COMO chiefs have given away their tickets for the club’s Champions League debut to allow long-serving fans to attend.
Cesc Fabregas’ Serie A side have qualified for Europe’s top competition for the first time in their 119-year history and host RB Leipzig on Thursday night.
The Italians’ home venue of Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia – which lies on the banks of Lake Como – is set to have an 11,000 capacity due to Uefa requirements.
So with Como’s league phase opener sold out, kind-hearted president Mirwan Suwarso and several directors will step aside for elderly supporters.
Indonesian businessman Suwarso posted on Instagram: “With the reduced capacity and the limited number of tickets available, unfortunately we cannot accommodate everyone who would have liked to be there.
“However, some club executives and I have decided to give up our seats for this match.
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“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 will also host Manchester United on October 21 in their maiden European campaign.
And the blockbuster clashes don’t finish there, as Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain make the trip in January.
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Fabregas’ men finished fourth in Serie A last season to qualify ahead of powerhouses Juventus, who have won the competition twice in 1985 and 1996.
The Lombardy-based outfit – who have twice gone bankrupt in the past two decades – have had a remarkable rise, ending a 21-year wait to reach Italy’s top-flight in 2004 following three promotions in six seasons.