Lugano is fighting to stay in the Conference League against Celje. Despite the slump of recent weeks, coach Mattia Croci-Torti believes in his team.
13.03.2025, 15:30
SDA
As the FC Lugano players prepare for their final training session in the Thun Arena on Wednesday evening, the team DJ selects "Afro Trap Pt. 3" by French rapper MHD. The song is about Paris Saint-Germain and the Champions League, so it comes as no surprise that "C'est la Champions League" is probably the phrase the artist dictates most often into his microphone.
Even if the Thun stadium is not decked out in the stars of the top flight this evening, but is instead decorated in the subtle black and green of the third-tier Conference League, the Luganesi's choice of song gives an idea of the importance of their next match on the European stage.
After losing 1-0 to Celje in the first leg of the round of 16 a week ago, Mattia Croci-Torti's team will have to overcome the Slovenian champions in the second leg on Thursday (18:45, live on blue Sport) if their journey on European football pitches is not to come to an end this week. Either Fiorentina or Panathinaikos Athens await in the quarter-finals, with the Greeks holding a slight advantage after the 3-2 win in the first leg.
Appeal to a sense of community
However, the Ticino side will not enter the artificial turf in Bernese Oberland with the self-confidence that saw them excel in the fall and finish sixth in the league and thus directly into the round of 16. The Bianconeri have recently suffered five defeats in a row and have not only lost the lead in the Super League, but also buried their ambitions of reaching the cup final again after the 2-0 defeat against Biel from the Promotion League.
And that's just it: The 1-0 defeat in Slovenia a week ago also jeopardized the team's third goal of the season, which was to remain in the European Cup for as long as possible. "It's certainly not an easy phase for us at the moment," says Croci-Torti. "That's part of it. It's logical that we haven't always been able to play as successfully as we did in the fall. But we want to get there again."
The Ticino mister lets a healthy dose of optimism resonate in his words when he says that this very game could help the team get back on track. For Croci-Torti, who will be without the suspended Mattia Bottani and Antonios Papadopoulos in both offense and defense, it is clear that only a strong team performance can lead to success. "We all have to fight together, then we can progress," says Croci-Torti.
The influence of the weather
And perhaps St. Peter and the football gods will also play their part in a Ticino comeback this evening.
Because when the UEFA officials return from an initial pitch inspection, one of them announces that the match will have to take place without the support of the video referee if there is still so much fog and rain clouds hanging over the Thun Arena on Thursday. Because the visibility for the VAR would not be good enough to support the main referee.
In this respect, should critical situations arise, the Luganesi may not be so unfortunate not to be playing in their home sun room.
