Como officials giving up seats to older fans for Euro debut

Como president Mirwan Suwarso and several directors are giving up their tickets for the club's Champions League debut to allow elderly supporters to attend.

The Serie A club will host RB Leipzig on Thursday (20:00 BST) after qualifying for the continental competition for the first time in their 119-year history.

They did so by finishing fourth in the Italian top flight last season under former Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas.

However, the demand for tickets for Como's historic European debut has far exceeded the supply.

The club's home venue of Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia on the shores of Lake Como has a capacity of about 12,000, but that number was reduced further by 1,000 because of Uefa's broadcasting and operational requirements.

After the tickets were sold out, Indonesian businessman Suwarso has now announced on Instagram that he and other club executives plan to surrender their seats for older fans.

"With the reduced capacity and the limited number of tickets available, unfortunately we cannot accommodate everyone who would have liked to be there," Suwarso wrote.

"However, some club executives and I have decided to give up our seats for this match.

"We want those seats to be allocated to supporters who have waited the longest - fans born in 1950 or earlier, who have followed Como through every division and every era.

"We will be honoured to give up our seat for them."

Como have enjoyed a remarkable rise in recent years, climbing from the lower divisions to secure a place among Europe's elite.

The Lombardy-based outfit - who have twice gone bankrupt in the past two decades - ended a 21-year wait to reach Serie A in 2024 after a third promotion in six seasons.

They finished 10th in their first season in the top division before former Spain international Fabregas guided them to a top-four finish and a place in the Champions League last term.

After their opener against Leipzig, Como will also face Feyenoord, Manchester United, Lens, AEK Athens, Real Betis, Paris St-Germain and Barcelona in their maiden European campaign.

Watch highlights of every Champions League game from 22:00 on Wednesday on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.

There will also be a Champions League Match of the Day on BBC One on Wednesday, from 22:40 to 00:00.