Como sporting director Carlalberto Ludi discussed the club’s Champions League campaign, Jacobo Ramon’s future and January transfer plans at the Social Football Summit.
Scudetto focus and Cagliari
Speaking to Calciomercato, Ludi said: “Scudetto? For us, this is the time to let the lads rest. Our challenge was to remain competitive every three days, and I think our Champions League campaign shows that we have managed to do so. This is the first important pillar of our season, and it must continue to be. The match against Inter was simply a contest against a great team, who approached the game differently from usual — extraordinarily, I would say. We know we need to improve and grow, but that does not surprise us. People associate the word Scudetto with Como, but we do not associate it with Como. We remain focused on our daily work, our objectives and our development. I am sure we will learn from the last match too, because our approach is always the same: we try to look beyond the most recent result. We have already forgotten the 9-1 in the Champions League. Now we will focus on preparing for a great match against Cagliari.”
Jacobo Ramon to stay
Asked whether there had already been any signals from Madrid about Jacobo Ramon, Ludi said: “No. Real Madrid made a joke about him, to be honest, when we went to negotiate for Nico Paz. There was a follow-up on his situation. We're talking about an extraordinary player who will certainly stay with us for the whole season. It's still too early to know what his future might hold. I say this jokingly, but every year, between November and March, people said Nico Paz was supposed to go to Real Madrid. In the end, we're still fortunate enough to have him with us. Now the same thing is happening with Jacobo. When the time comes, we'll talk and work out the best solution for Jacobo and both clubs.”
January transfer plans
On possible moves in the January transfer window, Ludi said: “We will assess possible departures for those players who are getting less playing time, so that everyone has the opportunity to play. As for signings, I'll be honest: we are not planning any extraordinary deals, because we are very happy with the squad. Our January transfer activity could be the return of Moise Kean, San Diego and Jesús Rodríguez: very strong players who are important to us and are currently unavailable. I would start there. Of course, we have shown that, if an opportunity arises in the transfer market and there is a need to improve, even through small moves, we will do so .”
Young Italian players
Speaking of Real and ties with Italy, Ludi said: “I think it is significant that young talents can be brought to Italy. I believe Como have been an example of how young players can enable a club to achieve very significant results. This kind of connection can offer an opportunity for growth and development for our football. But despite the criticism we have received, it remains essential to start with young Italian players. We have done that in this transfer window, because young Italian players too can and must be given the conditions to express themselves and perform at their best. Our young players show this: I think of Liberali and Papaccioli, who experienced a moment of great celebration and joy in the Champions League. But I also think of Cassano and his call-up to the national team, which represents an extraordinary opportunity for us because it underlines and confirms the direction in which we are working with our youth academy.”
