‘They are terrified’: Como spark row with fans over controversial new stadium policy

Como, the surprise package of last season’s Serie A, who qualified for the Champions League for the first time, will revoke season tickets from fans who fail to attend four home matches, under a series of new rules that have sparked a row among supporters.

The club, coached by the former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fàbregas, said on Monday that supporters “who miss more than three home matches without what it considers a valid reason risk having their season tickets revoked”. Another new rule bans fans from wearing the opposing team’s shirts or scarves anywhere in the stadium except the away section.

“Demand for tickets far exceeds supply and, for that reason, I asked the club to find ways to ensure tickets for the [Giuseppe Sinigaglia stadium] end up in the hands of genuine Como supporters – those who want to be there to back the team,” the chair, Mirwan Suwarso, said in a lengthy statement on Instagram.

“There have been too many occasions when away fans have celebrated inside our home sections, while Como supporters, who would have proudly backed the team, were unable to get a ticket.”

On the ban on wearing rival teams’ shirts, scarves and other symbols outside the away end, the club said the measure was introduced for safety reasons. “Our aim is to make the Sinigaglia the true home of our fans and a fortress for our team,” said Suwarso. “We want to ensure the Sinigaglia remains a place where grandparents feel comfortable bringing their grandchildren, where families can enjoy football together, and where passion never crosses the line into disrespect.”

On social media, many criticised the measures as overly harsh, arguing that work commitments, health issues or family responsibilities can prevent people from attending matches without making them any less loyal to the club.

La Provincia, Como’s local newspaper, said its newsroom had received dozens of calls and emails from concerned supporters. “Some worried about health problems or being unable to attend because of bad weather, as well as people who frequently travel for work,” the newspaper wrote. “They are terrified and all asking the same question: will our season tickets be taken away?”

Italy’s national newspaper, Corriere della Sera, reporting reactions from supporters on social media, quoted one fan asking: “Do we need to be accompanied by our parents when we hand in our excuse, like at school?”

In the 2018-19 season, Como were in Serie D, the fourth tier of Italian football, after going bankrupt twice in the previous 15 years. Last season, the small northern Italian club finished fourth after an extraordinary campaign, producing a series of outstanding performances that surprised the football world.