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Como 1907

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Como
Full nameComo 1907 S.r.l.
Nickname(s)I Lariani (Those from Lake Como)
Gli Azzurri (The Blues)
I Biancoblù (The Blue and Whites)
I Voltiani (The Voltaics)
Founded1907; 117 years ago (1907) (as Como Foot-Ball Club)
2005; 19 years ago (2005) (as Calcio Como)
2017; 7 years ago (2017) (as Como 1907)
GroundStadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia
Capacity13,602
OwnerSENT Entertainment (Djarum Group)
CEOFrancesco Terrazzani
Head coachCesc Fàbregas
LeagueSerie A
2023–24Serie B, 2nd of 20 (promoted)
WebsiteClub website
Current season

Como 1907 is an Italian football club based in Como, Lombardy, Italy. The club was founded in 1907 and the team's colour is royal blue.[1] As of 2024, they compete in Serie A, the top tier of Italian football, where they are the richest club.[2][3] In 2019, they were bought by the Hartono brothers (Michael Bambang Hartono and Robert Budi Hartono) through Djarum,[4][5] with minority shareholders including former footballers Thierry Henry and Cesc Fàbregas.[6]

Como were first promoted to Serie A in 1949, and achieved their best result with a five-year stint in Serie A in the 1980s before relegations to Serie B and Serie C. Como were relegated from Serie A in 2003; this was followed by three consecutive relegations culminating in demotion to Serie C2 in 2005 following a playoff (2–1 on aggregate) with Novara Calcio. Financially overstretched, they were declared bankrupt and excluded from participation in Italian professional football. They were immediately admitted to Serie D, the top level of non-professional football in Italy, where they spent three seasons before earning promotion back to Serie C2 in 2007.[7] After a further bankruptcy in 2016, a new company re-founded the club in 2017 and was admitted to Serie D.[8]

Since being bought by the Hartono brothers, who were ranked the 64th and 66th richest men by Forbes in 2022 and the richest men in Italy in 2024,[9][10] the club returned to Serie B and in 2024, for the first time in 21 years, was promoted to Serie A.[11][12] Under the ownership of the Hartono brothers, Como achieved a value of €1 billion.[13]

History

Foundation and early years

One of the first Como squad, 1910

The club was founded on 25 May 1907 as Como Foot-Ball Club,[14] by a committee of members gathered at the Taroni bar, located in the central via Cinque Giornate, the first headquarters of the Como company.[15] In the first years after its foundation, Como played friendly matches and local tournaments, competing against teams from Milan and Switzerland.[15]

In 1927, Como merged with Esperia and was renamed Associazione Calcio Comense, which won the Coppa Volta in the same year, eliminating Inter 3–0 in the semi-final (which saw the debut of 17- year-old Giuseppe Meazza in this tournament) and beating Genoa, led by De Prà, De Vecchi and Levratto, 1–0 in the final.[15] Four years later, the club achieved a brilliant promotion from Prima Divisione to Serie B without suffering any losses.[15]

World War II dramatically affected the entire Italian football movement, but Como managed to bounce back. In 1945 when there was no national championship, the club won the Torneo Benefico Lombardo (Tournament for Lombardy teams) which included Milan, Ambrosiana-Inter, Novara and other Lombard teams.[15] After the war, Como competed in Serie B and spent three years battling for the top spot before finally being promoted to Serie A for the first time in 1949 with Mario Varglien as their coach.[15] Como's first experience in the top division lasted four years, where in their first year, they finished in sixth position with the same points as Torino in fifth.[15]

Mixed times

Marco Tardelli celebrates for Como in 1975

In the 1973–74 season, following the arrival of Giuseppe Marchioro as coach, Como again fought for promotion with a solid defense of Antonio Rigamonti and Vito Callioni, but the team could only finish in a fourth place.[15] The following season, still managed by Marchioro and with the contribution of rising star Marco Tardelli, a second promotion to Serie A arrived, but the team lasted only a season before being relegated back to Serie B.[15]

