Four goals for Manchester United in Como

Even just seeing the Sinigaglia at night is quite a thrill. There it stands, lit up on the lake, with the city behind it and the mountains above, a building that seems more drawn than built and which, on a single evening against Manchester United, manages to make something that isn’t normal seem quite ordinary. It’s raining, but just look at how it’s raining. A perfect English downpour, just to put the visitors at ease. Because when you feel at home, that’s when the trouble starts.

I quickly became acquainted with Billy. He divides his time between London and Dubai, works in finance, has purchased a lakefront home and supports United, although he has now fallen in love with Como. Before the match, he visited the Como Shop and returned with a teddy bear for my son, insisting that one must steer him in the right direction from an early age. I graciously assent, confessing that my wife is on the opposing side and aims to make our son a Genoa supporter. He is two years old, and the pressure has already begun. In any case, the blue shirt will prevail. There are plenty of VIPs in the stands, but unfortunately I do not recognise a single one. I turn to the person next to me, who acts as my live commentary. “That’s Ryan Giggs,” he says. Oh, really? Thirteen English league titles with Man United and nearly a thousand matches – he’s spent more time at Old Trafford than many of us have spent in the office. A little further on is Raphaël Varane, formerly of United and now a regular here in Como. I just nod at the others. I hope nobody asks me any questions.

Billy still has hope for the English team. After all, United aren’t just any old team. They’re George Best, Bobby Charlton, Eric Cantona, David Beckham, Sir Alex Ferguson, three European Cups, twenty English league titles, a shirt that anyone can recognise from fifty metres away. He offers me two beers. I join the queue and, in the meantime, hope that by the end of this long wait they’ll have decided to sell wine. What could be better than a match like this with a glass of red instead of a pint? Football would be less English. It’s just a hope. Naturally, I return with two beers.

While the Azzurri are holding their own brilliantly on the pitch, my mind drifts back to the countless matches I’ve watched over nearly fifty years – from the Serie A days of Stefano Borgonovo and Dan Corneliusson to the less glamorous away trips, from Sesto San Giovanni to Avellino, when the patience required to follow Como far outweighed their league position. Nostalgia, however, should be taken in small doses at the stadium. At half-time, Billy escorts me into the private area. We discuss the lake, Frieze, the vegetable patch behind the house, and Manchester, who are a goal down and will attempt to salvage the evening in the second half. Before returning to our seats, I also manage to get hold of the souvenir of my dreams: a miniature Sinigaglia, made of 3D cardboard to assemble at home – the perfect compromise between the Como fan and the lover of rationalist architecture that I am.

The match? Hardly worth mentioning, at least in these pages. Four to one, and back to square one. Nico Paz scores twice, sets up another goal and, to the applause of the press room, says that “it was the most important match of my life”. He’s twenty-two and can get away with it. Billy takes the money, whilst I head out into the English rain with the blue teddy bear that my wife will not appreciate. Perhaps she, like those who expected Manchester United to have a stroll in Como, will change her mind. It did not turn out that way. Four teddy bears, and so be it.