In an open show of respect, Como president Mirwan Suwarso and several directors are giving up their tickets for the team’s Champions League debut to allow elderly supporters to attend.
The Serie A side play host to RB Leipzig on Thursday night, after qualifying for the European competition for the first time in their 119-year history.
They qualified by finishing fourth in the Italian Serie A last season under former Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas.
But, the demand for tickets for the historic European debu- of Como has far exceeded the supply.
The team’s home venue of Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia on the shoreline of Lake Como has a seating capacity of 12,000, but that figure was cut further by 1,000 because of Uefa’s broadcasting and operational requirements.
After the tickets were sold out, Indonesian businessman Suwarso has announced on Instagram that he and other club executives plan to surrender their seats for 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,” wrote Suwarso.
“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 truly meteoric rise in recent years, climbing from the lower divisions to secure a place among Europe’s elite.
The team, who have twice gone bankrupt in the past 20 years, 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 tinkered them to a top-four finish and a spot in the Champions League last season.
After their opening match against Leipzig, Como will also confront Feyenoord, Manchester United, Lens, AEK Athens, Real Betis, Paris St-Germain and Barcelona in their inaugural European campaign.
