Como 1907 stepped into the Champions League for the first time on 10 September 2026, with Leipzig providing the opening-night opposition for a club whose rise under Cesc Fàbregas has accelerated beyond expectation.
Key takeaways
- Como made their Champions League debut against Leipzig on a landmark night in the club’s history.
- President Mirwan Suwarso compared Fàbregas’ influence at Como to Johan Cruyff’s legacy at Barcelona.
- Suwarso said the former Spain midfielder had taught the club to think bigger and believe in its ambitions.
- Fàbregas described Como as a young club moving forward at exceptional speed.
- The coach said his own playing career was driven by a determination to improve despite physical limitations.
Como’s first Champions League night: Fàbregas inspires a fast rise
The occasion carried significance far beyond one fixture. Como, now on the Champions League stage for the first time, arrived at the evening as one of Europe’s newest continental stories, guided by a coach whose belief has reshaped the club’s horizons.
Before facing Leipzig, Suwarso paid a glowing tribute to Fàbregas and the effect he has had since taking charge. The president said: “For us, I think Cesc is what Johan Cruyff was for Barcelona. We hope it can grow even further. He has helped us get here, but above all he has taught us how to believe, how to think and dream on a larger scale. He is proving it can be done when you work hard.”
It was a comparison loaded with meaning for Fàbregas, who developed as a player at Barcelona’s La Masia academy. Yet the Como coach responded by shifting attention towards the club, its supporters and the work required to cope with a rapid ascent.
A dreamer asking Como to keep growing
Fàbregas revealed that Suwarso had contacted him only a few hours earlier to thank him. The coach said the president had known that history had been made, but the emotion of the achievement had fully landed only when he saw the crowds and the scale of the Champions League occasion.
“It is very nice, honestly,” Fàbregas said. “He called me a couple of hours ago and thanked me. He knew we had made history, but when today arrived and he saw the crowds, the people and everything around it, it touched him.
“We are a young club, but we are taking steps far too quickly. We have to adjust to everything. I am a dreamer.”
Fàbregas also connected Como’s progress with the mentality that sustained his own career. He said he had never relied on speed or agility, describing his passing as his principal natural gift, but insisted that his constant desire to improve had carried him through as a footballer.
That is the message he is seeking to pass on to Como’s players as the club begins its European journey: ambition must be matched by work, adaptation and the refusal to set limits on what might come next.
SEO title: Como begin historic Champions League journey under Cesc Fàbregas
SEO description: Como 1907 entered the Champions League for the first time against Leipzig as president Mirwan Suwarso hailed Cesc Fàbregas’ transformative impact.
