FC Lugano beat Zurich 5–0 and extended their winning run, confirming the confidence that has characterised the team at the start of the season. In the post-match press conference, Mattia Croci-Torti highlighted the quality of the Bianconeri’s performance, but immediately urged the squad to stay focused ahead of their upcoming fixtures.
THE PERFORMANCE
The bianconeri manager began by highlighting the conviction shown by the team from the very first minutes, an aspect he considers fundamental to the success achieved at the AIL Arena: “The team put in a good performance in terms of conviction. They’re a team that believes in what they’re doing, knows their strengths and was determined to put them into practice from the very first minute.”
For Croci-Torti, the result is also the fruit of consistent daily work and collective growth involving the coaching staff, players and the wider club environment: “This victory is well-deserved, but it is the result of our work throughout the week, the great effort of the coaching staff, players who believe in us, and also this new stadium. I must thank the Lugano fans: they’re showing us they’re right behind us, and this great atmosphere is creating a positive dynamic.”
THE TEAM AND ITS DEVELOPMENT
The 5–0 win against Zurich also stems from the team’s ability to operate within an increasingly well-defined framework. Croci-Torti highlights the clarity of the principles and the continuity with the work carried out over recent months: “Everything works if the team believes in what we’re doing. Everyone knows how we want to defend and what we want to do with the ball. We’ve had the advantage of knowing all the players and we’ve continued to build on what we did in 2026.”
At the same time, the manager urges the team not to lose their balance despite the current run of form: “In 2026 we lost very few matches and always played with great conviction. However, it’s very important to keep our feet on the ground, to know that we have big goals and to look ahead.”
OFFENSIVE
STRATEGIES The attacking unit is finding consistency in front of goal, but Croci-Torti prefers to broaden the discussion to the whole team. The first goal, he explains, actually stemmed from a move that involved a defender making a run forward: “The first goal came from Hannes Delcroix, who is our centre-back and pushed forward to create a numerical advantage. The whole team is playing higher up the pitch.”
LOOKING AHEAD TO UPCOMING MATCHES
The bianconeri’s fixtures are coming thick and fast. First, the European away fixture in the Faroe Islands, then the Swiss Cup against Vedeggio: Croci-Torti is keeping the team focused and urging them to take it one step at a time. “Thursday’s match will be an extremely tough one: the conditions will be completely different from today’s, on an artificial pitch. We need to stay focused and keep our feet on the ground.”
And on the upcoming Swiss Cup fixture, he adds: “Vedeggio are a Second League side who’ll give it their all here. One opponent at a time: right now we’re fully focused on the next fixture, which certainly won’t be a walk in the park.”
Croci-Torti’s words confirm FC Lugano’s current run of form, but also point to the direction the squad is taking: consistency, focus and the ability to stay on track, without letting themselves be distracted by the pressure of the result.