How Como’s 15 Internationals Have Fared So Far
Fifteen Como players left for international duty in September, and the first week has already brought a dramatic winner, a goal-and-assist combination between club teammates and two very different kinds of recognition.
Marco
Have you noticed how difficult the club has become to assemble during an international break?
That's what it feels like being part of a big club. get used to it.
Fifteen first-team players departed to represent nine countries at senior or Under-21 level in this extended September–October window. Some have already produced decisive moments. Others have watched from the bench, trained with elite national squads or waited for fixtures still to come.
For Como, all of those experiences have value—even if one man has supplied the obvious headline.
Douvikas delivers at the last possible moment
Anastasios Douvikas entered Greece’s Nations League opener against Serbia in the 74th minute with his team trailing 1-0. Twenty minutes later, he had won the match.
Christos Tzolis equalised shortly after Douvikas came on, before the Como striker rose to meet Kostas Tsimikas’ stoppage-time cross and headed home in the 94th minute. It was a classic centre-forward’s intervention: patient movement, conviction in the air and a finish delivered when Serbia had almost no time left to respond.
Greece completed the comeback to win 2-1 in Belgrade, giving Douvikas one of the most dramatic goals of the opening Nations League round.
He did not feature three days later as Greece earned an impressive 1-0 victory away to Germany. That may not have added to his minutes, but it leaves him part of a national side that has begun the campaign with two wins from two—and with a decisive contribution already attached to his name.
Ramón and Valle combine in a difficult night for Spain
Spain Under-21s travelled to Finland knowing victory would secure qualification for the 2027 European Championship. Instead, they lost 2-1 and saw their lead at the top of Group A reduced to two points.
All three of Como’s Spanish representatives started. Jacobo Ramón and Álex Valle completed the match, while Jesús Rodríguez played 70 minutes before being replaced by Pablo García.
The result was disappointing, but Como supplied Spain’s only goal. With four minutes of normal time remaining, Valle crossed from the left and Ramón attacked the delivery like a striker, rising to direct an excellent header into the net.
It was too late to complete the comeback, but it provided a small glimpse of the understanding developing between two players who share a dressing room in Lombardy. Ramón’s goal and Valle’s assist also ensured that Como fingerprints were all over Spain’s strongest late moment.
Rodríguez had a quieter evening and was booked before his substitution, but starting an important qualifier remains another useful step in his development. Spain now face San Marino on 1 October before finishing their group against Romania five days later.
Liberali warms up with goals and assists
Mattia Liberali is still waiting for the competitive portion of his first Italy Under-21 camp, but he has made excellent use of the preparation.
The Azzurrini have played two training matches against Primavera opposition while preparing for decisive qualifiers against Armenia and Poland. Liberali came off the bench after half an hour in a 15-0 win over Empoli Primavera and produced two assists in less than ten minutes.
Three days later, he started on the wing against Spezia Primavera and scored twice in a 10-0 victory. The first followed a slaloming run through the defence; the second was a curling finish into the far corner.
The level of the opposition should be kept in perspective. These were preparation matches, not Under-21 internationals. Even so, two goals and two assists are precisely the kind of impression a player wants to make during his first camp—especially before Italy travel to Armenia on 1 October.
Kean starts as Italy stumble
Moise Kean was the only Como player in Italy’s starting XI for Roberto Mancini’s first match back in charge, a 2-0 Nations League defeat to Belgium in Rome.
Kean played from the beginning in a front three, but Italy could not turn possession into a goal. Mika Godts put Belgium ahead before half-time and Dodi Lukébakio added the second after the break.
Samuele Ricci, called into the squad after Bryan Cristante withdrew, did not feature. His opportunity may arrive as Mancini rotates through an unusually demanding four-match international window.
Italy face Turkey next, followed by a particularly interesting meeting with France on 2 October. That fixture could put Kean and Ricci opposite two more Como teammates.
Senior recognition, even without senior minutes
Jean Butez and Como captain Lucas Da Cunha both received their first senior France call-ups for this camp. Neither played in the opening 1-0 victory over Turkey: Butez was behind Mike Maignan in the goalkeeping order, while Da Cunha remained among the unused substitutes.
