Her path starts in Barcelona, crosses the fashion world and lands, almost by chance, in women’s soccer, bringing with her a dream of change and innovation. Ines told us how heart guided her to Como, driven by the desire to transform not only the image of a club, but also the entire landscape of women’s soccer. With an innate sensitivity for creativity and a deep dedication, she revealed to us how she intends to create a new identity, made of fashion, attention to design, 360º female empowerment and storytelling, building an emotional bond between the team and its fans.

Her vision is a poem that combines sport and beauty, action and inspiration.

Can you tell us a little about your personal journey and how you became the Creative Director of Como Women? What drew you to this role?

“My path began outside of the soccer industry. I am originally from Barcelona, and from a young age I always knew I wanted to work in the creative and fashion world. I studied fashion design and thanks to that I was able to collaborate in various fashion and culture projects. When I was 19, I received an incredible opportunity: Nike contacted me to collaborate as art director. It was a bold bet on their part, but made me spend three amazing years working on exciting projects.”

“When I was 21, I decided to move to Milan, leaving everything behind: my studies, a fulfilling job, my loved ones and all my certainties. I felt the time was right to ‘try my luck’ in a city that could offer me greater stimulation and opportunities to grow. I arrived in Milan without speaking Italian, without knowing anyone and without a job, but with a big dream. After six years, I had the chance to collaborate with luxury brands and international projects such as for Moschino, Etro, Tommy Hilfiger, Ferragamo and others, as a freelance art director and creative content strategist.”

“One day a couple of months ago, I discovered Mercury/13, their mission and their first acquisition, F.C. Como Women, and felt an irresistible urge to contact them. So, I took the initiative to offer my support. From that moment, a conversation ensued with Victoire Cogevina, CEO of Mercury/13, who subsequently offered me the opportunity to become the club’s Creative Director. It was love at first sight: I was not actively seeking this position, but we hit it off immediately. I felt within myself a growing interest in women’s soccer and realized that I could make a significant contribution by integrating marketing strategies, communication, and fashion aesthetics into this field. Finding out that this role represents the first creative direction in a global women’s soccer team, as outlined by Daniel Yaw on BOF, made it all the more special.”

The women’s football scene in Italy has been growing lately, but there are still a lot of challenges to overcome. How do you see its evolution?

“The numbers for the match between Roma and Juventus last Sunday showed an extremely positive development: 432,000 viewers on Rai2 and 830,000 total views on social media in just 24 hours. These data show that the interest is there and it is growing. I firmly believe that women’s soccer needs to build its own path, without having to mirror men’s soccer. There is a huge potential female audience that could approach soccer if a new and engaging approach is proposed to them.”

“F.C. Como Women is one of only two independent, women-only, teams in Italy, which means the club believes 100% in women’s soccer. All energy and resources are dedicated to the improvement of female athletes, even if it means not having the same facilities and resources as the men’s clubs.”

“For me, women’s soccer is a reflection of society. In a country like Italy, there is a lot of work to be done, but I feel that my involvement with Como and in women’s soccer is a way to contribute to social change. Giving the right recognition to the sport means giving the right value to the role that women deserve within society as well.”

“Our team has always been only women’s since its founding. We are not related to the men’s team in Como, obviously we don’t have the same level of facilities, we don’t play in Como. For being a recently born reality, we have done a lot however there are still many things missing, this is just a beginning. We are building a gym because the women players did not even have a gym, in the stadium where we play until last year there was not even hot water… we are investing on different things that for us are primarily dignity. I am also very enthusiastic about the fact that we also have youth teams in our club, creating a safe environment where girls can play with peers and dream of becoming professional soccer players, following role models such as Serie A players, something our players did not have when they were young. I am hopeful for a better future.”

Como Women’s marketing and communication strategy has been recognized as one of the most innovative and successful. Could you walk us through the creative process? What values and vision did your team bring to the club?

