In the meantime, Como and its owners take a long-term approach; they do not act like traditional investors whose primary goal is to maximize profit from their investment in a club. Their aim is rather to advance the club, the city, its residents, and the region as a whole. While other clubs owned by traditional investors, like RB Leipzig in Germany, “exploit” football as a simple means to market their own products, Como adopts a more sustainable marketing strategy.
This extends to offering, for example, a onesie to newborns at the municipal hospitals in Como. Additionally, the club collaborates with 14 local bars. If the club wins one of its official matches, a round of drinks is offered to the customers present. The goal is clear: to engage the local population in their cause and ensure that the Como project is perceived as an asset to the region rather than a disruptive factor.
This also involves the expansion of the magnificent stadium. Built in 1927, the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, beautifully situated on the shores of Lake Como and offering a phenomenal view of the lake in addition to the action on the field, currently still belongs to the city of Como but should eventually be bought and become the club’s property. As early as the promotion to the higher division in the 2024 season, essential renovations must be undertaken in this nearly 100-year-old arena; further improvements are planned for the future, such as increasing the total capacity, which is currently only around 13,600 seats.
Disneyland will serve as a model for future renovation works. According to the owners’ vision, the city, the region, and the club must be marketed as a single, cohesive entity. The goal is to create a lakeside park with a modern stadium and entertainment options, even outside match days. “What the theme park represents for Disney is what the football club and matchday experience represent for us. We are fortunate to be in a place where the city itself is a brand: Lake Como is a global brand. It would be foolish not to seize this opportunity – to integrate football into the ecosystem, not as a centerpiece, but as a key element,” stated the club president and CEO of Sent, Mirwan Suwarso, to the Italian portal Calcio e Finanza.
Following the Disney model, Como 1907 should not be just a nouveau-riche football club, but a comprehensive and financially sustainable entertainment project – with the tourist region of Lake Como as its flagship brand. The goal is to connect football, marketing, merchandising, and the region, attract celebrities, and establish the club as a global brand focused on the experience.
It’s exciting because the contrasts could not be greater. On one hand, the “traditional character” of an idyllic small town with an ideal location by a lake; on the other, the owners’ grand global ambitions.
