Fabregas and Como gear up for historic Manchester United clash
By Simon Stone, chief football news reporter in Como
Published 21 October 2026
“It’s Manchester United. We are only just getting our heads around the fact we are playing Inter, Milan and Juventus,” said a Como staff member, describing what he called the biggest night in the club’s history.
Manchester United arrive in Italy amid a severe slump, having gone six games without a win – their poorest run since the 2018‑19 season. Yet their global profile remains massive. When United celebrated their third Champions League triumph in 2008, Como were a Serie D side, competing in one of nine semi‑professional regional leagues where crowds numbered in the hundreds.
Chief executive Mirwan Surwaso explained that Como’s status as an amateur club – they dropped back to Serie D in 2017 after failing to prove financial stability – initially attracted the interest of Sent Entertainment, a London‑based media firm owned by Indonesian billionaires Robert Budi Hartono and Michael Bambang Hartono. The Hartono brothers signed a deal in 2019 to produce a television project featuring young Indonesian players; a match against Manchester United was never part of the plan.
Lake Como provides a spectacular backdrop for the Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium. The lake stretches 29 miles in length and reaches 2.5 miles in width at its broadest point, with a yacht club and an Aero Club for seaplanes nearby. Como leverages the scenery by offering one‑hour lake tours followed by “pre‑match Lakeside hospitality.”
Como’s town of just over 83,000 residents could all fit inside the San Siro, and the city now boasts a modern club shop stocked with branded merchandise – a far cry from the Serie D days. Surwaso told Piers Morgan’s Football Uncensored Podcast that the club’s promotion forced them to turn professional and scrap earlier plans, while a new strategy is still being refined.
The season was expected to be a selling year, with the club hoping to cash in on emerging talent. Instead, manager Cesc Fabregas guided the side to fourth place in the 2025‑26 campaign, benefiting from AC Milan’s surprising defeat at Cagliari. In five seasons since Fabregas arrived as a player, Como have risen from Serie B to the Champions League. Earlier this week, Lionel Messi’s son Ciro was photographed with his father wearing a replica Como jersey, underscoring the club’s rapid ascent.
“Compared to when I finished my career here, it is completely different,” Fabregas said. “It is not even night and day. It is another world. Playing Manchester United is a historic day again for the club, the city of Como and the fans.” He added that after retiring he moved into coaching to gain experience, then presented his vision to the club and put it into action. “We are a family here. Even when we lose, fans come and celebrate. We need to stay humble and remember where we came from because the story of Como will be beautiful and we will remember it forever.”
The remarkable rise raises questions about compliance with UEFA’s financial regulations, which the governing body does not plan to change despite Como’s swift climb. Surwaso told Morgan that the club’s books are in order and that scrutiny, while intense, is not a major concern.
A practical issue for the upcoming match is weather: three‑quarters of the 12,300‑capacity Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia is uncovered, which could be problematic if heavy rain falls at kick‑off.
For Fabregas, the focus remains on the pitch. “We were at minus ten when we started, but we don’t want to spend time thinking about what has passed,” the former Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea star said. “If you want to do that, retire and write a book about what Como did. We must look at what is in front of us.”
Como now draws thousands of supporters, yet long‑time fans who once saw crowds in the hundreds remain loyal. “I had an uncle who supported Como,” said Marco Melillo, a fan from outside the city. “He showed me his sticker collection, the blue shirt, the blue colours and I went crazy for it. In England many people back lower‑league teams, but in Italy fans tend to support the bigger clubs. I do not like that.”