After being relegated to Serie C1 in 1978, Como were once again coached by Marchioro supported by sporting director Lamberti, immediately gaining two consecutive promotions by winning Serie C1 in 1978–79 season season and Serie B in 1979–80 season with Adriano Lombardi as their best player.[15] They then remained in Serie A for two seasons.[15]

Como managed another promotion to the top flight in 1984, with a five-year stint in Serie A proving the club's most successful period. The strikeforce of Dan Corneliusson and Stefano Borgonovo oversaw a 9th-place finish in 1986, which was repeated the following year with far fewer goals scored.[15] The club's defence, led by hard man Pasquale Bruno, proved more than up to the task.[15] Two consecutive relegations to C1 in the 1990s led to a poor decade for Como, who found themselves floating for most of the 1990s in Serie C1.[15] The only exception to those poor years was when they managed to gain promotion to Serie B in the 1993–94 season.[15] Como also won the 1996–97 Coppa Italia Serie C, beating Nocerina in the two-legged final with an aggregate score of 4-2.[15]

Bankruptcy and brief promotion to Serie B

The 21st century saw Como experience a brief revival. Promotion to Serie B in 2001 was marred by an appallingly violent incident in a game against Modena, resulting in captain Massimiliano Ferrigno being handed a three-year ban. They nonetheless managed promotion to Serie A in the 2002–03 season; however, the return to Serie A proved a major disappointment with the side in the bottom two all season, and a ban on games at the Sinigaglia after crowd violence. Successive relegations have caused financial difficulties; in December 2004 the club was declared bankrupted.[16] No investor was successful to take over the club as the bid from Enrico Preziosi was denied,[17] and thus the company Calcio Como S.p.A. was liquidated. Thanks to FIGC regulation, a new entity, which was named Calcio Como S.r.l.,[18] was allowed to admit into 2005–06 Serie D. The liquidator also found former chairman Preziosi had transferred some assets such as the contracts of the players to his new club Genoa, causing the financial failure of Como. They returned to the rebranded Serie C2, Lega Pro Seconda Divisione in 2008, after having won the Girone B of Serie D.[7] Como finally returned to Serie C1 (Lega Pro Prima Divisione) after promotion play-offs after defeating Rodengo Saiano with 1–1 aggregate and Alessandria with 4–1 aggregate. In 2015, Como finished fourth in the third-tier, now called Lega Pro. They qualified for the promotion play-offs and earned promotion to Serie B after beating Bassano Virtus in the two-legged final 2–0 on aggregate. They were relegated back down to Lega Pro the following season.

New ownership and return to Serie A

New economic problems arose in the 2016–17 season, forcing the club to be declared out of business and put on auction. At the fourth auction, the assets of the club were acquired by Akosua Puni Essien, wife of the Ghanaian footballer Michael Essien and first foreign businesswoman in Italian football (via her company F.C. Como S.r.l.).[19] The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) rejected the application of F.C. Como as Como's successor in 2017–18 Serie C,[20] as the club did not fulfill all the criteria in the Article 52 of N.O.I.F.[21] At the start of season, another company, which was named Como 1907 S.r.l.,[8] was admitted to 2017–18 Serie D instead, excising another sub-clause of the Article 52.[22][23]

After winning the round B of the 2018–19 Serie D, Como returned to professional football in 2019. Since 2019, the club has been owned by Indonesian company Djarum Group led by Michael Hartono and Robert Budi Hartono, among the richest men in the world and in Italy according to Forbes, and sponsored by Djarum subsidiary Mola since 2021; as of 2022, the club's owners earned €4 million per hour.[24] As of 2024, former Chelsea and Millwall player Dennis Wise was the former CEO but moved to an advisor role at the beginning of the 2023–24 season, and was no longer involved in the club. Other minority shareholders include Thierry Henry and Cesc Fàbregas.[25] Originally, Como 1907 was set up as a base for Garuda Select project; however, due to change in league rule, the project was moved to England under Wise.[26][27]

On 10 May 2024, Como secured promotion to Serie A after 21 years on the final matchday of the 2023–24 Serie B by finishing in second place.[28] It is unclear whether Como, which became the richest club in Serie A,[29][30][31] will be able to play their home matches at Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia in 2024–25 because the venue does not meet Serie A stadium requirements.[32]

Colours and badge

Flag of the city of Como – has been the club badge worn on match kits from the origins to the mid-1920s

The element that has characterized almost all the logos that Como has used over the decades is the city's coat of arms in red with a silver cross in the center. In some cases, such as in their 1949–50 season, this cross was adopted in every way as a social symbol and was sewn onto the players' shirts.[33]. Another element that recurs in the club's crest are the various references to Lake Como.

