What is Como's 'Disney' model? How the plan is reshaping Italian soccer culture across Serie A and beyond?

The Italian team is one of the most exciting teams to watch around Europe as they take on league-leading Inter on Sunday

You might wonder how Como became so successful so fast. In only their second season since being promoted to Serie A, the team is currently sitting in fourth place, and a favorite to qualify for the Champions League. The reality is, a lot has to do with its location. A beautiful town and a stunning lake have famously made Como an attractive place for millions of tourists coming from all over the world. The area gained even greater international attention when Hollywood star George Clooney purchased a home there years ago, joining a sort of exclusive "courtyard" alongside several prominent Serie A figures, such as former Inter captain Javier Zanetti and world-renowned manager and former Inter boss, Jose Mourinho, as Como is only a few miles away from Inter's training center. And while the area could attract millions of tourists, it was lacking a proper soccer club. Como has always been considered a historic soccer team, but over the past decades it faced unstable ownership and multiple bankruptcies. 

2019 was their crucial year. The Djarum Group, an Indonesian conglomerate led by brothers Robert Budi Hartono and Michael Bambang Hartono, bought the club back with their London-based company, SENT Entertainment. The Hartono brothers have a combined net worth of approximately $48 billion, according to Forbes, and the club is run by Mirwan Suwarso, who represents the ownership at the club. They also have a wonderful stadium, as the Sinigallia is considered one of the most beautiful soccer venues in the world, built only a few meters from the water of the lake. It will be renovated, but the potential is incredible. 

When the new owners took over, they immediately tried to create something unique, combining the potential of the location with investments in the team and in the brand, and in the summer of 2025 they spent over $100 million, bringing in players with experience and young talent. Another key figure is Cesc Fabregas, a manager rapidly building his reputation across Europe, who also holds a minority stake in the club alongside former Arsenal legend Thierry Henry. 

After playing at the highest levels of elite soccer with Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea and AS Monaco, during the 2022-23 season, the World Cup-winning former Spain international moved to Italy and played for Como in his last season before retiring from professional soccer. After he retired, he became the manager of the under-23 team, a few months before taking the job of the first team. In his first season at Como as caretaker manager, he earned Serie A promotion, and in his first full season in charge, he ended up in 10th place in the standings with the newly promoted team. 

Como have all the elements needed for success: A strong ownership group, a talented manager, a roster full of exciting players such as Nico Paz for example, an incredible location that attracts millions of tourists every year, but also an interesting business model, the Disney model. 

The "Disney model"

Como president Suwarso, speaking to the BBC, explained well his idea of the business model. "Como is a very small town. How can a team which only has a stadium of 12,000 sustain a competitive soccer team? We have to actually grow other areas for revenue, from hospitality and merchandising to retail, moving away from reliance on TV rights."

But, what is the Disney model Como is trying to replicate? "We'd like to build a brand like Disney. Disney is just a metaphor," he explains, where "the lake is like the theme park, that's where you come in contact with our products and our brand." Como is trying to build something bigger than just a soccer team, also to increase revenues for the future, as they hope to play European soccer next season when UEFA will also assess their financial situation. 

"We have the merchandising division. Disney sells licensing like the Mickey Mouse brand. So we have a a fashion division, retail division with a number of brands sitting in there. Some are about the football club. A majority of it is about the lifestyle of the lake or what we call 'lago lifestyle' that also has appealed to celebrities."

Andrew Garfield, Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Fassbender, Chris Pine, Hugh Grant are among the notable names that watched a soccer game in Como over the past two years. "Soccer is part of the bigger picture. Our main goal is to become a premium sport tourism destination, football tourism destination in the world", Suwarso added. This model of business is not the only one around Europe, as FC Mallorca is also trying to do something similar, even with limited financial resources compared to the Como ownership, but the idea of transforming a tourist location into more revenue for the soccer club is very similar. 

There is, however, another challenge that clubs like Como must confront: their peak tourism season falls in the summer, precisely when Serie A is not in action. This is why they are trying to increase attention on different sports events, such as the Como Cup. In the summer 2025 Como hosted Al-Ahli, Celtic and Ajax, attracting the interest of fans coming from different parts of the globe and this is their main interest. The key question is whether Como can sustain their on-pitch growth, as seen in recent years, while also leveraging revenues generated from off-pitch activities. 

This season, the second one in the first division under Fabregas, they are fighting for a spot in the next European competitions, and they have a strong chance to make it. On Sunday they will host Inter at the Sinigallia stadium, for a key game for their European run, here's what you need to know: 

How to watch Como vs. Inter, odds

• Date: Sunday, April 12 | Time: 2:45 p.m. ET
• Location: Stadio Sinigaglia -- Como 
• Live stream: Paramount+
• Odds: Como +216; Draw +233; Inter +124

How to watch Serie A Matchday 32

All times U.S./Eastern. 

Saturday, April 10 AS Roma vs. Pisa, 2:45 p.m. (Paramount+)

Saturday, April 11 Cagliari vs. Cremonese, 9 a.m. (Paramount+) Torino vs. Hellas Verona, 9 a.m. (Paramount+) AC Milan vs. Udinese, 12 p.m. (Paramount+) Atalanta vs. Juventus, 2:45 p.m. (Paramount+)

Sunday, April 12 Genoa vs. Sassuolo, 6:30 a.m. (Paramount+) Parma vs. Napoli, 9 a.m. (Paramount+) Bologna vs. Lecce, 12 p.m. (Paramount+) Como vs. Inter, 2:45 p.m. (Paramount+)

Monday, April 13 Fiorentina vs. Lazio, 2:45 p.m. (Paramount+)