Kristin Carrer’s Football Journey

They call her “Hurricane Kikky”—and when you meet Kristin Carrer, the nickname makes perfect sense. Equal parts relentless energy and quiet intensity, she’s the kind of player who can glide past defenders on the pitch and then light up the locker room with a reggaeton shuffle. “I’ve always loved dancing—any style, really—but especially reggaeton, Latin, and shuffle. In every team I’ve played for, I’ve been known as the dancer of the group!” she tells BLU with a grin.

At just 22, Carrer has already lived many football lives. From a ball-obsessed little girl in Turin to a standout at Juventus and Sampdoria, and now a key figure in Como 1907’s ambitious women’s project, she’s proof that starting over doesn’t mean starting from scratch—it can mean coming back stronger.

“I started playing football with boys when I was seven years old, although I’ve actually always had a ball at my feet since I was very little,” she says. Her mother, originally from Russia, had her doubts at first—“women’s football barely existed there at the time”—but quickly became her biggest supporter. “Once I started playing, she always supported me and even acted as my team manager. Now, she’s my number one fan!”

Carrer is quick to credit the strong sporting influences in her life: her older brother, Alexander, who played for Torino’s youth academy (“I’ve always looked up to him”) and her father, a former footballer turned coach and sporting director. “I owe him everything. Even from afar, he watches all my matches and always gives me advice on what to improve—never bringing me down, and sometimes congratulating me, but never letting me get carried away!”

By her teens, Kristin was already making waves. She won the championship with Juventus U17 by scoring the decisive penalty and earned her first Serie A call-ups with Juventus’ senior squad. In 2021, she made her top-flight debut with Sampdoria. But football’s never been her only arena. “Even though I was good at all sports, my heart led me to football. In the early years, I also did athletics at the same time—I was really good at it, and I think that’s why I’ve always loved running so much!”

After time in both Serie A and B, Carrer made a bold move in 2023. She signed with Como, a club with historic charm and an eye on the future. “Last August, after several years between Serie A and B, I chose to commit to a new project—Como. I know that in terms of category, it may seem like a step back, but I did it to take three steps forward in the coming years!” That clarity of purpose runs through everything she does. “I can honestly say that I feel reborn here, both as a player and as a person. I feel like an integral part of the club and truly appreciated by the Como fans.”

And it shows. Despite being hampered by injury, Carrer has scored 9 goals in 18 appearances this season, often playing out of her natural midfield role. “I think I’m a versatile player—I can play in multiple roles from midfield up. I’d describe myself as very technical, with good aerobic ability and a strong shot… this year, due to our system and being one of the few left-footers who also covers a lot of ground, I’ve mostly played as a right winger—and I’ve scored a lot of goals!”

Still, she knows how quickly momentum can shift. “Unfortunately, I’ve always been more prone to injuries, which is why I work hard every day in the gym on strength and injury prevention.” Alongside training, she’s also started a Master’s in “Preventive and Adapted Exercise Science,” finding balance in a life that rarely slows down. “I always try to organise my week as efficiently as possible, making the most of every moment and avoiding dead time.”

She’s embraced Como as home—at least for now. “I’ve been living away from home for five years now, and I’m used to it, but at first, it was hard to leave my family and friends. Whenever we have a few days off, I always try to go back to Turin because I really believe that taking a break and being with loved ones is essential for an athlete’s mental wellbeing at this level.”

Away from football, Carrer is a whirl of hobbies. Dancing, cooking, drawing, reading, freestyle tricks for her social channels—you name it. “That’s why I’ve always been nicknamed ‘Hurricane Kikky’ at home!”

But make no mistake, she’s here to compete and with a tight-knit squad of mostly new players, unity has become their secret weapon. “It’s never easy to come together on the pitch with so many new faces, but I think we’ve done a great job at building a strong identity in a short amount of time!”