This is why I can't stop talking about Como

People who have heard me talk about the commercial side of football know that I have long seen Como 1907 as an example for many other football clubs. But what I saw at the Como Cup was on a completely different level.

The match is not the product. The entire Como experience is the product. The experience starts the moment you drive into Como. Banners for the tournament hang all across the city. On the squares there are fan zones and activations. On every street corner you find a fan store. The whole city is part of the Como Cup. It feels like walking through a carefully built funnel, with the match as the final highlight.

Where many clubs mainly use their pre-season to get fit for the new season, Como has built something much bigger. Not just the Como Cup is the commercial asset, but the complete Como experience. From the moment you arrive, you step into an ecosystem in which everything connects. Football, tourism, hospitality, retail, media and entertainment constantly reinforce each other. The match is the highlight of an experience in which Como creates value in dozens of different ways.

The merchandising is cleverly set up too. No gigantic megastore, but multiple fan stores spread across the city. Every shop tells the story of the club, the city and Lake Como. And yes, even I couldn't leave the shirt on the shelf.

And it doesn't stop there. During the Como Cup the club also organises a business summit where leaders from football, technology, media and luxury brands come together. Partners such as Google, Adidas and other international companies use the event as a meeting place. That way Como creates value not only for supporters, but also for companies, partners and investors.

Many clubs try to grow their commercial revenue by signing more sponsorship deals or building a bigger stadium. Como 1907 has created something far more valuable: a complete commercial ecosystem in which football, tourism, media, hospitality, retail and partnerships connect seamlessly. As a result they don't just earn from the ninety minutes on the pitch, but from the supporter's entire journey.

The Como Cup is not the end goal here. It is a means to strengthen the complete Como experience and to create value from the millions of tourists who visit northern Italy every summer.

And as if that weren't impressive enough: in 2024 Como were promoted to Serie A. Just two seasons later the club has already qualified for the Champions League. That shows what is possible when you have a strong vision, both on the pitch and commercially.

Como 1907 proves that a football club can be much more than ninety minutes of football. A lot of clubs can learn from this.