Como President and Directors Hand Over Their Seats So Fans Born in 1950 or Earlier Can Attend Club's Champions League Debut
Como president Mirwan Suwarso and several of the club's directors are surrendering their own seats for the Italian side's Champions League debut so that elderly supporters can attend the biggest night in the club's history.
The Serie A club will host RB Leipzig on Thursday (20:00 BST) after qualifying for Europe's elite competition for the first time in their 119-year history. They earned their place by finishing fourth in the Italian top flight last season under former Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas.
Demand far outstrips supply
The demand for tickets to Como's historic European debut has far exceeded the supply. The club's home venue, the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia on the shores of Lake Como, holds about 12,000 spectators — a figure reduced further by 1,000 because of Uefa's broadcasting and operational requirements.
With the match sold out, Indonesian businessman Suwarso announced on Instagram that he and other club executives intend to give up their seats for older supporters.
"With the reduced capacity and the limited number of tickets available, unfortunately we cannot accommodate everyone who would have liked to be there," Suwarso wrote.
"However, some club executives and I have decided to give up our seats for this match.
"We want those seats to be allocated to supporters who have waited the longest — fans born in 1950 or earlier, who have followed Como through every division and every era.
"We will be honoured to give up our seat for them."
Suwarso has been president of Como since 2019.
A remarkable rise from the lower divisions
Como have enjoyed a remarkable climb in recent years, rising from the lower divisions to secure a place among Europe's elite. The Lombardy-based outfit — who have twice gone bankrupt in the past two decades — ended a 21-year wait to reach Serie A in 2024 after a third promotion in six seasons.
They finished 10th in their first season back in the top division before former Spain international Fabregas guided them to a top-four finish and a place in the Champions League last term.
After their opener against Leipzig, Como will also face Feyenoord, Manchester United, Lens, AEK Athens, Real Betis, Paris St-Germain and Barcelona in their maiden European campaign.