The secrets of Como, the new fashionable club in European football

BarcelonaIn a very short period of time, Como has become one of the most fashionable teams in Europe. With Cesc Fàbregas in charge, they rely on an attacking style of play that has allowed them to gain a foothold in Serie A, and now they want to take a step forward and play in Europe. In addition to their style of play, people follow them for being based in one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. In fact, their Giuseppe Sinigaglia stadium is right on the lakeshore, in one of the most spectacular settings on the Old Continent for playing football.

Founded in 1907, the Lombard club struggled in the regional leagues until recently. In 2018, for example, they were re-founded while playing in Serie D, Italy's fourth division. And because they didn't have enough money, they couldn't move up a division, despite having achieved success on the pitch. It was then that a private jet arrived from London to confirm that Como would have a new owner: SENT Entertainment. The Italian press talked about the arrival of the English at Como, but, in reality, the one who was taking control of the club came from further afield: from Indonesia.

Como is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Not far from Milan, it has privileged views of the Alps on the shores of the beautiful lake where majestic villas began to be built centuries ago. Life is good. It's one of those places where beauty surrounds you, whether from nature or from the elegant buildings. The British were already coming in the 18th and 19th centuries. And during the 20th century, millionaires from all over the world began buying houses on a lake where George Clooney, Donatella Versace, and Madonna now spend long periods of time. Como has become synonymous with luxury, although things were going badly for its football club. Como, which had already played in Serie A in the 1940s and 1980s, was waiting for one of the millionaires who spend long periods of time there to buy it. And so it was in 2018 with the arrival of the SIENTE group, led by American Michel Gandler, who had worked at Inter Milan. Former English player Dennis Wise also arrived to liaise between the club and ownership in an organization that began using only English on social media. Like millionaires who buy their homes in Como, Italian was becoming a marginalized language.

As it began to recover categories as a shower of millions arrived. The fact that it had a good team, with a good marketing campaign, made it attract the attention of the millions of people who visit Como un solo día, without spending the night, dreaming of living a day. As it is a villa with an aspirational aspect: people visit it to see how the rich live. The owners knew this and began inviting celebrities to the countryside, whether they were actors, influencers or former players like Thierry Henry. It was about creating a new image for the club, combining success and glamour. They knew that internationally, Como is a city with a good reputation, because people want to visit it. Once they achieved promotion to Serie A, the project was unstoppable. People associate the club with the lake and the city. They don't associate it with its owners.

But Como is still a case of ambitious people cleaning up their image. How does Como do it, having spent more than 100 million this year on signings like Jesús Rodriguez from Betis or Martin Baturina from Dinamo Zagreb? How do they manage to be the third Italian club that has spent the most on signings this year, behind only Juve and Atalanta? The key lies in Indonesia. The club is controlled by Djarum, an Indonesian conglomerate with diverse interests in banking, real estate, technology, and tobacco. Currently, Djarum is led by Michael Bambang Hartono and Robert Budi Hartono, two billionaire brothers ranked 71st and 76th on the list of the world's richest people, with fortunes of $26.5 billion and $25.5 billion, according to Forbes.

The Hartono brothers bought Como in 2019 for just $220,000 when the club was still in Serie D. The Hartono brothers invest millions without having to take out loans to strengthen their squad, maintaining a secondary role and managing to avoid talking about some of the controversies of the communities, such as taking over the controversies of their communities. rural to kick them out and plant tobacco. Because their empire was built with tobacco, although they have since invested in banking or construction. Spending long periods of the year in Como, where they arrive at the stadium on a yacht, since it has an entrance through the lake, they have realized. They invite celebrities and former players to the stadium's box, a sports venue that they want to completely redo.

In fact, more than 100 personalities signed a document asking for plans to stop the stadium renovations, citing different reasons. One, they would upset the architectural balance of the area, where monuments and gardens are located. Building a larger stadium could disrupt the beauty of the area, many urban planners claim. Furthermore, to expand the field, a school would have to be demolished. The city council says they would look for another space, but many residents aren't keen on the idea. The Hartonos don't seem to mind. Like millionaires, they aren't bothered by the noise of Italian-speaking neighbors. They shut themselves off from golden palaces by speaking English. These are people with money who always want to win. Rich people with good taste, in this case, by choosing Como and especially by choosing Cesc as their manager. Their team plays good football.