Post by Charlie Stebbings

The chat we had with Mirwan Suwarso was unlike any other. As President of Como 1907, football’s most ambitious business project (happy to say that after doing this show), Mirwan has taken a team from bankruptcy in 2017 to the UEFA Champions League. They have Cesc Fabregas as manager. They have some of the most exciting talent in Europe. They work with the celebrated Jamestown Analytics. But this didn’t feel like it was about football, even though from a pure performance perspective they have nailed it. Yes, there are some challenges around financial compliance with UEFA and a stadium to match the requirements their success has created, but even the approach to that is pretty unique. What this was really about was brand, tourism, commercial creativity, apparel/supply chains/production lines; the things that football knows it needs to embrace but has a hard time balancing the focus. Uber deal: went from a sub €1m a year cash deal to a €10m deal with Como as Uber’s operating partner in Northern Italy. In short, they showed how the value is far more than the shirt. They are winning on the pitch. They are creating value off it. He even found time to drop Eminem into the conversation... This model will not be possible for everyone; it is built on the strengths of Como. But it will make you question what the business of a football club can look like. Business of Sport Full Show👇