Having made their debut at the AIL Arena with a 1-0 win over KF Dukagjini in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League Q2, it is already time for FC Lugano to return to the pitch. On Sunday 26 July at 4.30 pm, the bianconeri will face FC Vaduz on the opening day of the 2026/27 Brack Super League, marking their league debut at their new home ground.
FROM EUROPE TO THE LEAGUE
Less than 72 hours will pass between Thursday evening’s European fixture and the match against Vaduz. It’s a packed schedule that continues on Wednesday 29 July with the return leg against Dukagjini in Pristina, and will therefore require careful management of the players’ energy levels.
This point was already highlighted by Mattia Croci-Torti after Thursday’s victory: “I’m well aware that in two and a half days’ time I’ll be playing another match, so I need to try and rotate my squad as much as possible right now to maintain balance and ensure the team is ready to win.” The manager also highlighted the importance of starting the official season with a positive result, emphasising the team’s determination to foster a winning mentality right from the start.
AN OPPONENT WE’VE ALREADY FACED
Sunday’s match will be the second encounter with FC Vaduz in the space of just nine days. The newly promoted side, managed by Marc Schneider, was in fact the last opponent Lugano faced in pre-season, in the friendly played on 17 July at Balerna.
On that occasion, the match remained evenly balanced for most of the evening, with Lugano enjoying more possession and creating more chances, whilst Vaduz were well-organised and capable of posing a threat of their own. The game then came to life in the final fifteen minutes: Behrens put the bianconeri ahead in the 76th minute, before Liechtenstein staged a comeback through goals from Djokic in the 80th minute and Dalipi in the 82nd minute to seal a 2–1 victory – Lugano’s only defeat during their summer pre-season.
However, the previous encounter at Balerna was a pre-season fixture. On Sunday, points will be up for grabs and the context will be completely different, with both teams set to begin their campaigns in the new Brack Super League.
GETTING OFF TO A GOOD
START The desire to start the league season well was a theme that was repeatedly emphasised throughout the summer at Juventus. Twelve months ago, the season opener presented a situation that was similar in some respects: on the opening day, Lugano hosted another newly promoted side, Mauro Lustrinelli’s FC Thun, at Cornaredo, with Thun running out 2–1 winners. That victory marked the first step on the journey that would eventually lead the Bernese side to win the first Swiss title in their history.
The aim is therefore to send out a different message right from the start and build on the momentum following Thursday’s European success, whilst also kicking off the new chapter of the Brack Super League in the best possible way at the AIL Arena.
RECENT OFFICIAL
ENCOUNTERS The most recent official match between Lugano and Vaduz took place on 8 May 2021, when the Liechtenstein side won 2-0 at Cornaredo. To find the bianconeri’s last home win, however, we have to go back to 20 May 2017: a 2-1 victory with goals from Armando Sadiku and Davide Mariani.
So, action resumes at the AIL Arena on Sunday at 4.30 pm. Following their first step in European competition, FC Lugano’s campaign in the 2026/27 Brack Super League also gets underway.