Retro Como Shirts – Lake Blue Legends from Lombardy

Como Football Club was founded in 1907, making them one of the older established clubs in northern Italy. Lombardy's football scene was always dominated by the Milan giants, but Como carved out their own proud identity in the shadow of the Alps. Their early decades were spent building a foundation in regional football before gradually climbing Italy's football pyramid.

The club's golden era came in the late 1970s and 1980s when they achieved consistent Serie A status and established themselves as a genuine top-flight presence. During this period, Como was a formidable outfit capable of troubling the established elite. Their lake-blue shirts became a familiar sight in the top division, and the intimate atmosphere of Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia – one of the most unique grounds in Italy, built practically into the lakefront – made them a difficult proposition for any visiting side.

The 1980s represented Como's high-water mark in the top flight. They achieved creditable mid-table finishes and attracted quality players who appreciated both the football and the extraordinary lifestyle that the Como region offered. However, the financial realities that have plagued smaller Italian clubs eventually caught up with them. The 1990s brought relegation and a slow decline through the divisions.

The darkest chapter came in the early 2000s when the club faced bankruptcy and dissolution. Como were essentially reborn from scratch, forced to restart from the lower reaches of Italian football. It was a devastating blow to the club's supporters, who had invested decades of loyalty and passion. Yet the supporters' bond with the lake-blue shirt never wavered.

The club's remarkable comeback story gained an extraordinary new chapter in 2019 when Indonesian billionaires Robert and Michael Hartono acquired the club and began investing seriously in facilities, infrastructure, and playing staff. The Hartonos' vision transformed Como into an ambitious project, and in 2024 the club achieved promotion back to Serie A for the first time in over two decades. A Hollywood ending for a club that had suffered so much.

Como's history is populated with players who gave genuine quality to the lake-blue cause. Fulvio Collovati, the tough-tackling defender who was a key part of Italy's 1982 World Cup winning squad, had an association with the club and brought genuine world-class credentials to the region. His World Cup triumph in Spain that summer meant Como were connected to the pinnacle of world football.

Marco Tardelli, another 1982 World Cup hero famous for his iconic screaming celebration after scoring in the final against West Germany, also featured in Como colours at different points in his career, lending the club a genuine connection to Italian football's greatest triumph.

The club's return to Serie A under new ownership brought one of football's most intriguing managerial appointments: Cesc Fàbregas, the former Arsenal, Barcelona, and Chelsea midfield maestro, took the role of head coach. It was a bold, unconventional choice that perfectly encapsulated the new Como's ambition and willingness to think differently.

With the Hartono era bringing serious investment, Como attracted players of genuine international pedigree. The club's vision of combining football excellence with the extraordinary Como lifestyle attracted names who might otherwise have looked exclusively at the established giants of the Italian game.

The heart of Como's identity through the decades, however, has always been the local players and those who genuinely fell in love with the club and its setting. Players who ran out onto the Sinigaglia pitch with the lake glittering behind the stands and gave everything for those lake-blue colours.

The retro Como shirt is defined above all by colour: that distinctive lake blue that mirrors the waters of Lago di Como itself. It is one of Italian football's most evocative colour schemes, immediately identifiable and carrying within it the romantic geography of the club's home city.

During their 1980s Serie A peak, Como's shirts followed the clean lines typical of that era – simple, uncluttered designs that let the colour do the talking. The classic 1980s Como kit featured the lake blue prominently, with white trim detailing and the club crest displayed with pride. These are the shirts that collectors most keenly seek today, representing the club's top-flight glory days.

The kits of that era were produced by Italian sportswear manufacturers who understood how to craft shirts that looked exceptional both on television and in person. The fabric quality, the cut, and the colourway combined to create garments that have aged exceptionally well aesthetically.

With Como's return to Serie A in 2024, a new generation of shirts was created that consciously honoured the club's heritage while embracing contemporary design sensibilities. These newer releases have been widely praised for their elegance and connection to Como's visual identity.

For collectors, the 1980s match-worn and replica shirts represent the holy grail. Any shirt from Como's sustained Serie A period carries genuine historical weight and the unmistakable aura of a club that once held its own at Italy's top table.