The Como club are planning a €60 million deal for Nico Paz, but concerns are being raised over a breach of Financial Fair Play rules.
Como are planning a €60 million deal to keep Nico Paz at the Stadio Siniga permanently, but how is this possible while the club is already on the brink of breaching Financial Fair Play rules? According to information from various sources, Real Madrid will activate a €9 million buy-back option for Nico Paz and Como will immediately spend €60 million to re-sign him. The deal is also expected to include a buy-back option for Real Madrid worth another €80 million, which will only be valid in summer 2027. At the moment, Como has one of the richest group of owners, so the question is not how the club can afford to sign Nico Paz, but rather how they can breach UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the short answer is that they won't. Como have qualified for the Champions League for the first time in their history, which will increase revenues compared to last season, but also means the club will be under the close supervision of UEFA and their financial sustainability rules. UEFA will investigate Como's financial accounts next spring. This review will be based on the last three financial years (2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26). Like all clubs competing in Europe, Como must not exceed losses of more than €60 million within this three-year period, and first team expenses must not exceed 70% of the club's total income.La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Como will "overcome these limits". Saturday's report said Como was headed for a €50 million deficit in 2023-24, rising to €132 million in 2024-25. It is expected that there will be some improvement in the club's next financial statements at the end of the 2025–26 season, but La Gazzetta dello Sport estimates that the loss will still be around €100 million. It has also been reported that Como are looking at the possibility of entering into a settlement agreement with UEFA next year, as has happened with several Serie A clubs over the past few seasons, and this could limit the club's ability to spend over the next three or four years. UEFA generally looks positively at clubs that spend on 'pragmatic investment' and at owners who have a proven track record of injecting money into their clubs. Como's owners have invested €390 million in the club since their acquisition in 2019. While Como will remain in the red under UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules, the club has no debt with any lender and has net assets of over €54 million. Furthermore, Como will be 'first time offenders' if they breach UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules, and once again, the hope is that the governing body will view the club positively as a result.
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