Tommaso Fumagalli: The Interview

Tommaso Fumagalli arrived in Como during the January transfer window from Giana Erminio (Serie C).

A talented striker, he had already scored 12 goals in 21 games in the current season making him the top scorer in Serie C (A Group).

Since he was a child, he has known Como city well, having come to the lake regularly to visit his aunt and cousins. We catch up with him so see how he is settling in.

When football was just fun

As a result of signing with Como 1907, Tommaso has reached the highest level of his football career. Once, to him, football was just a hobby: “Until the age of 18, I played in my village in minor leagues. Back then, football was just fun. I used to work in the mornings before training in the afternoons. Then things started to turn into something different. The first change was the signing with Giana in Serie C. I realised that football could be my job. Now Como, a new league for me.”

Spending summer in Como

If Serie B is new to Tommaso, the city is not. He has known Como well since childhood: “When my aunt married, she moved here. My hometown is less than an hour’s drive away. When I was a child, I came to Como in the summer. I used to swim in the lake with my cousins and participate in some summer tournaments when I could still play in amateur football tournaments.” Among his favourite places are the Duomo, in the city centre, and the village of Cernobbio: “I like the Duomo, especially at night, and walking by the Cernobbio lake shore. I suggest going to Onda, a nice restaurant with a beautiful view.”

First time away from home

When Tommaso became a Como player, he left his home for the first time: “Among the biggest changes in my life now is to live alone. That means taking care of the house and dealing with anything that running a house means. Like cooking, for instance. Sometimes I feel lost, so I call my mum for advice.”

New teammates

When he arrived in Como, Tommaso reunited with Alessio Iovine, whom he met at Giana Erminio: “When I got here, all my new teammates welcomed me brilliantly. I met with Ale (Iovine) again. Then Alessandro Bellemo and Daniele Baselli were very nice. With Alessandro Gabrielloni, I got on immediately. We live just a few metres away. We see each other for dinner. We spend time together, even with Patrick Cutrone.”

A team of great players

To Tommaso, being a Como 1907 player also means sharing the locker room with people who have played for Serie A and other first leagues. Tommaso wishes to learn from them: “Here, I am sharing the locker room with great players. Even though I come from lower leagues, my teammates have never made me feel this difference. I want to thank them, also for the advice they give me at training.”

Milito and LeBron James

As a child, Tommaso used to go and watch his dad play five-a-side football. It was back then, he says, that he perhaps began to get passionate about football. Besides playing, he watches games on TV: Serie A, Serie B, and the Champions League. Diego Milito was among his favourite players as a child: “I always liked Milito because he was a striker. To me, he was great. I liked his grit and his ability in front of goal.” About other sports, Tommaso says: “I enjoy basketball, especially the Lakers and LeBron James. LeBron is such an example: despite his age, he is still playing at a very high level. I also like Formula 1 and MotoGP. Now, thanks to Jannik Sinner, I also follow tennis.”

The “Cinepanettone”

Tommaso enjoys the TV series Narcos, action movies, and Italian comedies, especially the genre known as “Cinepanettone”: “I enjoy Cinepanettone because it makes people laugh. Especially movies from a few years ago, like Vacanze di Natale 2000 in Cortina.”

The right attitude

Andrea Chiappella, who was Tommaso’s coach at Giana Erminio, gave him a piece of advice: “I’ve always gotten a bit too angry when I made mistakes on the pitch. The coach made me realise that this was something to improve. I became calmer, and I have to thank him for this”. Tommaso wants to advise players who might follow his path: “If you want to do something big, keep going, even when it’s arduous.”