Como reportedly made an offer for Theo Hernandez in January, and the Azzurri President Mirwan Suwarso has confirmed a bid for a top Serie A player while praising Thierry Henry as a ‘genius’ who is ‘useful in building the brand.’
Suwarso was named Como President in October 2024. He attended the Azzurri’s Serie A game against Juventus last night and released an interview with Calcio&Finanza.
Como are owned by the Hartono brothers, Robert Budi Hartono and Michael Bambang Hartono, Indonesia’s wealthiest family. They acquired the club in 2019 through their company, SENT Entertainment.
Thierry Henry is among the shareholders, while Raphael Varane became a board member after retiring in September.
“Thierry [Henry] is very useful in building the brand. Even if he is in the United States or London, he definitely helps us raise our profile,” Suwarso said.
“Varane comes here every month; he works with our education team, the education board, and the AcademAcademys also involved in our digital sector. He is very intelligent, and I think he might be even smarter than I am.
“He was already an investor before joining us, particularly in the sports technology sector. Now that we are working together, we are combining our interests and resources. He is deeply involved in the academyAcademychool project, and the summer camp, bringing both his experience and vision. Some people might think we are bringing them in just for their names, but that’s not the case.”
Varane had joined Como on a free transfer after the end of his contract with Manchester United last summer, but a tricky knee injury sustained in his debut with the Azzurri led to his retirement.
“Names are just names, but what truly matters is the work they contribute,” the Como President continued.
“They are high-profile individuals who are also very competent in what they do. I believe Thierry is a media genius. His TV show [CBS Sports Golazo] is fantastic. He always has fresh ideas, and we are excited to work with them.
Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Como made a €40m bid for Theo Hernandez in the final days of the January window, and Suwarso confirmed that the Azzurri had submitted a formal bid for a top Serie A player.
“In recent days we made an offer for one of the most important players in this league, but the club didn’t want to sell him,” he said.
“We also made an offer for another top player whose club had agreed to sell, but the player himself did not want to come. We are not afraid to bid for the best players, but we have to ensure they fit within our budget.
“We are at a point where, if we let our ego dictate our decisions, we would probably make offers for every player in the world, but that’s not how we operate.Our strength drives us, which means our owners will not support us financially unless we consistently generate revenue. We need to start making money ourselves by building the business.”
Nico Paz has been shining for the Azzurri, attracting interest from Serie A giants Inter. Real Madrid have an option to re-sign the Argentinean in the next two years.
“We have no intention of selling any of our players, at least not in the near future,” insisted Suwarso.
“Maybe in three or four years, because denying that revenue from player sales is part of the business would be naive. But we are not short on money, we are well supported.”
