In the middle of this week, the league gives way to the Swiss Cup quarterfinal matches. Lugano will be busy on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 8:30 p.m. in Biel.
TISSOT ARENA A JEWEL
Biel or Bienne is the most populous bilingual Swiss city with its nearly 60,000 inhabitants. Since 2015 it has also been equipped with the only facility in which soccer and ice hockey coexist. It is the Tissot Arena, which cost 250 million, can seat 5,000 people, and was built under general contract by HRS, the same company that is taking care of the Lugano Sports Hub.
A SWISS TITLE IN THE POSTWAR PERIOD
FC Biel, formed in 1896, was an important national football club especially in the middle of the last century. In the 1946/47 season it won the national title ahead of Lausanne and Lugano. It participated in the then LNA championship until 1970. Later it played in CL but in 2017 it went bankrupt and had to start again from the Second Interregional.
SECOND IN FIRST PROMOTION
The club is currently struggling at the top of the First Promotion with the intention of being able to return to the Challenge League. On Sunday Biel was defeated 1-0 in Bulle and lost the lead to Kriens. The gap is still only one point. At home the team is the best in the league with 7 wins, two draws and only one loss.
FINALIST IN 1961
In the Swiss Cup, the club can boast a final lost in 1961 against La Chaux-de-Fonds. More recently it reached the semifinal stage against Zurich in 1976 and against Sion in 2012.
ELIMINATED XAMAX
This year's path in the knockout trophy-which celebrates 100 years-has seen Biel create the surprise in the first round by ousting Xamax (CL). They were later overtaken on the road by Besa (Second League) and Langenthal (First). Two clear victories were 6-0 and 6-1.
TWO CUP SUCCESSES
In history Lugano and Biel have faced each other on 107 occasions. With 45 Ticino wins, 33 draws and 29 Bernese successes. A balance that becomes favorable to the confederates in the Swiss Cup: out of three clashes, in fact, two have seen them prevail. In 2012 Moriero's bianconeri were eliminated in Cornaredo 1-0. In the 1969/70 edition with first and return matches from the quarterfinals there was a Bernese success in Ticino (2-0) but then Maurer's Lugano won the passage of the round in Biel (5-0).
YOUNG TRANSALPINE TECHNICIAN
The team is coached by a young Frenchman Samir Chaibeddra, who started his coaching career right in Biel. He is 35 years old and has been sitting on the bench since March 2023.
SEVERAL FRENCH PEOPLE ON THE TEAM
Several of the starters are also French nationals. For example, central Massombo (of Congolese origin) and forwards Coulibaly, Beyer and Bonguè. All come from Clérmont Foot with whom there is a sporting partnership.
TAILORS THE STAR
But Biel's star is a Swiss young striker Malko Sartoretti who grew up in Lausanne's youth ranks. He has so far authored 12 league goals and five in the Cup. Among other things, his is the brace that led to the elimination of Neuchâtel/Xamax.