Football

Como chiefs giving up seats to older fans for Champions League debut

Como president Mirwan Suwarso
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Como president Mirwan Suwarso and several directors are giving up their tickets for the club's Champions League debut to allow elderly supporters to attend.

The Serie A club will host RB Leipzig on Thursday (20:00 BST) after qualifying for the continental competition for the first time in their 119-year history.

They did so by finishing fourth in the Italian top flight last season under former Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas.

However, demand for tickets to Como's historic European debut has far exceeded supply.

The club's home venue, Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia on the shores of Lake Como, has a capacity of about 12,000, but that number was reduced by 1,000 due to UEFA's broadcasting and operational requirements.

After the tickets sold out, Indonesian businessman Suwarso has now announced on Instagram that he and other club executives plan to give up their seats to older fans.

"With the reduced capacity and the limited number of tickets available, unfortunately we cannot accommodate everyone who would have liked to be there," Suwarso wrote.

"However, some club executives and I have decided to give up our seats for this match.

"We want those seats to be allocated to supporters who have waited the longest - fans born in 1950 or earlier, who have followed Como through every division and every era.

"We will be honoured to give up our seat for them."

Como have enjoyed a remarkable rise in recent years, climbing from the lower divisions to secure a place among Europe's elite.

The Lombardy-based outfit - who have twice gone bankrupt in the past two decades - ended a 21-year wait to reach Serie A in 2024 after a third promotion in six seasons.

They finished 10th in their first season in the top division before former Spain international Fabregas guided them to a top-four finish and a place in the Champions League last term.

After their opener against Leipzig, Como will also face Feyenoord, Manchester United, Lens, AEK Athens, Real Betis, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona in their maiden European campaign.

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