FC Lugano

Last updated
Lugano
FC Lugano logo.svg
Full nameFootball Club Lugano
Nickname(s)Bianconeri (Black and White)
L'orgoglio del Ticino (The Pride of Ticino)
Founded28 July 1908;115 years ago (28 July 1908)
Ground Cornaredo Stadium,
Lugano, Switzerland
Capacity6,330
Owner Joe Mansueto
ChairmanPhilippe Regazzoni
Manager Mattia Croci-Torti
League Swiss Super League
2022–23 Swiss Super League, 3rd of 10
Website Club website
Soccerball current event.svg Current season

FC Lugano is a Swiss professional football club based in Lugano. The club was refounded as AC Lugano in 2004 as a result of relegation and the financial situation of FC Lugano, which was founded in 1908. In 2008, the club reverted to its original name, FC Lugano. They play at the Stadio Cornaredo. They have played in what is now the Swiss Super League during the periods of 1922–53, 1954–60, 1961–63, 1964–76, 1979–80, 1988–97, 1998–02, and from 2015 until present.

Contents

History

Former club crest AC Lugano.jpg
Former club crest
Chart of FC Lugano table positions in the Swiss football league system Lugano Performance Graph.png
Chart of FC Lugano table positions in the Swiss football league system

Football Club Lugano was formed on 28 July 1908 under the leadership of then-president Ernesto Corsini. Promotion to the highest Swiss Super League came for the first time in 1922, and after several years of relegations and promotions, the team won its first Swiss Cup in 1931. The following decade, FC Lugano was able to win 3 national titles (1938, 1941 and 1949).

For the first fifty years of its existence, Lugano played at the Campo Marzio – which opened on 13 September 1908 – but its success prompted the city to build a new stadium, and so on 26 August 1951, the Cornaredo Stadium was inaugurated, which has a capacity of 15,000.

In 1968, Lugano won the Swiss Cup and hence the team participated in the Cup Winners' Cup. Two years later the team took part in the UEFA Cup.

In 1993, Lugano won its third Cup against Grasshoppers, later participating in the Cup Winners' Cup, in which it reached second qualifying round. In the 1995–96 season, Lugano participated in the UEFA Cup, eliminating Jeunesse Hautcharage in the first round and Inter Milan in the second.

The club was declared bankrupt in 2003 and forcibly removed from the league. Due to the bankruptcy, the team was renamed AC Lugano and fielded under-21 players, having been forced to sell or release the senior team to pay off the club's debts. In 2004, the club merged with Malcantone Agno, and it was decided that Lugano would re-enter the Swiss football system in the Swiss Challenge League. [1] Morotti Joseph, the president of Malcantone Agno, was entrusted with the leadership of the new club.

In 2007, the company was bought by a group led by Giambattista Pastorello. Luido Bernasconi became the new president. On 4 June 2008, the club's centenary year, the general meeting of shareholders voted on a name change. The historical name of Football Club Lugano was reinstated. In 2015 FC Lugano was promoted to the Swiss Super League.

On 18 August 2021, it was announced that American billionaire and owner of the Chicago Fire FC, Joe Mansueto, had purchased FC Lugano and that the Fire and FC Lugano were to work together as sister clubs. [2] On 1 September 2021, assistant coach Mattia Croci-Torti took over coaching duties at the club, replacing Abel Braga. [3] The first season under new ownership would immediately prove successful, as they were able to win their first title after 29 years, winning the 2021–22 Swiss Cup. [4] A year later, they failed to defend the cup title, losing 2–3 in the exciting final to Swiss champions Young Boys. [5]

European record

SeasonCompetitionRoundClubHomeAwayAggregate
1968–69 European Cup Winners' Cup First Round Flag of Spain (1945-1977).svg Barcelona 0–10–30–4
1971–72 UEFA Cup First Round Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg Legia Warsaw 1–30–01–3
1993–94 European Cup Winners' Cup Qualifying Round Flag of Belarus (1918, 1991-1995).svg Neman Grodno 5–01–26–2
First Round Flag of Spain.svg Real Madrid 1–30–31–6
1995–96 UEFA Cup Preliminary Round Flag of Luxembourg.svg Jeunesse Esch 4–00–04–0
First Round Flag of Italy.svg Inter Milan 1–11–02–1
Second Round Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Slavia Prague 1–20–11–3
2001–02 UEFA Champions League Second Qualifying Round Flag of Ukraine.svg Shakhtar Donetsk 2–10–32–4
2002–03 UEFA Cup Qualifying Round Flag of Latvia.svg FK Ventspils 1–00–31–3
2017–18 UEFA Europa League Group G Flag of Israel.svg Hapoel Be'er Sheva 1–01–23rd
Flag of Romania.svg Steaua București 1–22–1
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Viktoria Plzeň 3–21–4
2019–20 UEFA Europa League Group B Flag of Ukraine.svg Dynamo Kyiv 0–01–14th
Flag of Denmark.svg Copenhagen 0–10–1
Flag of Sweden.svg Malmö FF 0–01–2
2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League Third Qualifying Round Flag of Israel.svg Hapoel Be'er Sheva 0–21–31–5
2023–24 UEFA Europa League Play-off Round Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Union Saint-Gilloise 0–10–20–3
2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League Group D Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Club Brugge 1–30–24th
Flag of Norway.svg Bodø/Glimt 0–02–5
Flag of Turkey.svg Beşiktaş 0–23–2
2024–25 UEFA Champions League Second Qualifying Round Flag placeholder.svg

