Como in the Champions League? The 'problem' of squad lists, the stadium and the UEFA financial fair play settlement requirement

Como’s rise certainly began some time ago, but it has clearly gathered pace over the last two years. Since the Hartono family from Indonesia took over the club, they have invested heavily in building a competitive squad, completing a process of growth that was immediate but by no means haphazard.

It all began with Fabregas, and a young squad was built around him; this project has likely achieved these results sooner than expected, leaving the club in a difficult situation to resolve today.

In fact, looking at just the last two seasons, the club has invested more than any other in Serie A, exceeding the €150 million mark for the transfer fees of the many talents who have joined the Biancoblu. However, these figures draw heavily on the family’s personal wealth and are not, at least for now, matched by commensurate commercial revenue and growth in turnover.

Is the squad assembled so far ready for the Champions League? From a technical standpoint, the answer is obviously yes, but it should be noted that this season, even just for the purposes of registering for Serie A, Como has been able to take advantage of a loophole in the regulations regarding the composition of its squads.

In Serie A, each club may register a squad of up to 25 players for each match, and within that squad there is an obligation to:

- include at least 4 players who have come through their own youth system (aged between 15 and 21)

- have at least 4 players who have come through Italian youth systems (at least three years, even if not consecutive, between the ages of 15 and 21)

However, the key difference lies in the exception regarding Under-23 players, who are not subject to any limits and do not occupy squad slots. For Como, this allows them to partially circumvent the aforementioned restrictions.

In the Champions League, however, the margin is drastically reduced, as there is no exemption for Under-23 players, whilst the same restrictions apply to ‘homegrown’ players.

The UEFA list stipulates:

- a maximum of 25 players, with the requirement that:

- 8 ‘homegrown’

of whom:

- 4 developed within the club

- 4 developed in the federation’s youth sectors

And here is the most important rule: if you do not have these players, you cannot replace them, and so the squad is reduced. There is only a B list for young players developed in the academy (who have been with the club for two years), which can be updated, but this is not enough to compensate.

Looking at the current squad, Como would not fully meet UEFA’s criteria today.

As things stand, Cesc Fàbregas’s first-team squad includes just two players who came through the Italian youth system: defender Goldaniga and third-choice goalkeeper Vigorito. Alongside them, several young players such as Matteo Papaccioli, Cristiano De Paoli, Samuele Pisati and Lorenzo Bonsignori Goggi (one appearance in the Coppa Italia) have been included in the Serie A squad on several occasions, though none have made an appearance under Fabregas in Serie A.

Almost the entire squad, however, meets the requirements.

For this very reason, should the club qualify for a European competition – and the Champions League in particular – the board would be practically obliged to do so.

Como would need to target players in the transfer market who would increase the number of Italian players, or rather those trained in Italy, aged between 15 and 21. Given the retention of Vigorito and Goldaniga, at least two such players would be required, but the feeling is that, for the first time, Fabregas may begin to change his approach by actively targeting the Serie A market.

Essentially, after two transfer windows focused on building a young, international squad, a regulatory rebalancing is needed at national level.

Incidentally, the upcoming transfer window could be the last one without the constraints of financial fair play, given that, by participating in a UEFA competition, Como will automatically come under the scrutiny of the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body regarding financial fair play during the season. A settlement agreement between the club and UEFA is expected by March, with the aim of bringing the accounts into line over a period of three or four years, along the lines of what has already been done by Roma and Aston Villa.

Finally, another matter of no small importance is the situation regarding the Sinigaglia Stadium. As things stand, the ground does not meet UEFA standards and, as a result, Como would be unable to play their home matches there.

In recent months, several million euros have been allocated to bring the stadium up to standard so that it can be chosen as the venue for the club’s home matches, but if the work is not completed on time (a scenario that now seems highly likely), the club has initiated talks with Udinese regarding the Blue Energy Stadium and with Sassuolo regarding the Mapei Stadium to play its home matches there.

At present, taking into account the potential travel arrangements for fans, the Neroverdi’s stadium is the club’s preferred option.

Como are on the verge of a historic achievement. But the Champions League is not just a reward: it represents a step up to a higher level. Between UEFA registration rules and financial fair play regulations, the club will have to prove it is ready off the pitch as well. The fairy-tale story may continue, but to remain among the elite, they will need the infrastructure of a top-tier club.