The lack of minutes should not diminish the achievement. A first call-up means both players have entered the national-team conversation under new France coach Zinédine Zidane. For Da Cunha in particular, joining one of the deepest squads in international football is recognition of how far his performances at Como have carried him.
Trevoh Chalobah also remained unused as England lost 3-2 to world champions Spain at Wembley. England led 2-1 at half-time and missed a penalty before Spain recovered to win, but Thomas Tuchel used Jarrad Branthwaite rather than Chalobah as his late defensive replacement.
There should be further opportunities. England travel to Czechia and then face Croatia, while France have three matches remaining in the window.
Diao gets a full match in Senegal’s new era
Assane Diao started on the right of Senegal’s attack in Patrick Vieira’s first match as national-team coach, playing the full game in a 1-1 draw away to Mozambique.
Nicolas Jackson gave Senegal the lead after 31 minutes, but Geny Catamo equalised in first-half stoppage time. Senegal pushed for a winner after the interval without finding one, beginning their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a point.
Diao did not provide a goal or assist, but a starting role—and 90 minutes—shows his position in Vieira’s early plans. Senegal continue their campaign away to Ethiopia on 29 September.
Waiting for the next opportunity
Martin Baturina and Ivan Smolčić did not feature as Croatia opened their Nations League campaign with a 2-1 win in Czechia. Luka Modrić and Marco Pašalić scored for Slaven Bilić’s side, who now travel to face Spain before meeting England on 3 October.
Willy Kambwala joined DR Congo for the first time, but was not included in the matchday squad for the 2-0 qualifying victory over Equatorial Guinea. The Leopards face Zimbabwe next, leaving the Como defender another chance to make his senior international debut.
Nico Paz, meanwhile, has not yet had a match. Argentina begin their post-World Cup programme against Bolivia on 30 September, followed by meetings with Burkina Faso and Benin. The last of those will centre on Lionel Messi’s farewell appearance, but the three matches should also offer Argentina an opportunity to look more closely at the next generation—and Paz belongs firmly within it.
The Como tracker so far
Goals and assists
Anastasios Douvikas has made the biggest senior impact, coming off the bench for Greece in the 74th minute and scoring the 94th-minute winner against Serbia. He did not feature in the subsequent victory over Germany.
For Spain Under-21s, Jacobo Ramón played the full match against Finland and scored from an Álex Valle cross. Valle also completed the 90 minutes, while Jesús Rodríguez started and played 70 minutes.
Mattia Liberali has contributed two goals and two assists across Italy Under-21’s two preparation matches.
Senior starters
Moise Kean started for Italy against Belgium, while Assane Diao played the full 90 minutes for Senegal in their draw with Mozambique.
Waiting for minutes
Samuele Ricci was an unused substitute for Italy against Belgium. France’s Jean Butez and Lucas Da Cunha were both unused against Turkey, while Trevoh Chalobah remained on the bench for England against Spain.
Martin Baturina and Ivan Smolčić did not feature in Croatia’s win over Czechia. Willy Kambwala was not included in DR Congo’s matchday squad against Equatorial Guinea, and Nico Paz is still waiting for Argentina’s first match of the window.
The early balance is encouraging. Como have already had a senior international match-winner, two Under-21 teammates combine for a goal and another young player make an emphatic first impression in camp. At the same time, Butez and Da Cunha have reached the France squad for the first time, while Kambwala is waiting for a possible DR Congo debut.
Not every call-up needs to produce a goal or a cap immediately. Sometimes the important change is simply that Como players now belong in these rooms, and are showing up on FIFA highlight reels (thanks Douvikas!).
The international break is not yet halfway finished. There will be more matches, and hopefully no injuries before everyone returns to prepare for Roma.
So far, however, the blue and white has travelled rather well.
Comments (21)
the header shows how much a well timed aerial run can change even a short shift
twenty minutes and he still found time to ruin serbias night lol