Players

Current squad

As of 15 February 2024 [6]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.NationPlayer
1 GK Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  SUI Amir Saipi
4 DF Flag of Kosovo.svg  KOS Kreshnik Hajrizi
5 DF Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  SUI Albian Hajdari
6 DF Flag of Ecuador.svg  ECU Jhon Espinoza
7 MF Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  CZE Roman Macek
9 FW Flag of Slovenia.svg  SVN Žan Celar
10 FW Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  SUI Mattia Bottani
11 FW Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  SUI Renato Steffen
13 GK Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  SUI Serif Berbic
14 MF Flag of Uruguay.svg  URU Jonathan Sabbatini (captain)
15 GK Flag of Greece.svg  GRE Fotis Pseftis
16 MF Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  SUI Anto Grgić
17 DF Flag of Germany.svg  GER Lars Lukas Mai
18 MF Flag of France.svg  FRA Hicham Mahou
No.Pos.NationPlayer
19 FW Flag of Kosovo.svg  KOS Shkelqim Vladi
20 MF Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg  CIV Ousmane Doumbia
21 MF Flag of France.svg  FRA Yanis Cimignani
22 DF Flag of Morocco.svg  MAR Ayman El Wafi
23 DF Flag of Argentina.svg  ARG Milton Valenzuela
25 MF Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  SUI Uran Bislimi
26 DF Flag of Portugal.svg  POR Martim Marques
27 FW Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  SUI Boris Babic
28 MF Flag of Slovenia.svg  SVN Abel Marc
29 MF Flag of Tunisia.svg  TUN Hadj Mahmoud
31 FW Flag of Argentina.svg  ARG Ignacio Aliseda
41 DF Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  SUI Noah De Queiroz
58 GK Flag of Nigeria.svg  NGA Sebastian Osigwe
93 FW Flag of Poland.svg  POL Kacper Przybyłko

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.NationPlayer
DF Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  SUI Allan Arigoni (at Chicago Fire until 31 December 2024)
MF Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  SUI Adrian Durrer (at Winterthur until 30 June 2024)
No.Pos.NationPlayer
FW Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  SUI Nikolas Muci (at Wil until 30 June 2024)

Honours

Former coaches

Coaching staff

PositionName
Owner Flag of the United States.svg Joe Mansueto
Chairman Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Philippe Regazzoni
CEO Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Michele Zanetti
Sporting director Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Benito Martinelli
Press officer Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Luca Di Tommasso
Team coordinator Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Riccardo Rigamonti
Head coach Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Mattia Croci-Torti
Assistant coaches Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Piercesare Gallo
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Saverio Valentini
Goalkeeper coach Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Enrico Rossi
Fitness coach Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Mirko Antonelli
Match analyst Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Salvatore Colucci
Performance coach Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Andrea Giudici
Team doctors Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Dr. Giuseppe Montini
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Dr. Giampaolo Golinucci
Physiotherapists Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Nicolò Giovanninni
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Vittorio Silvestri
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Francesco Vialli
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Pietro Simonetti

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References

  1. "FC Lugano – Switzerland 2017-18" (PDF). LiberoGuide.
  2. "Chicago Fire FC Owner and Chairman Joe Mansueto Purchases Swiss Super League Club FC Lugano | Chicago Fire FC". chicagofirefc.
  3. Berger, Nicola. "Super League: Mattia Croci-Torti neuer Lugano-Trainer".
  4. "Der FC Lugano gewinnt den 97. Schweizer Cupfinal". SFV. 15 May 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  5. "Schweizer Cup Männer: YB macht das Double perfekt". SFV. 4 June 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  6. "Prima squadra" [First team] (in Italian). FC Lugano. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  7. "Fair Play Trophys gehen nach Lugano und Thun" [Fair Play trophies awarded to Lugano and Thun]. 2022-06-01.