Alesandro Comita (right) in game action for ND Gorica. (Image Credit: Contributed)

By Marty Hastings

Alesandro Comita

With one Slovenian season under his belt, Kamloops’ Comita keeps his eyes on Italy

Jun 25, 2024 | 6:30 PM

KAMLOOPS — Alesandro Comita has Italy on his mind – and not just because the Azzurri survived a scare at the men’s European Soccer Championship in Germany.

The 20-year-old midfielder from Kamloops, with one professional season in Slovenia on his resume and another to begin soon, is chasing his dream of lacing up the boots in Italy.

“I’m Italian,” said Comita, who must have been in a state of dread prior to substitute Mattia Zaccagni’s late equalizer against Croatia on Monday (June 24), a goal that secured a 1-1 draw and saved Italy from potential shocking demise at Euro 2024.

“I have family there and I’ve always wanted to play there. There is a potential opportunity to play with a Serie C team, an Italian third-division team.”

TRU WolfPack graduate Comita signed his first professional contract earlier this year and joined ND Gorica in time for the second half of its 2023-2024 season in the second-division Slovenian League.

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He started his campaign toiling for under-19 ND Gorica and helped the club avoid relegation, putting in work that led to a start with the men’s team.

“It was pretty amazing,” Comita said, noting quality of play in the second-division Slovenian circuit is comparable to the level seen in the Canadian Premier League ranks.

“It was awesome being in that environment every day, playing with great players and just getting that amazing experience in Europe.”

ND Gorica finished fourth in league standings. The top two in the table earn promotion to Division 1.

CFJC Today found Comita training on Monday at the Sports Legacy Fund High Performance Centre on campus at Thompson Rivers University, along with professional hockey players Logan Stankoven and Joe Hicketts.

Music blared while Comita laid out his goals and noted it is an honour to be an example for young soccer players in the city with professional aspirations.

“Lots of players have asked me how the experience went and I’ve also been able to come back and train with Rivers [semi-pro Rivers FC of League1 BC) a little bit,” he said. “Some of the players have said, ‘Wow, you’ve really improved,’ and they’re like, ‘Okay, maybe I want to try and go abroad just to gain that same experience as you did so I can continue to elevate my game.’”

Comita will fly to Europe this week ahead of the 2024-2025 Slovenian Division 2 campaign, which gets underway in August.

He will play full-time with the men’s ND Gorica squad and maintain interest in a move to Unione Sportiva Triestina Calcio 1918, an Italian Serie C club.

Nova Gorica is in western Slovenia on the Italian border and its soccer fans can be rabid, according to Comita, who won the U Sports Men’s Soccer Championship with the WolfPack in 2022.

“There are sometimes fights going on while the game is playing. The classic European fans,” Comita said. “There is so much passion it’s almost a little bit more than what you’d see in Champions League because sometimes they’re allowed to bring out their dark sides.

“They’re allowed to do more crazy things because there is not as much security or as many people. They’re allowed to bring fireworks and light off fireworks during games, smoke bombs and all this sort of stuff. It’s a pretty crazy environment.”

Most of the Comita family is from the southern Italian region of Calabria.

Trieste, home of Triestina Calcio, is in northeast Italy, a port city on the Slovenian border – one Comita aims to cross.

“My goal, ultimately, is to play in Italy,” he said. “This is a good starting point for me.”