Como have established several initiatives over the past few years to forge a closer bond with the city.

The Vicina di Casa scheme has been running for three consecutive years, aimed at giving residents who live close to the Stadio Sinigaglia complimentary tickets.

There’s also the Quelli che con Luca ONLUS campaign, an association dedicated to supporting research into childhood leukaemia. 

Moreover, the club’s I Guerrieri (The Warriors) scheme is a comic book collection created by Animated Football, which is now in its second season and accompanies young fans to every home game, with the initiative promoting values of fair play and respect.

Cheers4Como is another programme aimed at bringing fans closer to the team. For every victory, home and away, fans can claim a free drink at certain bars in the city.

Fourteen establishments have joined in with the scheme which also includes bars that broadcast away games on giant TV screens in order to keep the Comaschi close to the action.

Many of the most popular bars among locals are already in the scheme, such as Bar Birratrovo and Bar Cortiletto (click HERE for the full list).

Cortiletto, a Cheers4Como partner since Serie B, has witnessed the growing excitement among fans. 

“I have never felt such enthusiasm as in the last months of last season in Serie B and the first months of this Serie A campaign – not even during our last promotion to the top flight in 2002-03,” said the bar’s owner, Mattia.

With Cesc Fabregas’ team starting the season brightly the drinks have been flowing more weekends than not.

The Lariani faithful, like the various bar owners around the lake who signed up to the initiative, will be hoping for more of the same between now and May.