Como’s Rapid Ascent: Mirwan Suwarso on Fabregas and the Blueprint for Success

In the landscape of Italian football, few stories are as improbable as the current trajectory of Como. The Larian club, having spent more than two decades away from the top flight, has not only returned to Serie A but has surged into a Champions League spot. Currently sitting fourth in the standings, Como is defying the traditional gravity of the league, transforming from a returning underdog into a genuine European contender in a remarkably short window.

At the heart of this metamorphosis is a strategic alignment between club president Mirwan Suwarso and head coach Cesc Fàbregas. While the football world often focuses on the immediate results on the pitch, Suwarso is operating with a corporate precision, viewing the club’s sporting success as part of a broader value-creation exercise. For Como, the objective was never just survival. it was about an aggressive elevation of the club’s stature and assets.

The ‘CEO’ of the Touchline

Cesc Fàbregas has grow more than just a manager at Como; he is the architectural lead of the project. In a candid discussion with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Mirwan Suwarso described the Spaniard’s role using corporate terminology, noting that Fàbregas functions essentially as a “CEO in the football world.” This distinction is critical. While a typical manager focuses on the next match, Fàbregas is integrated into the structural identity of the club.

This systemic approach has allowed Como to exceed its initial sporting targets. Last season, the club finished tenth, and the primary goal for the current campaign was simply to improve upon that mark while increasing revenue and boosting the market value of the playing squad. By securing fourth place, Como has moved well beyond those baseline expectations.

Suwarso’s perspective on Fàbregas is characterized by a pragmatic realism. Despite the coach’s current success and his reported rejection of a move to Inter Milan at the end of the previous campaign, the president acknowledges that a talent of Fàbregas’s caliber may eventually be lured by the world’s biggest stages. Suwarso has openly admitted that Fàbregas is capable of managing elite institutions such as Arsenal, Barcelona, or Chelsea.

Engineering a Succession Plan

Most club presidents react with panic at the prospect of losing a star coach. Suwarso, however, is treating the eventual departure of Fàbregas as a logistical certainty rather than a crisis. The president has emphasized the urgency of creating a “plan for life without Fabregas,” ensuring that the club’s success is rooted in a system rather than a single personality.

To avoid a collapse should the Spaniard move on, Como has established a framework where the club’s stability is not dependent on one man. Suwarso believes the system they have built is robust enough that a managerial change would not “bring everything crashing down.”

Fàbregas is not just the subject of the succession plan; he is an author of it. As a member of the Board of Football, Fàbregas is expected to help identify and appoint his own replacement. Suwarso believes that because Fàbregas has been so integral to the club’s rise, he is the best person to determine who can maintain the momentum of the project.

The Financial Fair Play Hurdle

While the sporting side of the project is flourishing, the financial side presents a more complex challenge. Como’s rapid ascent has placed them in a unique position regarding UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations. For a club that has transitioned from the lower tiers to a potential Champions League spot in just two years, the revenue gap is significant.

Suwarso revealed that Como is currently approximately 75 million short of the UEFA threshold. This deficit is a common byproduct for clubs that experience “hyper-growth” or return to elite competition after a long absence. The president noted that there is virtually no other case study like Como’s—a club returning to Serie A after 20 years and qualifying for Europe almost immediately.

Despite the current shortfall, the club’s leadership remains optimistic. Revenue is growing significantly, and the administration believes that within two or three years, Como will fully meet FFP requirements. Suwarso pointed out that UEFA typically allows a certain margin for teams entering European competition for the first time or returning after a prolonged absence, providing a window for the club to scale its commercial operations to match its sporting achievements.

Managing Elite Talent: The Nico Paz Situation

The club’s ambition is further reflected in the caliber of players they attract, such as Nico Paz. However, the ownership of such talent often involves complex negotiations with global powerhouses. Regarding Paz’s future, Suwarso has remained transparent: the decision rests entirely with Real Madrid.

This dynamic highlights the precarious balance Como must maintain. To compete at the top of Serie A, they need elite-level talent, but they often operate under the shadow of the world’s wealthiest clubs. Suwarso has stated that the club will be happy for Paz regardless of the outcome, but they are already prepared to begin the search for a replacement should Real Madrid exercise their rights.

This approach—accepting the volatility of player ownership while maintaining a high standard of recruitment—mirrors the “CEO” philosophy applied to the coaching staff. It is a model of calculated risk and systemic preparation.

Defining the ‘Unusual’ Position

For the global observer, Como’s current standing is “unusual” because it breaks the traditional cycle of promotion and consolidation. Most clubs returning to a top-flight league after two decades spend their first few seasons fighting relegation. Como has bypassed that stage entirely, leaping from the periphery of Italian football to the brink of the Champions League.

This acceleration is not accidental. It is the result of a deliberate strategy to increase player value and revenue simultaneously. By treating the football club as a high-growth entity, Suwarso and Fàbregas have created a virtuous cycle: better results lead to higher player valuations, which in turn attract better talent and increase commercial interest.

The victory against Roma serves as a prime example of this new mentality. While such a win would have been celebrated as a miracle a few years ago, Suwarso described it as “just another match,” noting that the club has already comfortably exceeded its targets. This lack of pressure is a sign of a club that has mentally transitioned from “happy to be here” to “expecting to win.”

As Como continues its push for a top-four finish, the focus remains on maintaining this harmony between the boardroom and the dugout. The club’s ability to navigate the complexities of UEFA regulations while managing the ambitions of a world-class coach will determine if this rise is a temporary spike or the beginning of a new era in Italian football.

The next major checkpoint for the club will be the finalization of their European qualification status and the resolution of Nico Paz’s future with Real Madrid.

Do you think Como’s “corporate” approach to football management is a sustainable model for other mid-sized clubs? Let us know in the comments.