“I have a feeling that we are only at the beginning of an exciting journey; in fact, we haven’t really started yet. For me, the creative process is about seeing this club not just as a soccer team, but as an aspiration that goes beyond soccer itself. We want to build a brand that brings us closer to our fans in a different way, without limiting ourselves to an exclusively sporting focus.”

“I envision F.C. Como Women as a combination of a luxury fashion brand, an activist platform, and an entertainment hub. I see it as an environment where different realities coexist, united in spreading a meaningful message. This approach helps us build a new fan base, which is sure to grow, through innovative media and strategies.”

“The launch of the new branding in mid-July was crucial in marking a before and an after, and in clearly communicating our manifesto: ‘We belong here’. We created an image that is not the obvious one of a soccer team, but one that targets an audience that is aesthetically and design conscious, but also close to issues of women empowerment.”

“What excites me most is that there is still so much to explore in the world of women’s soccer, which makes it easy to innovate without being influenced by established practices, as is the case in fashion, where it seems like it is “already all made up” or overcrowded.”

Storytelling is fundamental in today’s communication. What are some of the key elements or techniques you’ve focused on to connect with the fans, media, and football communities? Are there any particular creative or marketing trends you’re exploring? 

“I firmly believe that storytelling is at the heart of everything we do. It’s not just about soccer; it’s a way to convey emotions, values and the sense of community that surrounds our club. We are exploring innovative digital ways to engage the community, creating experiences that look to the future. In particular, I see platforms like Twitch, used by entities like Kings of Leagues, as the future of the approach to TV and sports consumption. A fan is no longer just a spectator, but has the opportunity to actively participate through chat and interactions. This form of engagement creates a more dynamic experience and turns the audience into an active community that interacts directly with us, including internationally.”

“We understand that women follow a club not only for performance, but also for the common values and beliefs we represent. It is really powerful to have fans who, even if they can’t come to games, support us for our mission. It is therefore essential to connect with them through authentic stories and the values they embody.”

“At F.C. Como Women, we focus on reaching out to a young and open-minded audience who will quickly embrace our project on the basis of both a passion for the sport but also a value alignment. At the same time, we also want to engage more mature women who, perhaps, grew up thinking that soccer could not be for them. It is crucial to make people understand that soccer is not just for men, that there is a different way to play and experience soccer, and that there is room for all of us in this world.”

“Our goal is to build an identity that goes beyond football, making F.C. Como Women a symbol of empowerment and positive change. Through our storytelling approach, we hope to inspire not only our fans, but also the next generation of female athletes and supporters.”

Looking ahead, what are your long-term goals for Como Women from a branding and communication standpoint? What are you most excited to achieve in the next few years?

“Looking ahead, one of my main goals is to grow the F.C. Como Women community, both nationally and internationally. I aspire to see women’s soccer become a topic of conversation on par with men’s soccer in global discussions. I envision one day seeing our stadium fill up like that of a men’s team, perhaps with a new arena designed with women in mind: more comfortable seats, a variety of comfort options, and an experience that is welcoming and safe for everyone, regardless of gender.”

“Ultimately, my enthusiasm for the next few years is fueled by the possibility of transforming women’s soccer into an even stronger movement, bringing our club and our mission into the hearts of people.”

“I would like to develop extraordinary merchandising, so as to bring our branding to the streets as well, making F.C. Como Women become a recognized symbol everywhere. Fashion Influences this process a lot in my opinion. It is also the reason why I contacted Mercury/13 and showed my interest. I felt that the connection with the fashion world made a lot of sense in this team. Como is a wonderful place, which I love, it is very elegant, it has a lot of class, it has interest in luxury, it has a well-defined positioning, it is located near Milan, a historic city for world fashion. A soccer with more style and taste, a little more refined and feminine, it is a soccer that both men and women can enjoy. Historically it’s the sport that unites the world but at the level of branding and communication it bores me, it’s very chaotic, very bright, giant graphics, lots of emotion, which usually appeals to a male audience. Managing the Art Direction, Brand Identity, Content Strategies of the team like the ones I managed in the past for luxury brands is the goal I want to score for Como.”