A 21-year long wait, a return that feels like a starting point: Como returns to Serie A. With Cosenza in the last 90 minutes of the season a draw is enough, because Venezia loses and goes to the playoffs. At Sinigaglia, dressed up for the occasion and also in the presence of Thierry Henry, Roberts and Fabregas’ team obtained the pass to Serie A.
With the pass to the top category, Como gains the right stage for its possibilities and finances, given that the Indonesian ownership of the Hartonos is the richest in the Italian football scene. Now the ambition, needless to say, is immediately to appear in a European position, although the company has not made any programmatic manifestos.
In fact, in the ranking of the richest owners in world football, the brothers Robert and Michael Hartono are placed eighth and tenth respectively, with assets of 26.5 and 25.5 billion dollars which are worth the 71st and 76th position among the richest in the world according to Forbes.
Investments have thus arrived in Como’s coffers in recent years: not billions, but certainly significant for a company purchased by the Hartonos for 200 thousand euros in April 2019, in the year that coincided with the promotion to Serie C and therefore the return to professional football.
From 2019/20 to 2022/23 (last available budget), a total of 43.3 million euros arrived in Como’s coffers from the property, of which the vast majority in terms of capital payments and capital increases.
In fact, in these four budgets the people of Como have lined up losses for a total of 36 million euros, on aggregate turnovers of 22.3 million euros. The bottom line impact of ownership has been small, with just €1.5 million paid in 2022/23 compared to an overall turnover of €12 million.
The ownership therefore had to intervene at an equity level to balance the situation: it went from 2.5 million in 2019/20 up to 21.9 million in 2022/23, for a total payments of 41.8 million euros . Adding the 1.5 million in revenue and the 200 thousand euros spent on the purchase of the club, we arrive at a total investment of 41.5 million euros for ownership in the first four years of management of Como.
