From Serie D to Champions League: Fabregas guides Como into Europe's elite in six years

Como 1907 host RB Leipzig on Tuesday in their first-ever Champions League fixture, completing a journey from Serie D in 2019 to European football’s top table in just six years under the management of Cesc Fabregas.

The lakeside club, based in a city of 84,000 people, overtook AC Milan on the final day of last season to secure a top-four finish in Serie A. That result carries a broader historical footnote: it is the first time since the competition’s rebrand that neither Milan nor Juventus will feature in the Champions League.

Fabregas, who ended his playing career at Como in Serie B before stepping into the dugout, guided the club into the top flight in 2024 and finished 10th in their debut Serie A campaign. Last season’s fourth-place finish prompted inevitable links to bigger jobs — he turned down an approach from Inter Milan a year ago.

The club’s rise has been backed by Indonesia’s Hartono family, who purchased Como seven years ago and carry a net worth exceeding £30 billion. Thierry Henry invested in 2022, followed by Fabregas himself. High-profile signings including Pepe Reina, Raphael Varane, and Alvaro Morata have attracted attention, but much of the squad’s quality has come through sharper recruitment: young Argentine playmaker Nico Paz arrived from Real Madrid, while Greek striker Anastasios Douvikas joined from Celta Vigo.

The path to hosting a Champions League night was not straightforward. Concerns over whether the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia met UEFA’s Category 4 requirements threatened to force Como to play home matches in Sassuolo, 120 miles away, or Udine, 200 miles distant. The club completed a rapid redevelopment of the ground in 90 days to secure the necessary approval.

Elsewhere in the competition, Shakhtar Donetsk — unable to play on home soil — have opted to use Stamford Bridge as their home ground after exploring options including Brentford’s stadium and a venue in Germany.

Several surprise domestic champions entered the competition through qualifying this summer, including Swedish newcomers Mjallby, from a fishing village of 800 people, and FC Thun, first-time Swiss champions. None reached the league phase. Como did.