Como are in the Champions League for the first time after a 4-1 final-day win over Cremonese. C. Fabregas's side finished fourth in Serie A on 68 points, with 19 wins, 11 draws and 7 losses. The result was the part they could control. Elsewhere, reports also pointed to AC Milan's collapse as part of the equation that sent Como into the top four.

What decided the final day for Como

The game itself was emphatic enough. Como scored four, and the main attacking contributors were clear.

Jesus Rodriguez Ortuno scored and assisted, Anastasios Douvikas got the second goal and ended the season with 14 league goals, and Lucas Da Cunha scored twice to finish the job. For a match carrying that much pressure, Como did not scrape through it.

There was chaos on the other side too. Cremonese had three sendings-off, with Milan Djuric, David Okereke and Alberto Grassi all dismissed. Youssouf Maleh had already gone off injured in the opening minutes, so the game drifted away from them badly and fast.

That collapse fitted the season. Cremonese finished 18th with 34 points, from 8 wins, 10 draws and 19 losses, and the final afternoon ended in relegation.

The qualification picture needs a bit of care because not every report frames it in exactly the same way. The common ground is solid: Como had to win, did win, and also benefited from Milan's failure elsewhere. Some accounts treated Juventus's result as irrelevant by then. The broader point is straightforward enough, Como took the chance that was there and did not waste it.

Fabregas has built this quickly, and younger than most

Fabregas leaned hard into the youth angle after the match, and that feels like more than post-match sentiment. Speaking to football-italia.net, he said: "This is a squad full of kids, we've got 15 players who are all under 23, so it's masterpiece from the whole team."

That matters because this is not a veteran group stumbling into fourth. A young side finishing on 68 points with only 7 losses says the level has been sustained over the season, not just found in one wild final day.

Fabregas also gave the best detail on how far the club have come. He told football-italia.net: "I was talking to two physios today who were with us four years ago when I came to play, we didn't have a training ground, so we'd do massage on tables in the back room of a bar! Now, we are in the Champions League."

That sort of quote can sound romantic, but in this case it sharpens the achievement rather than dressing it up. Clubs do not usually jump from that level of infrastructure to the Champions League this quickly, even with a big-name coach.

Fabregas said he sensed the opening before the last round was done. He told football-italia.net: "In my whole life, even when I make substitutions, I've just had feelings about things, and I had the feeling the day before we played Parma that with two victories, we'd be in the Champions League."

Managers always sound wise after the event, but Como backed him up. Their recent form was WWDWW, and the final-day performance looked like a team that believed the opportunity was real.

Cremonese fell apart as Como finished the job

There is a tendency to treat matches like this only through the winners, but Cremonese helped make the ending one-sided. A team already headed toward trouble produced the kind of afternoon that sums up a relegation season: an early injury, a heavy defeat and three dismissals.

Marco Giampaolo's side were not just beaten, they lost control. By full time, the scoreline and the disciplinary count told the same story.

For Como, that should not take much away from the achievement. They finished fourth, not fifth, and they did it over 37 matches with a points total strong enough to deserve the place. The last day was messy because football usually is on the last day. The table is not.

The next part is new ground for the club and for Fabregas. Como go into the Champions League after a season that ended with a 4-1 win, 68 points and a place in the top four.

FAQ

How did Como qualify for the Champions League on the final day?

Como qualified by beating Cremonese 4-1 on the final day and finishing fourth in Serie A on 68 points. Reports also tied the outcome to AC Milan's collapse elsewhere, though the exact qualification sequence is presented slightly differently across sources.

Why is Como's Champions League qualification such a big story?

It is Como's first-ever Champions League place, and it came under Cesc Fabregas with a very young squad. Fabregas said the club has 15 players under 23 and recalled that four years ago Como did not even have a training ground, using massage tables in the back room of a bar.

Who were the key players in Como's win over Cremonese?

Jesus Rodriguez scored and assisted, Lucas Da Cunha scored twice, and Anastasios Douvikas added Como's second goal. Douvikas finished the season with 14 league goals, while Da Cunha's double helped turn the final-day game into a comfortable 4-1 win.

What went wrong for Cremonese against Como?

Cremonese's day unravelled quickly. Youssouf Maleh went off injured in the opening minutes, they lost 4-1, and the match ended with three sendings-off: Milan Djuric, David Okereke and Alberto Grassi. The defeat left them 18th on 34 points and confirmed relegation.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →