Before their Champions League debut against RB Leipzig, Como president Mirwan Suwarso gave up his seat at the Stadio Sinigaglia — along with those of several club directors — to hand them to supporters born in 1950 or earlier. That one decision tells you more about this club than any transfer announcement could.
This is not a sugar-rush project. Como are not chasing a moment. They are building something, and Thursday's match against Leipzig is just the latest proof that it's actually working.
The Model Behind the Club
Como are owned by Indonesia's Djarum Group, founded by brothers Robert Budi Hartono and Michael Bambang Hartono — a combined net worth of around $48 billion at the time of the club's 2019 acquisition. Michael passed away earlier this year. The club is run day-to-day by Suwarso, who has laid out a vision that goes well beyond football results.
Como sits less than an hour from Milan. Lake Como draws tourists, celebrities and serious money year-round — and Suwarso has built a business model designed to exploit that. He calls it the Disney approach: the lake is the theme park, and the football club is the IP. Merchandise, fashion lines, hospitality, retail — revenue streams that don't depend on TV rights or what happens on a Saturday afternoon. George Clooney has a home nearby. Keira Knightley, Hugh Grant, Adrien Brody and Michael Fassbender have all been spotted at Sinigaglia. That's not a coincidence. It's a brand strategy.
The stadium only holds 12,000. Suwarso has been blunt about what that means: "How can a team which only has a stadium of 12,000 sustain a competitive soccer team? We have to actually grow other areas for revenue." The Disney model is the answer to that constraint. It's genuinely smart — and rare in football, where clubs almost always default to the broadcast-deal treadmill.
Fabregas Is the Football Engine
Then there's Cesc Fabregas, who arrived as a player in 2022-23 for his final season as a professional, retired, took over the under-23s, then stepped into the first-team job. In that first caretaker role, he got Como promoted to Serie A. In his first full season, they finished 10th as a newly promoted side. In his second, they finished fourth and punched their ticket to the Champions League.
Inter tried to appoint him in the summer of 2025 after parting ways with Simone Inzaghi. Fabregas and Suwarso turned it down together. That says something — about the project's ambition, and about the trust between the two men.
Suwarso knows Fabregas won't be at Como forever, and he's already thinking about how the club survives his eventual departure. "Barcelona existed without Cruyff, Milan without Sacchi, Inter without Herrera," he told La Repubblica. "Cesc has built for the club, not for himself, and his imprint will remain forever. But the day will come when he leaves." That kind of institutional thinking is almost unheard of at a club this size, at this stage of development.
The Nico Paz Situation Explains Everything
Como signed Nico Paz from Real Madrid in 2024 for €6 million — a permanent deal, but one that left Madrid with a 50% sell-on clause and the right to re-sign him over three consecutive summers for reasonable fees. Tottenham came in with around €70 million in 2025. Como and Madrid said no, together.
Then Paz decided he wanted to stay at Como for the Champions League. He didn't push for the big move. Como agreed to sign him permanently for around €60 million, with Madrid retaining an option to re-sign him in 2027 for €80 million. For a player Spurs valued at €70m, that's a significant commercial decision — one Como made because the sporting project mattered more than the quick windfall.
Moise Kean has also arrived from Fiorentina for around $45 million to lead the attack in both competitions. The recruitment logic is consistent: back the manager, build around quality, don't sell what you're building toward.
Como at -134 to beat Leipzig on Thursday reflects genuine home advantage backed by a team that knows exactly what it's doing. They didn't stumble into the Champions League. They planned their way here. And judging by how they've handled every decision since 2019, they plan to stay.
