FC Lugano secured a prestigious away win against Getafe, triumphing 5–2 on Matchday 2 of the League Phase of the UEFA Conference League. At the end of the match at the Coliseum, Mattia Croci-Torti expressed his full satisfaction with a performance that confirms the team’s excellent form, emphasising in particular the character shown by the bianconeri and their ability to bounce back from adversity. The manager regards this victory as another important chapter in the club’s European history, whilst not losing sight of the upcoming fixtures.
CHARACTER AND CONVICTION
Croci-Torti’s first observation concerns the management of a match that began with Getafe scoring after just 70 seconds, but which Lugano immediately turned around: “The thing I liked most was coming here and playing with this kind of character. You concede a goal after a minute and in the very next move you immediately try to equalise: it means you know what you’ve come here to do and that your legs aren’t shaking.”
A conviction that stayed with the bianconeri into the second half too, despite the Spaniards’ mounting pressure: “We knew it could be this sort of match. When they brought on players of great quality and physical strength, we expected a tough second half, in which we’d have to be good at breaking forward on the counter-attack. We managed to score two goals on the counter-attack, so we were almost perfect.” The manager then emphasised the confidence with which the team approached the match: “I was convinced we could pick up points and we had to convey that conviction to the players. They believed in it and I think this marks yet another historic and important chapter for Lugano.”
THE STRENGTH OF THE TEAM
According to Croci-Torti, the results of recent weeks are primarily down to the consistency of the work and the clarity of roles within the team. This balance has also been helped by a summer transfer window that did not drastically alter the squad: ‘We’ve been fortunate that there have been few changes compared to other summers. Since January last year, we’ve been working with a clear vision and structure, and we’ve been striving to build on that. We’ve brought in players who are highly motivated and raring to go; at the moment, it’s a perfect fit.’
An organisation in which every player knows their task and contributes to the team’s performance: “Everyone knows their role and what they have to do in this team. There are leaders, lads who have to earn their place every day, and excellent team players. I think our strength lies precisely in this awareness.”
THE VALUE OF THE STAFF
Getafe’s success also gives the manager the opportunity to highlight the contribution of the entire technical and medical staff. Croci-Torti highlights the work carried out in preparing set-pieces, in defensive organisation and in the day-to-day management of the team, focusing in particular on the squad’s physical condition: “This year, all the roles are clearly defined. I want to give great credit to the entire coaching staff and also the performance staff. We came here with only Renato Steffen injured, and for a team like Lugano it’s very important to be able to count on practically everyone, because to compete at this level you need the whole squad.”
This acknowledgement is accompanied by a comment on the atmosphere within the team: “Perhaps what I forgot to mention earlier is that we all believe in what we’re doing. We’re all pulling in the same direction.”
KEEPING OUR FEET ON THE GROUND
Despite the importance of the result, Croci-Torti’s thoughts quickly turn to the next fixture. On Sunday, Lugano will be away to FC Thun, with very little time to recover and prepare for the match: “Now the hardest job falls to me: keeping our feet on the ground. In three days’ time we have a match in Thun, which has never been an easy one. Nights like this give us a lot of confidence and strength, but we must stay focused.”
His closing message thus looks beyond this single victory, towards the objectives for the entire season: “The fans expect great matches like this, but above all they expect something at the end of the year. That’s why we can never stop staying focused.”
These words sum up FC Lugano’s mood after a highly successful European evening, with six points secured in the first two matchdays of the UEFA Conference League and the realisation that they must build on this momentum right from their next league fixture.