In 2019, the change of ownership of Como brought with it a new logo, the choice of which was once again left to a popular vote among fans. The shield bears the club's name and a lake wave design, superimposed on a Greek cross. The design is presented monochromatically in blue or white depending on the surface of the application, while the red component is completely absent.

Historically, Como's identity colours have been light blue, traditionally used on plain shirts, accompanied by white as the colour reserved for shorts and details. In the first decades of the club, this colour was used more on Como's shirts, with the use of cross, striped or palati patterns. In the third millennium, the club colours tended to decline to royal blue,[34] which also gave rise to the nickname Biancoblù.[35] As for the away kit, it is usually the reverse of the home kit, with occasional exceptions due to the colourful fashion of the time.

In 1926, when the club merged with Esperia as Associazione Calcio Comense, garnet red was chosen as a sporadic condiment on the shirts.[15] Similarly, green was adopted in 1938 after the club's merger with AS Ardita.

Stadium

Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia

Since its inauguration in 1927, Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia has been the home ground for Como to play their matches. The stadium holds 7,798 people. It was completed in 1927 and was built on the request of Benito Mussolini. It is named after the Italian rower and war hero Giuseppe Sinigaglia (1884–1916), a native of Como.[36]

Although the club secured promotion to Serie A in May 2024, it remains unclear whether they will play their home games at the Stadio Sinigaglia during the 2024–25 season as the stadium currently does not meet the minimum capacity requirements set by the league. Therefore, urgent work is needed before the start of the season to increase the capacity of the stadium.[37]

Supporters and rivalries

In Como, the ultras movement was born with the Fossa Lariana group, which had various sections spread throughout Italy, especially in Lazio in the mid-1970s.[38] In short, Como ultras rose to prominence, rejecting the classic Italian style that was popular among the Larian ultras, characterized by drums, banners and various colors, in favor of the English style.[39]

After the supporters suffered from the relegation and failure of the club, they rose again after the new ownership by the Indonesian company Djarum Group in 2019. Como ultras were then reorganized under the banner of Como 1907, which brought together the collectives of Maledetta Gioventù (a leading group), Solo Cylom, Brusà and Away 1907.[38][39]

Como's main rivalries are with its neighbouring clubs, such as the Derby del Lario against Lecco, the Derby Insubria between against Varese, and the Derby between Como and Monza which is defined as "the hottest derby in Serie B".[40]

Players

Current squad

As of 1 August 2024[41]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
GK Italy ITA Emil Audero
GK Italy ITA Pierre Bolchini
GK Spain ESP Pepe Reina
GK Italy ITA Mauro Vigorito
DF Italy ITA Federico Barba
DF Italy ITA Tommaso Cassandro
DF Italy ITA Alberto Dossena
DF Italy ITA Edoardo Goldaniga
DF Slovakia SVK Peter Kováčik
DF Spain ESP Alberto Moreno
DF Italy ITA Marco Sala
DF France FRA Raphael Varane
MF Denmark DEN Oliver Abildgaard
MF Italy ITA Daniele Baselli
No. Pos. Nation Player
MF Austria AUT Matthias Braunöder
MF France FRA Lucas Da Cunha
MF Germany GER Yannik Engelhardt
MF Italy ITA Alessio Iovine
MF Ivory Coast CIV Ben Lhassine Kone
MF Italy ITA Luca Mazzitelli (on loan from Frosinone)
FW Italy ITA Andrea Belotti
FW Italy ITA Patrick Cutrone
FW Italy ITA Alessandro Gabrielloni
FW United States USA Nicholas Gioacchini
FW Iraq IRQ Ali Jasim
FW Brazil BRA Gabriel Strefezza
FW Italy ITA Simone Verdi

