Como secures first Champions League berth in 119-year history
In brief
- Como finished fourth in Serie A with 71 points, first European qualification in 119 years
- Cesc Fabregas built the squad through youth development and strategic investment, not marquee signings
- Como scored 65 goals (second-best Serie A) while conceding just 29 (league-best defense)
- AC Milan missed Champions League qualification on the final day after losing to Cagliari
- Indonesian billionaires Robert and Michael Hartono have owned Como since 2019
From Promotion to European Football
Como was promoted to Serie A in 2024 and finished tenth in their first season back in the top flight. The jump from tenth to fourth in a single campaign represents one of the most dramatic rises in recent Serie A history. Few expected a club from a lakeside city of roughly 85,000 people to challenge Italy's established hierarchy so quickly.
The 2025-26 season saw Como finish with 71 points from 38 matches, recording 20 wins, 11 draws, and 7 losses. More striking: they scored 65 goals, the second-highest tally in the league, and conceded just 29, giving them the best defensive record. That combination—prolific attack paired with a miserly defense—is rare. It's the hallmark of a well-balanced squad.
The Fabregas Effect
Cesc Fabregas joined Como as a player in 2022 before retiring and taking over as head coach in 2023. His approach has been unconventional for a club chasing European football. Rather than splashing cash on aging superstars, Fabregas has built his coaching identity around developing young players. The strategy worked. Young talent thrived under his mentorship, and the team's late-season form proved decisive.
Fabregas himself called the achievement one of the greatest highlights of his career, which is saying something for a man who won the World Cup with Spain in 2010, consecutive European Championships in 2008 and 2012, and two Premier League titles with Chelsea.
Strategic Ownership, Patient Capital
Robert and Michael Hartono, Indonesian billionaires, have owned Como since 2019. Their approach has been patient and strategic rather than the kind of sugar-rush spending that has sunk other ambitious clubs. The ownership group also includes notable figures like Thierry Henry, Fabregas's former teammate at Arsenal and Barcelona. That network of football intelligence—combined with long-term capital—created the conditions for sustainable growth.
AC Milan, one of the most decorated clubs in Champions League history, missed out on qualification after their loss to Cagliari on the final day. The contrast is stark. A club with 19 European Cups slipped out. A club with zero European appearances slipped in. It's a reminder that football's old hierarchies aren't immutable.
