After slumping and waiting 21 years, Como returns to Serie A

Como managed to end the thirst for two decades. Once relegated and bankrupt, now Como appears in Serie A.

COMO 1907 MEDIA

Como 1907 CEO introduces Thierry Henry (right) as the club's newest minority shareholder and ambassador in Como, Italy on Monday (29/8/2022).

COMO, SATURDAY — Como 1907, an Italian football club whose majority shares are owned by the Djarum Group, completes a comeback after being relegated to the amateur league and was twice declared bankrupt. After waiting 21 years, Como returned to the League Serie A, the highest caste competition in Italy.

The promotion of the club from Lombardy to Serie A was confirmed after they held Nuova Cosenza to a 1-1 draw in the final week of the 2023-2024 Serie B League at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, Como , Saturday (11/5/2024) early morning WIB. The draw meant they finished second behind Parma who won Serie B.

Also read: The story of Djarum saving Como and promotion to Serie A

Como beat Venezia, a club strengthened by Indonesian national team player Jay Idzes, with a margin of three points. At the same time, Venezia was beaten by host Spezia, 1-2. Idzes contributed Venezia's only goal. Only the top two teams in Serie B have the right to automatically qualify for Serie A next season. Meanwhile, Idzes and his team have to undergo a playoff match to win a ticket to Serie A.

Kudos to the players because they did a great job.

TANGKAPAN LAYAR AKUN LIGA ITALIA SERIE A

Screenshot of the official Italian League Serie A account.

"Wait for us, Serie A!" shouted the Como players as they danced and celebrated in the locker room after the game. In the locker room, Cesc Fabregas, the Spanish football legend who is an assistant coach for Como, hugged each player one by one. Fabregas is also one of the minority shareholders of Como, which had previously dropped down to Serie D, the amateur division of Italian football, during the 2007-2008 and 2018-2019 seasons.

”Congratulations, you all have a season like champions. However, build your strength. This year is nothing. This is just a warm-up. "Next year, be sharper and work harder," said Fabregas, a former Arsenal midfielder who played for Como as a player in the 2022-2023 season, as quoted by Football Italia.

Also read: Como 1907, the realization of the Djarum Group's ambitions in football

Apart from Fabregas, a number of famous football figures were also present to witness the historic moment in Como. Thierry Henry, former striker of the French national team who once played for Juventus, was also present in the spectator stands. He watched alongside his friend, Jamie Vardy, a striker for Leicester City, the club that has just secured promotion to the English Premier League after winning the Championship Division.

Similar to Fabregas, Henry is one of the minority shareholders in Como. Henry cannot hide his excitement in witnessing Como make history after being declared bankrupt in 2004 and 2017.

TANGKAPAN LAYAR AKUN COMO1907

Screenshot of Como1907's official account.

"It feels truly exceptional. Like most other people in the stadium, I was more focused on monitoring the match between Venezia (versus Spezia) than watching (the Como match). Praise to the players for their extraordinary performance," said Henry, who currently serves as the coach of the French U-23 Team.

Como has had several ups and downs. In 2004, Como was liquidated because there were no investors to save the club. Thanks to the regulations of the Italian football federation, FIGC, a new entity called Calcio Como S.r.I was allowed to join Serie D. According to the club's website, Como then played six seasons in Serie C from 2009 to 2015.

Also read: Second Star Falls into Inter Milan's Arms

They had a promotion to Serie B, but then they were relegated again, followed by financial problems that made them bankrupt again. This forced the club to be auctioned off. Akosua Puni Essien, wife of former Chelsea and Persib Bandung player Michael Essien, won the auction and changed the club's name to FC Como. However, FIGC rejected FC Como's bid to compete in Serie C. Therefore, another name, Como 1907, was registered to participate in the Serie D competition.

In 2019, Como 1907 was taken over by the Djarum Group, a business group run by the Hartono brothers. The multi-billion-dollar group provided financial stability to Como. According to The Athletic, Djarum spent 850,000 euros or IDR 14 billion and paid off a debt of 150,000 euros (IDR 2.6 billion) to take over ownership of Como, which then promoted to Serie C.

"It is a feeling that cannot be described. I will continue to reminisce this moment every time before going to bed. This is a truly realized dream," expressed Alessandro Bellemo, captain of the Como team.