Como achieved an unprecedented qualification for the Champions League on Sunday, securing their spot after a decisive 4-1 victory against Cremonese, coupled with Milan’s 2-1 defeat to Cagliari. This historic achievement is particularly noteworthy as Como’s wage bill ranked only 11th in Serie A, despite the club being among the league’s top spenders on new signings.
Como’s Transfer Investment
Under the ownership of the Indonesian Hartono family, one of Southeast Asia’s wealthiest, Como invested significantly in their squad for the 2025-26 season. Their expenditure on new players reached nearly €127 million, placing them behind only Juventus, Napoli, Atalanta, and Milan in terms of transfer spending.
However, as reported by Sky Sport Italia, the team’s success in reaching the Champions League was achieved with a comparatively modest wage bill of €47 million for the 2025-26 season, averaging €1.5 million per player. This figure is lower than that of several other Serie A clubs, including Lazio, Torino, Fiorentina, Atalanta, Bologna, and the traditional Italian powerhouses Milan, Juventus, Inter, Napoli, and Roma.
Interestingly, both Juventus and Milan, clubs with substantially higher wage bills, failed to qualify for the Champions League. This marks the first time in 35 years that both these storied clubs will miss out on Europe’s premier competition in the same season.
Serie A Wage Bills 2025-26 (in millions of Euros)
- Inter: 139
- Juventus: 129
- Roma: 114
- Napoli: 109
- Milan: 100
- Lazio: 75
- Fiorentina: 65
- Atalanta: 59
- Torino: 52
- Bologna: 48
- Como: 47
- Sassuolo: 41
- Cremonese: 33
- Genoa: 31
- Cagliari: 29
- Verona: 29
- Udinese: 24
- Parma: 23
- Pisa: 21
- Lecce: 19