Other players under contract

As of 1 August 2024

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
MF Switzerland SUI Samuel Ballet
MF Belgium BEL Moutir Chajia
No. Pos. Nation Player
FW Italy ITA Alberto Cerri
FW Republic of Ireland IRL Liam Kerrigan

Out on loan

As of 1 August 2024

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
GK Italy ITA Simone Ghidotti (at Sampdoria until 30 June 2025)
DF Italy ITA Marco Curto (at Cesena until 30 June 2025)
DF Cyprus CYP Nicholas Ioannou (at Sampdoria until 30 June 2025)
DF Italy ITA Diego Ronco (at Virtus Verona until 30 June 2025)
MF Italy ITA Alessandro Bellemo (at Sampdoria until 30 June 2025)
No. Pos. Nation Player
MF Italy ITA Marco Tremolada (at Lumezzane until 30 June 2025)
FW Italy ITA Tommaso Fumagalli (at Cosenza until 30 June 2025)
FW Austria AUT Marlon Mustapha (at Greuther Fürth until 30 June 2025)
FW Cameroon CMR Jean-Pierre Nsame (at Legia Warsaw until 30 June 2025)

Youth Sector

Notable former players

Internationals

The following is a list of Como players that were internationals whilst playing for the team:[42]

Trofeo Borgonovo

Since 2012–13 season, a yearly award is given at the end of the season in order to recognize the team's best player or staff member. The trophy is named after Stefano Borgonovo and is organized by the club's supporters. Up to 2021–22 season, following were awarded:[43]

Chairmen and managers

Chairmen history

Como has had numerous chairmen over the course of its history. Here is a complete list of them.

 
Name Years
Mario Bazzi 1907–1912
Carlo Verga 1912–1922
Eugenio Rosasco 1922–1926
Enrico Brambilla 1926–1930
Gianni Binda 1930–1933
Bruno Pessina 1933–1935
Agrippino Porlezza 1935
Vittorio De Benedetti 1935–1936
Faliero Frigerio 1936–1937
Renzo Ferrero 1937–1948
Antonio Maspero 1938–1941
Luigi Ripamonti 1941–1942
Giannetto Bianchi 1942–1944
 
Name Years
Gigi Colombo 1944–1946
Luigi Ballerini 1946–1948
Carlo Songia 1948–1955
Francesco Ambrosoli 1955–1962
Presidency comittee 1962–1963
Ercole Erba 1963–1967
Romildo Roncoroni 1967–1971
Alfredo Tragni 1971–1980
Mario Beretta 1980–1983
Benito Gattei 1983–1993
Mario Beretta 1993–1997
Enrico Preziosi 1997–2003
Aleardo Dall'Oglio 2003–2005
 
Name Years
Francesco Corrado 2005
Alessandro De Blasi 2005
Giangerolamo Barzaghi 2005–2006
Vincenzo Angiuoni 200–2008
Antonio Di Bari 2008–2011
Amilcare Rivetti 2011–2012
Pietro Porro 2012–2016
Francesco Di Michele 2016–2017
Massimo Nicastro 2017–2019
Vacant 2019–

Honours

League

Cups

Divisional movements

Series Years First Last Best result Promotions Relegations
A 14 1949–50 2024–25 6th (1950) Decrease 5 (1953, 1976, 1982, 1989, 2003)
B 37 1931–32 2023–24 Winner (1949, 1980, 2002) Increase 6 (1949, 1975, 1980, 1984, 2002, 2024) Decrease 7 (1935, 1963, 1978, 1990, 1995, 2004, 2016)
C
+C2
34
+1
1929–30 2020–21 Winner (1931, 1968, 1979, 2021)
3rd (2009 C2)
Increase 8 (1931, 1946, 1968, 1979, 1994, 2001, 2015, 2021)
Increase 1 (2009 C2)
Decrease 3 (1936, 2005✟, 2017✟)
86 out of 93 years of professional football in Italy since 1929
D
+R
5
+2
1936–37 2018–19 Winner (2008, 2019) Increase 3 (1938, 2008, 2019) never

References

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