Como chiefs giving up seats to older fans for Champions League debut
September 8, 2026 12:22
Como president Mirwan Suwarso and several club directors have said they will relinquish their match tickets so older supporters can attend the club’s first-ever Champions League game. The gesture was announced on Suwarso’s Instagram account after tickets for the home fixture against RB Leipzig sold out.
The Serie A side will host Leipzig on Thursday at 20:00 BST at Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia. The stadium’s roughly 12,000 capacity was reduced by about 1,000 seats because of UEFA broadcasting and operational requirements, which contributed to the shortage of available tickets.
KEY CONTEXT
Como are making their debut in Europe’s elite club competition after finishing fourth in Serie A last season under head coach Cesc Fàbregas, who previously played for Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona. The club’s rise has been rapid in recent years: they climbed from the lower divisions, recovered from two bankruptcies in the past two decades, and returned to Serie A in 2024 after a third promotion in six seasons. In their first season back they finished 10th before achieving a top-four finish the following campaign.
The club’s announced Champions League opponents include RB Leipzig in the opener; the source also lists Feyenoord, Manchester United, Lens, AEK Athens, Real Betis, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona as teams they will face during their maiden European campaign.
WHY IT MATTERS
The decision by the president and directors to give up seats highlights the local significance of Como’s historic European debut and the high demand among longtime supporters for a chance to witness the match. Reduced stadium capacity and rapid growth in the club’s fortunes have created a situation where not all local fans can attend, making the allocation of limited tickets a sensitive issue for the club and its community.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
- Whether the club follows through on the announced seat transfers and how the displaced executive seats are formally allocated to fans born in 1950 or earlier.
- The outcome and atmosphere of the RB Leipzig match on Thursday evening at Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia.
- How Como manage supporter access and logistics for subsequent fixtures in their first Champions League campaign.
KEY FACTS
- Match: Como vs RB Leipzig, Thursday, 20:00 BST.
- Home ground: Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, capacity roughly 12,000, reduced by about 1,000 for UEFA broadcasting/operational needs.
- Tickets sold out; club executives, led by president Mirwan Suwarso, offered their seats to long‑standing supporters.
- Como qualified for the Champions League by finishing fourth in Serie A last season under Cesc Fàbregas.
- The club returned to Serie A in 2024 after three promotions in six seasons and has twice been through bankruptcy in the past 20 years.