Fábregas: Como's rise feels like 'Disney' as they reach 4th in Serie A and Champions League

Como destroyed Lens 9-1 on French soil Wednesday to move into fourth place in the Champions League phase, matching their fourth-place standing in Serie A — a double position that seemed impossible eight years ago when the club was refounded in Italy’s fourth tier, elmundo.es reported.

The transformation from Serie D castoffs to continental headline-makers has been orchestrated by Spanish manager Cesc Fábregas, backed by the financial power of Indonesian billionaires the Hartono brothers, who purchased the club for €200,000 in 2019 when it was on the brink of bankruptcy.

From Serie D Bankruptcy to Serie a in Six Years

Como’s ascent reads like a fairy tale, but the numbers are real. In 2018, the club was refounded in Serie D, the bottom rung of Italy’s professional pyramid. The Hartono family’s Djarum conglomerate acquired the club the following year for €200,000, injecting capital that funded a rapid climb through the divisions.

Cesc Fàbregas' Champions League MIRACLE 🚀 #Como1907 #ChampionsLeague #CescFabregas

The promotions came in quick succession: Serie C in 2019, Serie B in 2021, and Serie A in 2024 with Fábregas already in the dugout. In their first two seasons in the top flight, Como finished 10th and then fourth — a trajectory that has placed them among Italy’s elite and Europe’s most compelling stories.

The Disney Model on Lake Como

Club president Mirwan Suwarso, an Indonesian executive connected to the Djarum group, has framed Como’s strategy in entertainment-industry terms. A football club in a city of 85,000 people struggles with sustainability issues that sport alone can’t address. Como uses its location—Lake Como, a globally recognized brand—to address them.

Suwarso has described the parallel with Disney, where Disneyland represents the theme-park division. For Como, the football club and the matchday experience serve as its own “theme park division,” feeding into merchandising, apparel, footwear, media, and tourism. The synergy between the football experience and the Lake Como destination creates what the president calls an unmatched connection.

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This commercial strategy has attracted sponsors including Adidas, Revolut, Uber, and Italian fashion house Brioni, blending historic partnerships with youth-oriented brands that have elevated the club’s media profile and helped recruit players.

Fábregas’s Young, Fearless Squad

On the pitch, Fábregas has built a team with an average age of 25.6 years, turning youth into a virtue rather than a liability. The Catalan manager’s philosophy centers on character: after a win over Torino, he said football is about people with character who make mistakes, get up, and refuse to let fear win.

The squad blends Spanish players with international talent. Goalkeeper Robert Sánchez, defenders Jacobo Ramón, Álex Valle and Jesús Rodríguez, and midfielder Luis Milla all arrived from Spanish football. Milla left Getafe this summer specifically to join Fábregas, turning down a move to Saudi Arabia, and has since been rewarded with a place in the pre-list of Spain national team coach Luis de la Fuente alongside Ramón, a Real Madrid academy product.

The crown jewel is Argentine Nico Paz, signed from Real Madrid this summer with an option that would allow the Spanish giants to recover him in a few months. Paz, considered the heir to Messi’s No. 10 in the albiceleste, has become the most talked-about player in Italy. Greek striker Douvikas, a former Celta player, is the current Pichichi of the Champions League, while Assane Diao (ex-Betis), Máximo Perrone (ex-Las Palmas), and Yan Couto (ex-Girona) complete a roster of players whose careers Fábregas has reshaped.

The Italian Question

One criticism leveled at the project in Italy is the lack of homegrown talent. Only five Italian players have seen minutes this season, and none rank among the 15 most-used players in Fábregas’s rotation. The squad is a United Nations of football, but the Azzurri representation remains thin.

Como’s Rise: Questions Answered

How did Como go from Serie D to the Champions League? The club was refounded in Serie D in 2018, bought by the Hartono brothers in 2019, and earned promotions to Serie C in 2019, Serie B in 2021, and Serie A in 2024 before qualifying for European competition.

Who owns Como and how much did they pay? Indonesian billionaires the Hartono brothers, through their Djarum conglomerate, purchased the club for €200,000 in 2019 when it was nearing bankruptcy.

Why is Nico Paz at Como instead of Real Madrid? Como bought the Argentine midfielder from Real Madrid this summer, but the deal includes an option that would allow Madrid to recover him in a few months.

Why does Como have so few Italian players? Despite being an Italian club, only five Italian players have appeared in matches this season, and none are among the 15 players manager Cesc Fábregas uses most frequently.

Como’s next test arrives with the continuation of their Champions League phase campaign and their next Serie A fixture, where fourth place and a place in Europe’s elite remain within reach.