The Italian Mystery: Como thriving with almost no local talent | OneFootball

Surprising everyone in Serie A, Como 1907, managed by Cesc Fàbregas, are currently sitting fourth in the league. That spot comes with a ticket to the Champions League. But beyond this impressive run, the Lombardy side also has a quirky stat.

As of Matchday 29, Fàbregas has fielded just one Italian player, according to analysis by Kickest. That player is Edoardo Goldaniga. The 32-year-old centre-back came on for just one minute in the game against Fiorentina. This rare appearance happened in Como’s fourth Serie A match of the season.

Trailing the Spanish coach’s team are Hellas Verona and Torino, who’ve racked up 4,137 and 4,438 minutes with Italian players on the pitch, respectively. Even Milan sits near the bottom of this list, fifth from last with 4,924 minutes.

At the other end, the teams topping the charts are Cagliari (18,868’), Cremonese (16,842’) and Fiorentina (15,422’). Interestingly, all three are in the lower half of the table. The Sardinian side sits 15th, while Florence are 16th and Cremona are 18th.

Minutes of Italian Players by Team: