The realisation that they had managed to secure a valuable point, coupled with the intention not to overwork the players who, today and in the future, can make the difference. Manager Mattia Croci-Torti’s post-Young Boys press conference focused on various aspects, from an analysis of the match to his thoughts on individual players.
THE NINETY MINUTES AT THE AIL ARENA
"The expected goals, which looked better on paper for Young Boys, were down to their lightning-fast and dangerous counter-attacks. Our defence, clearly, could have done better – not least with von Ballmoos, who conceded a goal whilst injured. Apart from that, there was another factor worth highlighting: Steffen’s substitution, which caused the team to lose some of its composure. In the end, David wasn’t using his right foot anymore, and perhaps I should have taken him off sooner. However, I didn’t want to waste a substitution slot. When a team loses two leaders like that, it’s easy to fall apart. Instead, this Lugano side showed they were determined to fight back. I’m extremely pleased about that, because we were up against a tough opponent who always manage to drive the ball forward. In my view, the draw is a fair result, even though we didn’t perform well in the last fifteen minutes of the first half.”
PREPARATION FOR THE MATCH
"We prepared for the match with Steffen capable of causing problems for the opposition. In fact, that’s exactly what happened in the first twenty minutes. Loris Benito struggled to contain him and we had space in our defensive third. In short, it was the sort of match we wanted to play. In the second half, however, we reacted, changing our style of play several times. There are some matches where it’s easy to let your guard down. We didn’t want to lose two key players, but the team showed its strength, and that’s what I’m taking away from tonight. Just like the mentality we showed, starting with Ezgjan Alioski’s composure and Albian Ajeti’s presence in the box, which allowed players like Moncada and Pihlström to break free down the flanks.’
THE FANS’ CONTRIBUTION WAS DECISIVE
"It was a back-and-forth affair, and it was a shame to have conceded that one extra goal. However, the sell-out crowd spurred us on not to lose the match and to keep showing positive signs. We didn’t draw by chance. From the 65th minute onwards, Lugano took control of the match again, which I really liked. The lads did brilliantly to get the crowd behind them and make defensive recoveries against an opponent who, with so much space to play in, is very hard to contain. We knew we couldn’t win every match. However, we know we have a team that always wants to improve.”
THE AJETI TRANSFER
"When we signed Albian, we were aware that he was far from fit, given that he’d effectively been dropped from the Basel squad. With him, however, we’ve secured the striker we were missing in the penalty area. He’s not yet fit enough to press the way we do. But with the three-week break, he’ll have the chance to get back into shape.”
NEXT STEPS
"The injuries that plagued the first part of the season affected our full-backs. Then, Kevin Berens’ injury threw us off balance a bit. Now, we must hope that Dereck Moncada and Hannes Delcroix (who are flying overseas for four matches with Honduras and Haiti) don’t return too fatigued. Our attacking style of football requires the right players. And, in that sense, I can only praise a lad like Bekhruz Karimov, whose attitude has been incredible from the very first moment he set foot in our changing room.”
Men's First TeamSeptember 12, 2026