Italian team Como welcomes older fans to the stadium for its Champions League debut

COMO, Italy (AP) — Como marked its Champions League debut with a gesture of respect by inviting its older fans to the game against Leipzig on Thursday.

President Mirwan Suwarso and some directors made the magnanimous decision of giving away their own seats, allowing supporters born in 1950 or earlier to attend the sold-out game.

“We will be honored to give up our seat for them,” Suwarso had posted on Instagram.

They looked on with pride as midfielder Martin Baturina scored Como's first-ever Champions League goal in the 15th minute.

Capacity was reduced to around 10,000 because the delightful Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia stadium on the shores of Lake Como underwent modifications for the Champions League.

The 119-year-old club reached the competition under coach Cesc Fabregas, a standout goal-scoring midfielder during a stellar club career with Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona. He played for the Spain team that won the 2010 World Cup.

Fabregas guided Como to fourth place last season ahead of Juventus and AC Milan to claim Serie A’s final Champions League spot with a high-pressing brand of soccer.

Goals have been coming from 22-year-old playmaker Nico Paz, who has stayed on loan from Real Madrid and burly Greece center forward Anastasios Douvikas.

Douvikas was involved in the opening goal.

He released Douvikas down the right and then latched onto his deflected cross toward the penalty spot, recovering from a slip before pushing the ball past two defenders and guiding it into the bottom left corner. ___

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