Serie B side Como are looking to crypto currencies, NFTs and much more when it comes to the future of their club.
That is according to Mirwan Suwarso, official representative of Mola TV, owner of Como.
The club recently launched an auction that will use blockchain technology to allow the lucky winner access to "tribuna d'onore a vita" or "VIP tickets for life".
The prize also includes exclusive travel experience in Como and roundtrip first-class airfare from anywhere, football match experience, including Como 1907 stadium tour, VIP seating for the game, and seat-side food and drink, plus much more.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with TribalFootball.com, Suwarso confirmed Como will use NFTs for their regular ticketing system in the future, which will include extra benefits for supporters such as a ticket to the team Christmas dinner.
He said: "Yes, the next step for us is to introduce our ticketing system, so the NFTs is also the best for our ticketing platform because although this one is only one of one because you only have one "Tribuna d'onore a vita", we will have the regular common tickets as blockchains NFT, in which the plan for us is that if the common fence buys the ticket is not only a regular ticket but it's almost immediately a collectible, but with smart contracts.
"If you buy ten automatically you will be given a ticket to the team Christmas dinner or something like that. And that's what we're working on system steering system and if you've got a number of tickets then you automatically get some of our merchandise as part of the project. So everything will be automated in terms of the ticketing, fans engagement, as well as a CR platform it will all be built into one, that's where we are moving forward within the next year."
Fellow Italian clubs such as Roma and Inter Milan have recently launched Fan Tokens that allow greater participation with supporters via the Socios application and services.
Asked if Como would follow the same path, Suwarso replied: "I think fan tokens like Socios is more suitable for clubs with bigger fan base, which is larger.
"We don't have, as you know you're in Italy, we don't have the same fan base of AS Roma or Napoli, you know we are a small club, the city itself has what, 58.000 citizens.
"We have to be relevant in the community first and that's why our priority it's doing things for Como and for the community. I don't know if you have heard about it, but whenever Como wins we try to support local bars and we buy drinks for the fans and stuff like that. That's our support for the local businesses"
SENT, owners of Como, have clearly worked hard to connect with the community since acquiring the club in 2019, since which they have risen from Serie D to Serie B.
Suwarso says the club feels 'very welcome' from the community and they will continue to push their brand beyond Italy, including a feature on US TV Show Jimmy Kimmel Live and the music video of pop superstar Khalid.
"I think the fans would probably be able to answer that question better than us, but I think from our side we feel we're very welcome," he said.
"We have had a lot of initiatives in which we collaborate with them, for example after the game against Benevento, where we lost 5-0 away, from our side we offered to refund all the tickets to the fans tickets money and also refund their plane or train ticket, but most of the fans refused it and agreed to actually just give everything the charity together.
"We want to have this relationship with the city as much as possible and we will do more programs with the city, not just with the fans, but you know with the Comune of Como and citizens of Como itself, for example every baby born our plan is to give them a Como kit and a year long citizen ticket until they're 17. That's the kind of things that we will be working right now, but as you know, we are a very small club, we are very small staffed, so we are building it. What it's interesting is that our initiatives to promote Como to a larger community is working. For example, the singer Khalid in his new music video will actually be wearing the Como jersey. That's something that we actually have discussed with them, just telling them what we do at the club.
"On April 23rd or 24th the plan is to actually have a Jimmy Kimmel episode being shot out of our club, with our players and with the club, so that's a part of our commitment to try to push Como beyond just a small club mentality."
