Como 1907 celebrated an unprecedented milestone in the club’s 119-year history on Sunday after a 1-0 victory away at Hellas Verona mathematically guaranteed European football for the first time ever. The decisive moment came in the 71st minute at the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi when Greek striker Anastasios “Tasos” Douvikas collected a long ball from Marc-Oliver Kempf, held off defender Nicolas Valentini, and fired home on the half-volley for his 13th Serie A goal of the campaign. The win means Cesc Fabregas’ side can no longer finish lower than sixth place in the 2025-26 Serie A table, assuring at minimum a spot in next season’s UEFA Conference League with two matches still to play.
The achievement comes exactly two years to the day since Como secured promotion back to Serie A, completing a remarkable ascent from Serie D just seven years ago when the club was acquired by Indonesian tobacco billionaires Robert and Michael Hartono. After a top-half finish in their first season back in the top flight in 2024-25, Fabregas, who took over as permanent manager and also serves as a minority owner, has transformed the Lombardy outfit into one of Italy’s surprise packages. The former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder has guided Como to 18 wins and only seven losses across 36 league matches this season, implementing an attractive style of play despite the club spending more than any other Italian side during the winter transfer window.
Speaking to DAZN after the match, an emotional Fabregas said he was “very happy and proud” and described the achievement as “inexplicable,” adding that the team, club, and fans will remember this day 20 years from now. He stressed Como’s humility compared with traditional giants, noting that “we’re not AC Milan, Inter, Juventus or Napoli, we’re a humble team, and we want to enjoy this moment,” but also insisted there is “much more to come” and challenged his players to “fly even higher” in the remaining fixtures.
Como now sit fifth in Serie A, just two points behind fourth-placed AC Milan and one point ahead of Roma in sixth, meaning they remain in contention for Europa League or even Champions League qualification depending on final results. The club’s Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on the shores of Lake Como, described as the “world’s most beautiful stadium,” may face UEFA suitability inspections due to its temporary scaffold stands, but the qualification itself marks a historic chapter for the lakeside club that was competing in Italy’s fourth tier as recently as 2019.
