Como 1907 has qualified for international competition for the first time in the club’s history. Whether it will be the Champions League, Europa League, or Conference League will be decided over the remaining two matchdays.
Until now, Como 1907 was known and loved mainly by tactical nerds, but next season the club from Lake Como will have the chance to showcase itself to a wider audience: Thanks to Sunday’s 1-0 win at relegated Hellas Verona, it is now certain that Como will compete internationally next season—for the first time in the club’s 119-year history.
Greek player Tassos Douvikas single-handedly scored the golden goal with a thunderous shot into the bottom right corner, ensuring that Como can no longer be displaced from 6th place. In the celebratory huddle after the final whistle, the players and coach Cesc Fabregas—once a World and European champion with Spain and himself active at Como during the 2022–23 season—wore T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase “Como si dice Europa?”—a pun that roughly translates to “How do you say ‘Europe’?” in English.
Fabregas shapes his
This continues a fairy tale that gained momentum in 2019 when the Indonesian brothers Budi and Michael Bambang Hartono joined the club as investors; the club had previously seen its best days in the 1980s. In 2021, Como was promoted from the third division to Serie B, followed by promotion to Serie A in 2024. There, Fabregas, previously an assistant coach, took over as head coach and led the team to a 10th-place finish in their first top-flight season since 2003 with an entertaining attacking style.
In the current season, Como has consistently been among the top contenders, featuring players such as former Frankfurt player Marc Oliver Kempf and 2019 Fritz Walter Medal winner Nicolas Kühn. The northern Italians struggled only against the top teams: of the league’s top four, they managed to beat only Juventus Turin—twice, no less—while securing just three points against champions Inter, as well as rivals Milan and Napoli. Their run in the Coppa Italia also ended in the semifinals against Inter (0-0, 2-3)
All three competitions still within reach
With 18 wins and just seven losses, they’ve still secured a spot in the top six. It’s not yet clear which international competition Como will qualify for: Currently in fifth place, Como would start in the Europa League, but AS Roma is applying pressure from behind; with a win in Parma tonight, they could overtake Como and push them into the Conference League in the live standings. If Inter wins the Coppa Italia final against Lazio Rome this coming Wednesday (9 p.m.), sixth place would also qualify for the Europa League.
Or is it even enough for the Champions League? Fourth-place Milan—with one game in hand—is just two points ahead of Como, so a spot in the Champions League is still possible for the club of the moment.
The remaining schedule for the northern Italians looks feasible on paper, featuring a home game against Parma (Sunday, 3 p.m.) and an away match against relegation-threatened US Cremonese on the final matchday (May 24, 3 p.m.). But either way: Next season, Cesc Fabregas and his players are sure to make waves on the international stage as well.
