At the start of the season, there was little to suggest that Lucerne would contest the top match in round 6. Neo-captain Pius Dorn assesses the successes and explains why the team wants to play "nastier".
It was a bitter start to the season for Lucerne. They lost at home to Servette and just managed a draw against GC. However, the bumpy start was followed by an August in which the Central Swiss team racked up victory after victory. Mendrisio from the 1st division were beaten in the Cup, while in the championship FCL won successively against Sion, Lugano and Winterthur. This puts Lucerne in 2nd place in the table ahead of the weekend, level on points with leaders Zurich, their opponents on Sunday.
But anyone expecting a declaration of war is wrong. Understatement is Lucerne's motto - and not without good reason. The table is a shape-shifter, especially at the start of the season; a win can result in a big leap upwards, a defeat in a deep fall downwards. Moreover, not all teams have played the same number of games.
That's why Lucerne captain Pius Dorn says: "Let's not be fooled, the table is still not very meaningful at the moment." And not all that glitters has been gold in the team's recent successes. "The games could have turned out differently. We were behind for a long time against Lugano and even in the 3-0 win against Winterthur, we didn't have much possession."
Success with a "disgusting style of play"
When asked about the European Cup places, Dorn just laughs. "By no means" would he describe this as a goal for the season, says the 27-year-old German, who came to Lucerne via Vaduz and Thun in 2022 and is now playing his third season in central Switzerland - his first as captain. "We are well advised not to get carried away after three wins."
These are carefully chosen words from the leading player, words from experience. After all, the top match between Zurich and Lucerne took place last season. Back then, second-placed FCL welcomed leaders FCZ in the 9th round with high hopes and went down 4-1. In the end, Lucerne missed out on the top half of the table and found themselves in the unloved relegation group.
Generally speaking, the ups and downs in central Switzerland are all too familiar. The self-assessment sounds correspondingly realistic: "We can't rely on the individual class of the players," says Dorn. "Everything we do, we have to do as a team. Fighting together, running together, playing football together."
What seems logical at first glance becomes clearer when you consider the 3:2 against Lugano. FCL can only win such games against a team with clearly better individual players if they play "nasty", as Dorn puts it. The team must allow little flow of play, defend with solidarity and exploit its own chances with ice-cold precision.
Team reshaped after unrest in the spring
Despite all the understatement, Dorn also says that "something nice" can certainly develop in Lucerne. The team is a different one than it was in the spring, when coach Mario Frick complained that not all the players were pulling together and that they had "taken themselves apart" due to internal problems.
The mood in the team is now much calmer and better, says the captain. This is partly due to the recent good results, but also to the general development in recent weeks. "The new additions in particular have integrated well," says Dorn. In defense, Latvian international Andrejs Ciganiks and returnee Stefan Knezevic have provided more stability. In offense, Sinan Karweina has added a new "playful component".
Dorn describes his compatriot, who joined Lucerne from Austria Klagenfurt and scored his first goal of the season in the last match against Winterthur, as an asset to the team, especially off the pitch. "Sinan always creates a good atmosphere, plays music after the game and tries to bring the team together."
Four current U21 internationals
The new arrivals, including 19-year-old Serbian Aleksandar Stankovic, who is on loan from Inter Milan, are joined by numerous promising home-grown players, including goalkeeper Pascal Loretz, defender Luca Jaquez and striker Lars Villiger, who have already made the leap into the starting eleven. In addition to these three, Severin Ottiger is also in the current squad for the U21 national team, making FC Luzern clearly the largest "fraction" there.
They are also the reason why Frick predicted in the spring that "this team will be a real joy in the future". The question remains as to when "the future" will come. Perhaps as early as this season?
Dorn does not allow such musings for the well-known reasons. It would be unnecessary to put pressure on the team now after the pleasing development of the last few weeks. And anyway: big tasks await the Lucerne team in September. After the top match against FCZ, the team travels to St. Gallen and then welcomes FC Basel. In between, they will face the ambitious FC Aarau in the second round of the Cup. For Dorn, one thing is clear: "After September, we'll be able to say which direction we're heading in."
SDA
