Como 1907 Women’s Team–San Marino Academy: Ready for a Special Sunday

On Sunday, 14 December, at 14:30, the Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium will once again open its doors to women’s football. Having recently hosted the Italian national team for a friendly against Japan, the iconic ground overlooking Lake Como will now welcome our women’s first team side, who will play their 12th Serie B match against San Marino Academy.

The Bianco Blu, led by coach Selena Mazzantini in her first year in charge of Como 1907 Women, currently sit top of the table with 25 points, four clear of second-placed Cesena Women. In a particularly demanding league such as Serie B, where only one team earns promotion to Serie A at the end of the season, there is very little margin for error. The Lariane have so far recorded eight wins, one draw, and one defeat in a first half of the season that has already presented a number of unexpected challenges.

The hard-fought 0–1 win in Brescia, the 3–0 home victory over Venezia on a heavy, rain-soaked pitch, the defeat in Verona followed by the crucial win away at Cesena, and the last-second three points claimed against Trastevere: we are only in the opening stage of this campaign, yet this group has already shown character, personality, and unity, even though much of the squad arrived only this summer, immediately embracing this ambitious project.

Solidity is perhaps the most fitting word to describe Le Bianco Blu’s start to the season, solid as a group and defensively resolute, having conceded just five goals in ten matches, the best record in the division. With Fabiana Fierro in goal, fresh from a series of outstanding performances (particularly in Cesena), the position is in safe hands, while Emma Mustafic, born in 2006, has also earned her place. In coach Mazzantini’s four-woman defence, the flanks are occupied by Francesca Pittaccio on the right and Federica Rizza on the left, both summer arrivals from Sampdoria and Parma respectively. In the centre, several players have featured so far, including Elena Pisani—distinguished for her marking and ability on the ball—the young Giulia Trevisan (born in 2004), Federica Veritti, Denmark’s Cecilie Sandvej, and Ludovica Falloni, with Louise Eriksen also making a number of appearances.

The midfield has been equally impressive. Of the 22 goals scored by Como, making the Bianco Blu the third-best attacking side in the league, many have come, directly or indirectly, from this unit. Sofia Colombo, who joined in the summer from Sampdoria, is enjoying a highly productive season in front of goal, scoring five times from her role on the flank. Alongside Denmark’s Louise Eriksen and Slovenia’s Dominika Čonč, a regular for her national team, who provide balance in midfield, contributions from Elena Nichele (clinical in scoring the winner in the head-to-head against Cesena), Claudia Saggion (consistently intense and decisive), and Rossella Sardu (a key figure thanks to her experience and leadership) have been equally vital.

Wearing the captain’s armband and linking midfield with the attack is Vero Boquete, a true legend of women’s football. The first Spanish player to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or and the first to win the Champions League, lifting the trophy with FFC Frankfurt in 2015, the number 87, born in Santiago de Compostela, arrived on the shores of Lake Como last summer, bringing her exceptional technique and remarkable poise to strengthen the group both on and off the pitch. Leading the line are Elisa Del Estal, six goals to her name, making her the team’s top scorer and the third-highest in the league, thanks to her physical presence and pace, and Giusy Moraca, known for her flair and creativity. Roberta Picchi also plays a crucial role: a forward whose physicity and energy allow her to influence matches significantly, as she demonstrated against Trastevere, scoring the decisive goal in the 91st minute. The team can also count on the contributions of Martina Gelmetti and Adriana Martín, as well as Claudia Zorzetto and Kristin Carrer, who are currently injured but remain essential members of this special group.

The match at Sinigaglia on December 14 will certainly be an excellent opportunity to shed new light on women’s soccer, in a setting different from the usual, but it will also be a great opportunity to get to know these players, each with their own unique qualities and characteristics, and this group, at a stage in a journey that we hope will end in the best possible way. 

Click here to register for the game, the entrance is free: https://tickets.comofootball.com/fixtures/femminile