The current role and rank would be sufficient and advanced: provincial delegate of the CONI. But for Niki D’Angelo, Como is a matter of the heart. Regardless. From those images (some in black and white, many in colour) of father Raffaele on the sidelines as the most elegant and gentlemanly of the Lega Calcio commissioners to the memories (intense blues) of his first-hand experience in the club’s management.
From Beretta onwards
«These were the last years of Beretta, Porro papa and Marzorati – he says – and we ended up selling it to Preziosi. Almost thirty years have passed, a lifetime. But that management team left me with a lot. We still talk and see each other. Practically everyone was there on Friday at the stadium: Roberto Ambrosoli, Christian Nessi and Silvio Santambrogio, with Fabio Ferretti who we heard just before the match against Cosenza.”
Now he looks at the world from the porthole of the Coni headquarters under the Curva Como (coincidentally…) and has the means and the peace of mind to judge coldly the scope of promotion to Serie A. «Having a top team in a Federation so important – explains the former president of Maslianico and Canottieri Cernobbio – it is a driving force of fundamental importance for the provincial movement. What happened at the end of the race the other night was unprecedented. A friend from Palermo called me to ask how many inhabitants Como had after seeing the images of the party.”
D’Angelo highlights the club’s many merits. «Among the great winning choices, the most important one – he says – is having focused on the facilities right from the start. And this is the secret: in order to set up a long-range and successful project in terms of results, fields and centers are fundamental.”
Reference, not too casual, to Sinigaglia and Mozzate. «With the construction of its own sports centre, Como has shown that it intends to do things seriously. This must be an example for other realities, not just high level ones. And the discussion on the stadium is based on serious reasoning and a lot of concreteness. No flourishes, but the determination to do everything as best as possible and as soon as possible. The conditions exist, even after continuous discussions with the municipal administration, to avoid making wrong choices.”
So far strategies and philosophy, but it was the team that won. «I really appreciated – points out D’Angelo – the policy of small steps, with the surge in quality in the January market. The intention to make a move towards Serie A is clear. And even in the decisive period, when the legs gave out a little, it was the brain that won, and it was undeniably Fabregas, and the heart, the team. Perfect mix.
«The strength of the CEO»
But the CONI delegate does not limit himself to this. «For me – he says – there is a symbol of promotion: the CEO Ludi. One evening I said to him: “You who were the leader of that Novara that was not excellent, but capable of reaching Serie A, try to transmit the same mentality to the group”. So it was. Charly is the immense heart of this club, the one who was capable of giving great strength.”
