Como 1907 2025-26: Serie A, Cesc Fàbregas & Lake Como Football

Como 1907

From the shores of Lake Como to the top flight of Italian football. Backed by the Hartono family and guided by a legendary midfielder turned manager, Como 1907's return to Serie A is one of the game's most extraordinary stories.

Como, Lombardy, Italy

Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia

Founded 1907

Few football clubs have a more cinematic backdrop than Como 1907. Situated on the western shore of Lake Como — one of the most spectacular landscapes in Europe — the club plays its home matches at the compact Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, with the Alps rising in the background and the shimmering lake just metres away. It is arguably the most beautiful football stadium setting in Serie A.

For decades, Como languished in Italy's lower divisions, their storied history — including a top-flight campaign in the 1980s — a distant memory. The transformation began in 2019 when the Indonesian Hartono family, among the wealthiest dynasties in Southeast Asia, acquired the club. Their investment brought a new training facility, significant player recruitment budgets, and the appointment of a manager who turned heads across European football: Cesc Fàbregas.

Fàbregas — the former Arsenal, Barcelona, and Chelsea midfielder who won the World Cup and two European Championships with Spain — joined Como as a player in 2022 and swiftly transitioned into a coaching role. His tactical intelligence, contacts across elite football, and natural authority in the dressing room have accelerated Como's development dramatically. In 2025-26, they compete in Serie A for the first time in over 20 years.

The Fàbregas Project

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Cesc Fàbregas

Player-Manager

Cesc Fàbregas came to Como at 35 as a player looking for a final chapter. What he found was a project that matched his ambitions perfectly. When he transitioned into management, the transformation was immediate. His ability to attract former teammates and connections from Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea and the Spanish national team gave Como access to talent that would normally be impossible for a newly-promoted club.

Fàbregas's coaching philosophy centres on ball-dominant, positional football — the style he learned at Barcelona's La Masia academy and refined under Pep Guardiola's influence. He demands technical quality, quick transitions and intelligent pressing from his squad. For a newly-promoted side, it is ambitious — but the Hartonos are backing him with the resources to make it work.

Watch Como Highlights

Three Pillars of the Revival

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Hartono Family Backing

Robert Budi Hartono and his family are among Indonesia's richest individuals, with wealth derived from tobacco and banking. Their investment in Como is patient and strategic — they are not chasing quick wins but building a sustainable club with European ambitions over the long term.

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The Lake Como Effect

The location is not just aesthetically spectacular — it's a genuine recruitment tool. Players are offered a lifestyle in one of Europe's most desirable locations, just 45 minutes from Milan. The setting attracts players who might otherwise look elsewhere, giving Como a unique edge in transfer negotiations.

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Historic Roots

Founded in 1907, Como has a genuine football heritage. They played in Serie A and Serie B throughout the mid-20th century, and produced the legendary Dino Zoff — Italy's World Cup-winning goalkeeper in 1982. That history gives the modern project roots and identity.