Como 1907 make their debut in the UEFA Champions League tonight, hosting RB Leipzig in a match that would have seemed unthinkable just a few years ago. As recently as 2019, the picturesque lakeside club from northern Italy were competing in Serie D — four tiers below the Italian top flight.

The club's extraordinary rise has been built on ambitious ownership, sharp recruitment, and the unlikely managerial talent of Cesc Fabregas. The former Arsenal and Spain midfielder wound down his playing career at Como during their Serie B days, then stepped into the dugout and guided the club into Serie A in 2024, finishing 10th in their debut top-flight season before a stunning fourth-place finish last term secured Champions League football.

A remarkable ownership structure

Indonesia's Hartono family — whose net worth exceeds £30 billion — purchased Como seven years ago, transforming a club in the lower divisions into a project attracting global attention. Thierry Henry invested in 2022, followed by Fabregas, who later transitioned into management. Álvaro Morata joined the squad last summer, with Pepe Reina and Raphael Varane having arrived following promotion.

Yet Como's progress has been defined less by headline signings and more by shrewd transfers. Nico Paz, a young Argentine playmaker acquired from Real Madrid, and Anastasios Douvikas, the Greek striker who arrived from Celta Vigo, represent the kind of intelligent business that underpins the project.

Overtaking Milan on the final day

Como's Champions League qualification came at the expense of AC Milan, whom they leapfrogged on the final day of last season. The consequence is historic: for the first time since the Champions League's rebrand, the competition features neither AC Milan nor Juventus — a seismic shift in Italian football's European presence.

Fabregas has inevitably drawn interest from bigger clubs as a result of his success. He reportedly turned down Inter Milan a year ago, choosing to continue the project he has built at Como.

A stadium built in 90 days

Off the pitch, Como faced a significant challenge. There were real concerns that the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia would fail to meet UEFA's Category 4 requirements, potentially forcing the club to stage home matches at grounds in Sassuolo — roughly 120 miles away — or Udine, some 200 miles distant. A rapid redevelopment completed in approximately 90 days resolved the issue, earning the stadium the necessary approval in time for tonight's fixture.

Como's story stands apart even in a Champions League group stage that includes Shakhtar Donetsk, who are playing their home matches at Stamford Bridge due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and clubs like Mjällby and FC Thun — Swedish and Swiss title winners respectively — who entered in the qualifying rounds but did not reach the league phase.

None of those clubs made it this far. Como did — and tonight, on the shores of Lake Como, they take their place among Europe's elite.