and Ramsey and Fabregas had a fantastic opportunity right at the death to pile more misery on Spurs, but one would suspect that the injury to Sebastien Bassong and the three goal lead led to their weak concession of the ball.
All of this came on the heels of the late collapses at West Ham and AZ Alkmaar (excepting Liverpool in the Carling Cup because of the vastly different sides). &nbsp;What Arsene Wenger must do is use this victory, and all its positives, to push Arsenal onward and upward. &nbsp;If they can learn to keep a clean sheet and keep scoring three goals even when spurning five other clear chances, then the title race will surely have to include a North London team–and no, Robbie Keane, not Tottenham.

Cesc Fabregas Claims the Armband

Cesc Fabregas Claims the Armband - World Soccer Talk

<div id="attachment_10327" style="width: 254px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><div><figure class="external-image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-10327" loading="lazy" src="/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/anderson-244x300.jpg" alt="The Midfield Magician" width="244" height="300" class="size-medium wp-image-10327"></figure></div>The Midfield Magician</div>
Cast your mind back to May 2009, Manchester United were comprehensively and soundly trounced in Rome by a magical Barcelona side, inspired by Xavi and Iniesta. For many, the lack of quality in the centre of the park was plain to see, Carrick looked lethargic and unsure of himself, Fletcher was missed, this, a surprise in itself. Club legends, Giggs and Scholes were ineffective and nowhere to be seen. 
The class of the Manchester United midfield is weak in comparison their Premier League rivals, Chelsea with Essien, Lampard, Ballack and Liverpool have Mascherano, Aquilani and Gerrard respectively. Carrick, Fletcher and Scholes just do not compare. 
Some of you may cry, “You forgot about Owen Hargreaves!” Indeed I did, mainly due to the length of time he has been injured and latest estimates say he will return around Christmas. 
With the transfer window almost closed there are no centre midfielders in sight. So I put it to you that, Anderson Luís de Abreu Oliveira or just plain Anderson will flourish this season. 
In my opinion, Anderson possesses all the qualities to become a top class midfielder, he has pace, acceleration, strength, a strong positional sense coupled with the ability to thread through a match winning final ball. He is a combatitive all action midfielder, beginning his career further up the park, he has since developed a very useful defensive side to an already impressive array of attacking talents. 
Anderson reminds me a little of Kaka but with a hint of Roy Keane, obviously these are massively talented players, whose level of ability he has not yet reached, but I think he can and has to an extent combined the best parts of their respective games. 
He can sit in front of the defence and play a disciplined role, spreading passes to his teammates further up the field. He can also play as an attacking midfielder, a place where he is most comfortable. In this position he offers all the samba skills you can want – just ask Cesc Fabregas – he has vision, dribbling skills and an eye for goal. 
The single shortfall of Anderson’s game, and it is a rather large one, is his uncanny ability to do everything right in the lead up to a shot then fluff the final act, footballs have been found as far away as China. Seemingly he did not bring his shooting boots to Old Trafford.
But I have hopes he can eradicate this untimely habit throughout the forthcoming season, and if pre-season is anything to go by we are in for a few treats, as his sublime free-kick against Boca Juniors was a joy to behold. 
I think this could be the season where stamps his authority on this Manchester United side, he has already shown in the past he can mix it up with the big boys dominating in games against Fabregas and Steven Gerrard during his first season with United. He may just prove that there is infact life after a certain Portuguese.

Can Anderson Be the Key?

Can Anderson Be the Key? - World Soccer Talk

<div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone" src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/uploads/fifa.com/albums/c383/ethan_79/torres_confed.jpg" alt="" width="256" height="380"></figure></div>
Few would have expected New Zealand to pull an upset over a Spain who entered the fray of the FIFA Confederations Cup boasting a 32 match unbeaten streak. But no one&nbsp; could have predicted that Liverpool’s Fernando Torres would score a hat trick within the first seventeen minutes of play.
Torres rapidly erases any doubt he’s the best striker on the planet these days.
Earlier in the day, I had been disappointed watching Iraq and host country South Africa start off the competition. Not only because it was a defensive, uninspired 0-0 draw. But because the fixture gave me nothing to write about. With no Benni McCartney in sight—it’s a long <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/FIFAconfederationscup/Features/story/2009/06/05/sp-confed-benni.html?ref=rss" target="_blank">story</a>, Steven Pienaar was the only name I recognized. And though he showed some influence after being introduced in the 85th, there was no time for the Everton man to help his country pierce the goal line.
I was hoping an EPL player would score or at least set up a great goal, so I could convert watching the matches into some relevant subject matter for EPL Talk.
When I saw Spain’s team sheet, sheet I was quickly filled with optimism. Torres, Fabregas, Alonso and Riera were all among the starters.
After Barcelona’s 2-0 decimation of Manchester United in the Champions League, I expected Spain’s backbone to be full of Camp Nou genius. But with only Carles Puyol and Xavi Hernandez in from Barca, it was clear Liverpool’s excellent season had made its impression on Vincente del Bosque. He fielded three Merseyside starters and added Alvaro Arbelo in the 53rd minutes. And with Arsenal’s Fabregas slotted in behind Torres and Villa, I just knew I’d get my EPL inspired goal.
Maybe del Bosque, a former Real Madrid manager, wasn’t as impressed by Barca’s Rome heroics as most of the rest of us.
Better for me.
Torres took no time. Picking up Fabregas’s pass on six minutes, he scooped the ball from twenty yards, curling it around the defender and keeper into the top corner of the net. Most strikers would have tried to lose their man first. Torres decided there was no need.
Then on 14 minutes, he was at it again. David Villa slotted the ball through traffic to Torres who side-footed it in.
Just as I was texting a friend to say, El Niño just scored two in the first 14! Capdevila launched the ball into the area and Torres put his head to it with force. Hat trick within seventeen minutes. After his third goal, Torres hesitated to put his arms up, as if thinking this is too easy, should I even celebrate?
And on top of the four goals from Premier League men, La Liga’s David Villa made his own brilliant and direct contributions as well. In addition to his sharp service to Torres, on 48 minutes, Villa was on hand to eat up a wayward New Zealand ball in the box and side-foot it into the net past the lunging Glen Moss.
New Zealand were demolished. It could have been worse but a couple dubious offsides calls kept Torres and Villa in check. Each had his chances to burst through into one-on-one territory where each man would certainly have found the composure and skill to beat Moss.
Spain’s unbeaten streak rises to 33. They are two away from tying Brazil’s record. No question they belong at number one in the <a href="http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/ranking/lastranking/gender=m/fullranking.html" target="_blank">world rankings</a>.

Torres, Fabregas: Premier League Stars Open Confederation Scoring

Torres, Fabregas: Premier League Stars Open Confederation Scoring - World Soccer Talk

Cesc Fabregas stars in an unbelievable new ad where he is set alight but continues to juggle the ball and score a goal.
Nike is continuing to push the envelope with their creative football ads. This one is so intriguing to watch especially to see how the ball reacts to being on fire. Even with the stunt being handled in a controlled environment with experts on hand to ensure no one is harmed, you have to admit that Fabregas has a lot of balls to even try this.
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Cesc Fabregas is on Fire, Literally (Video)

Cesc Fabregas is on Fire, Literally (Video) - World Soccer Talk

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