Como qualified for the Champions League for the first time in the club's history. The Italian team, who were promoted to Serie A in 2024, finished fourth in the league and confirmed their Champions League qualification with a 4-1 away win against Cremonese on Sunday. As they entered the final round of Serie A outside of the Champions League qualifying positions, but the victory, along with Milan's 2-1 defeat at home to Cagliari and Juventus' 2-2 draw with Torino, ensured that Cesc Fabregas' side will compete in Europe's biggest club competition. In an on-field speech to his players, Como coach Fabregas said: "This is all due to you. You are the reason why this is so beautiful. I will thank you all my life as this will be the best group I have ever coached. I have no doubt that you will be remembered forever. Have a good holiday and enjoy a great party." Champions Inter, Napoli and Roma will join Como next season in the Champions League. Juventus, who finished sixth, and Milan, fifth, will play in the Europa League. Atalanta, who came seventh, will compete in the Conference League. This is a historic feat for Como, a club that played in Serie D (the fourth tier of Italian football) until 2019. As detailed by The Athletic in March, the Italian team built a brand linked to the community and assembled a competitive team. Apart from Pepe Reina, the now retired Raphael Varane and Sergi Roberto in 2024, and Alvaro Morata last summer, they did not buy stars but bet on potential, identifying talents early. Nico Paz, Assane Diao, Jayden Addai, Martin Baturina and Jesus Rodriguez, for example, moved to Italy with little or no experience at senior level.
