Famous local residents, a picturesque stadium and a World Cup winner | OneFootball

Lake Como glistens to the left with mountains gracing the sky behind it - and right in the middle of it all there's a football stadium like no other. For almost 100 years, Como 1907 have been playing their home games at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia right on the water's edge. On Thursday evening, this extraordinary venue will see the beginning of a new chapter, as the Champions League anthem rings around the stadium for the first time in the club's history.

The Red Bulls start their Champions League season at 21:00 CEST against Como 1907. For our hosts, the fixture will serve as a historic debut in the competition. Just a few years ago, Como were playing in the Italian fourth division. Now, Europe's greatest footballing stage awaits them. 

It's time to get to know our hosts a bit better. 

1. Picturesque location

There are ordinary stadiums, and then there's the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia.

The home of Como 1907 lies right on the banks of Lake Como and boasts one of Europe's most extraordinary venues with its lake and mountain views. The lake has long been home to some of the world's biggest stars, with famed Hollywood actor George Clooney being one of the region's most renowned residents. 

The stadium, which opened in 1927, has a capacity of 12,370. The Sinigaglia has recently received an upgrade so that it can host Champions League fixtures. Amongst other things, the stadium has gained a new stand as well as further improvements in infrastructure and safety, therefore allowing UEFA to grant Como 1907 permission to host Champions League fixtures. 

2. From Serie D to the Champions League

Our opponent's recent history almost seems as though it has been on fast forward. 

After financial problems, Como had to start the 2017/18 season afresh in Serie D. The new group of owners then took over the club in 2019, and their sporting rise began. Over the next few years, they worked their way up from the fourth division to the Italian top tier, and celebrated their return to Serie A after 21 years in summer 2024. 

Their next milestone came just two years later when they finished fourth in the 2025/26 season, qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in their history. 

3. Hansi Müller used to play there

Almost 40 years ago, a famous German in Hansi Müller played for Como. 

Como, who had just been promoted to Serie A, signed the German international from Inter Milan in summer 1984. Prior to that, the midfielder starred for VfB Stuttgart and won the 1980 European Championship with Germany. 

His time at Como didn't go as planned, though. Müller made 14 league appearances and scored one goal in the 1984/85 season before moving on to Austria. 

4. Familiar faces

There are several players in the Biancoblù's ("the white-blues") squad who have previously played in the Bundesliga. The newest of which is right-back Yan Couto, who moved to Como on loan from Borussia Dortmund this summer.  Other well-known names from Germany include Marc-Oliver Kempf (previously at Frankfurt, Freiburg, Stuttgart and Hertha BSC) and Marlon Mustapha (previously at Mainz, Düsseldorf and Fürth).

A reunion with our former player Nicolas Kühn was also almost on the cards. The winger was a Como player right up until deadline day, before joining Borussia Mönchengladbach on loan. 

We'll see him in our away game against the Foals in January instead. 

5. A World Cup winner in charge

At Como, the most well-known name by far is Cesc Fàbregas.

The Spanish World Cup and European Championship winner first arrived in Como as a player in 2022. Following his retirement, he went into coaching and initially worked with Como's youth teams as well as later becoming interim head coach and assistant coach. Fàbregas officially took over as head coach in July 2024.

Under his leadership, Como have not only established themselves in Serie A, but have also made the leap straight to the Champions League with their fourth-place finish in the 2025/26 season.

Fàbregas and his team now await their UCL debut as they face the Red Bulls on a European night in a stadium which will be sure to live long in the memories of everyone from RBL.

Discover more

Fixtures Red Bull Arena Men's first team Tickets Fan zone