In the early afternoon of today, Tuesday 31 March, the press conference dedicated to the decision of Mattia Bottani and the Club to part ways at the end of the season took place in the press room of Cornaredo Stadium. Martin Blaser, Vice Chairman and CEO of the Club, Sebastian Pelzer, Chief Sports Officer, and the Bianconeri captain himself took part in the meeting, retracing the steps of the discussions held over the past months and clarifying the reasons that will lead, at the end of the season, to the separation between the parties.
Martin Blaser opened the press conference and first of all wanted to clarify one specific point: already in January 2025, at the time of the latest contract renewal signed by both parties, the terms of a discussion to be developed with a view to the 2026/27 season had been set down in black and white, with two possible scenarios to be assessed on the basis of sporting performances: continuing activity with the First Team or a path with the U21 side, accompanied by a gradual introduction into a new role within the Company. Over the past months, discussions then began between the Club and the player, at the end of which the Company submitted the second scenario to the captain, which was then rejected. Blaser therefore reiterated that it is not correct to state, as reported by some media outlets in recent days, that Bottani had not been offered anything. Although these are matters that are normally confidential and linked to private discussions, the Club felt it was right to clarify this point in order to define the outlines of the situation precisely.
Blaser himself then added that the contractual situation presents no problematic connection with Bottani’s role as brand ambassador of the FC Lugano Membership programme or with his presence in the season ticket campaign. The involvement of the number 10 in these projects, he explained, stemmed from the Club’s desire to associate his image with important identity-driven initiatives and changes neither the meaning nor the continuity of the activities launched.
Sebastian Pelzer then spoke, briefly retracing the work carried out together with the technical staff. The Chief Sports Officer explained that already in the winter of 2025, following the discussions shared with the coach, the idea of a gradual change had begun to take shape. Since December, he added, several open discussions had taken place, in which the parties sincerely expressed their respective positions, without however managing to find common ground to continue together. Pelzer also underlined that the Club fully respects Bottani’s response and continues to hope that it may welcome him back in the future, in another function or in another position within the Company. The proposal that was made envisaged a two-season project: in the first year Bottani would have had a central role in the U21 side, while in the second he could have started a possible new chapter linked to a coaching career. Finally, Pelzer reiterated that Bottani will in any case play at the AIL Arena, with FC Lugano or on the occasion of a friendly match intended to allow him a proper farewell.
Mattia Croci-Torti, Head Coach of the First Team, was not present among the speakers at the press conference, but he still wanted to deliver a clear message: «The proposal submitted to Mattia Bottani for the 2026/27 and 2027/28 seasons is the result of technical considerations and analyses that Sebastian Pelzer and I have made over the past months. As “Botta” himself reiterated, this is not yet the time for farewells. There are still seven matches to be played, seven matches for which I am also counting on Mattia Bottani’s contribution. He has always shown great professionalism and attachment to our colours, even when he is not called upon from the first minute. He is the captain of this team, he has always given his all for this team and he will continue to do so until the end of the current season».
The man directly concerned then took the floor. Bottani explained that he had been aware of the situation since mid-December and that he had gone through months that were not easy, albeit within what he described as an always open dialogue. The captain thanked the Club for the proposal received, recognising its value also in light of his age and his personal and family responsibilities, but he made clear that he did not consider it consistent with himself to accept a future exclusively with the U21 side, without the possibility of continuing to play with the First Team and without experiencing the debut in the new Bianconeri home as a First Team player.
What emerged from his words above all was a personal and profound motivation: his choice to say no stems in fact from respect for himself, for the child who dreamed of playing in the First Team, but also for the professional who overcame difficult moments, including injuries, and who still feels able to perform at First Team level. A painful decision, Bottani suggested, because «Lugano is everything to me» but precisely for this reason «FC Lugano comes before Bottani and before anyone else», words that convey how much this passage represents for him the closing of a fundamental part of his life. Bottani acknowledged that his vision did not coincide with that of the Club and the technical staff, but added that he wanted to face the end of this story in a correct, respectful and coherent way with the story built over many years in Bianconeri colours.
In conclusion, Martin Blaser reiterated the great esteem the Club has for its captain and underlined that Lugano’s doors will remain open also in the future, confirming the desire to maintain a bond with a figure who has profoundly marked the Club’s recent history.
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