The Lombardy-based club, currently among the best-performing in Serie A this season, has revolutionised what it means to be a football club.
Under the ownership of the Hartono brothers, the richest owners in Italian football, Como 1907 has experienced a meteoric rise both on and off the pitch. So how did the club go from bankruptcy to business giants in just under 10 years?
A Unique Business Model
Located among the scenic views of Lake Como, the club offers a unique experience in which luxury travel meets the adrenaline of live football.
With 1.4 million visitors annually, the region already possesses the fame and attraction needed for a successful business. So when Mirwan Suwarso, Robert Budi Hartono and Michael Bambang Hartono came to the helm in 2019, they saw its potential not just as a holiday destination, but as a leading hub of football tourism.
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, Como helped re-establish itself as a credible presence in the local community, helping to pay for vaccinations and establishing grassroots initiatives. In the years since, the club has formed a huge variety of partnerships, allowing for multiple revenue streams to open up and cement Como 1907’s reputation as a luxury brand.
Commercial Collaboration
Como have worked to solidify their brand aesthetic by working with partners across fashion, media, hospitality and education.
Earlier this year, Italian luxury brand, Brioni, announced a new partnership with the club by designing a line of suits to be worn by the men’s team. Sport giants, Adidas, and streetwear brand, Rhude, also form the main sponsors helping to curate and design the expanding brand of Como 1907.
The club has also invested in a brand of silk-filtered beer called La Comasca. Given that the beer seems hard to find anywhere else besides the club’s home ground, ‘the Sinigaglia’, its rarity helps fans and celebrity spectators feel that they are part of a football experience unlike any other in Europe.
High Risk, High Reward?
Of course, despite the glamour of fashion partnerships and ambitious projects, it is no guarantee that a business model of this nature will always lead to success both on and off the pitch.
For Venezia FC, a club who threaded sleek venetian aesthetics into team kits and commercial branding, turning cultural richness into footballing success was a significant challenge. After a disappointing campaign with only five league wins, the club was relegated to Serie B.
Como 1907, on the other hand, has proven to be an exceptional case. Since the new ownership took over in 2019, the club’s backroom staff has increased from a team of 5 to 45 people. The off-pitch team helps to manage various branches of the club’s operations including media, communications, retail and facilities. Furthermore, by partnering with over 350 affiliate stores across Lake Como, the club has grown their retail revenue from AUD 57,000 to AUD 5.5 million.
The progress seen in recent years demonstrates that lucrative results can be achieved not only through international strategic partnerships, but by working with local businesses and pre-existing infrastructures to inspire growth.
Off-Pitch Structure, On-Pitch Success
Alongside the brand deals and partnerships upholding Como’s expansion in recent years, the team has also grown to be formidable opponents in the Serie A.
Led by formal Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder, Cesc Fabregas, the team finished 10th last season. Currently sitting in 6th place and only three points off a Champions League spot, Fabregas has instilled confidence and a clear strategy into the players.
As with clubs such as Barcelona and the famous ‘tiki-taka’ style, having a defined way of playing, a footballing culture, can be extremely beneficial in creating not just a team, but a footballing institution.
What Can A-League Clubs Learn From Como 1907?
As the A-League looks to expand its presence across Australia and invest in the game for future generations, there are plenty of lessons to be learned from Como’s off-pitch development.
Tourism numbers across major cities in Australia point to several opportunities for investment for the A-League Men and A-League Women. According to Domestic Tourism Statistics (DoTS) and International Visitor Survey (IVS), Sydney attracted 16.3 million tourists in the June quarter 2025, 15.5 million of which were domestic.
With an expenditure of $7 billion, there is huge potential for clubs like Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers to harness the number of visitors and create an experience in which the city’s fame merges with the excitement of live sport.
In Queensland, tapping into an image of leisure and business could be a possibility to grow attendance and revenue numbers in the A-League. In the year ending June 2024, Brisbane saw a record-breaking $10.7 billion spent by visitors. With the Olympics due to be held in the city in 2032, clubs like Brisbane Roar may look to create a brand founded on leisure, travel, and sporting prowess.
