The final day of the Hoval Promotion League season sees Lugano U21 take on Kreuzlingen away from home on the shores of Lake Constance. The match ends in a 1–1 draw (1–0).
The backdrop is the ‘Bodensee Arena’, an ice hockey venue hosting the home matches of EHC Kreuzlingen, a team competing in the 2nd League, is the classic setting of the ‘Sportanlage Hafenareal’, the pitch on which the bianconeri’s second team play their thirty-fourth and final fixture of this competitive season, the highlight of which came three weeks ago with the mathematical confirmation of their survival in the division.
The home side’s opener, scored by Adrian Rama-Bittefeld after nine minutes, broke the deadlock in a match played under the scorching late-May sun, in which manager Andrea Vitali welcomed back Alessio Chiesa, who had recently served a one-match suspension due to an accumulation of yellow cards. Ahmadou Ndiaye was confirmed in goal, skilfully denying the eastern Swiss side a second goal with a prodigious dive to save Uchenna Anioke’s diagonal shot.
The match was a classic end-of-season fixture, with little tactical play and both sides, certain to face each other again next season, ready to go head-to-head. In any case, chances to change the score were limited to an attempt by Reda Laidouci, which was saved low by Ndiaye as the clock ticked towards the half-hour mark. The same young Lugano goalkeeper is then alert to a header from Tristan Matković as the first half draws to a close, sending the teams into the dressing rooms with the home side, the Biancoverdi, leading by a single goal.
Well into the second half, and with the score still at 1-0, the Ticino coaching staff opt for a double substitution. Besart Shabanaj and Bryan Zurmühle made way for Tobia Donnini and Ian Tiraboschi. The move immediately paid off, as Yuri Peverelli, sent through on goal, was brought down as soon as he entered the penalty area. Referee Patrick Rogalla immediately pointed to the penalty spot, where Milad Amirzade stepped up to level the match with a low, angled shot that was touched lightly but not decisively by Philip Faderl.
Shortly afterwards, for the Confederation side, manager Rahim Kürsat Ortancioğlu altered his line-up, bringing on five fresh players all at once. Despite this, the fatigue of an exhausting season took its toll in the closing stages of the match, the highlight of which was Tiraboschi’s straight red card. Otherwise, there was little or nothing to report, save for the fair share of a point between Kreuzlingen and Lugano U21, which allows both teams to retain their respective league positions (fourteenth for the Thurgau side and fifteenth for the Ticino side).
Once the match was over, manager Andrea Vitali commented on the events as follows, rounding it off with a general analysis of the season: ‘We conceded a goal from a throw-in and were caught off guard on that occasion. However, after that, we played better than them and the second half also started in much the same vein as the first. For that reason, we deserved the draw, which came from a penalty. In the closing stages, fatigue began to take its toll. With the sending-off, we dropped back a bit, but that was to be expected. This year we’ve given a significant number of young players a chance to play. We’ve only taken the first step, because we need to become competitive. Starting with the next season. We’ve encountered a few minor issues during the second half of the season, but that’s to be expected, given it was part of the club’s strategy to bring in so many teenagers early on. From the summer onwards, we’ll see if we can compete with anyone.”
MATCH REPORT
Hoval Promotion League, Matchday 34
Sportanlage Hafenareal, Kreuzlingen (TG) - 483 spectators
FC KREUZLINGEN - FC LUGANO U21 1:1 (1:0)
GOALS: 9' Rama-Bitterfeld 1:0, 56' Amirzade 1:1 (penalty).
FC KREUZLINGEN (3-4-1-2): Faderl (63' Nuñez dos Reis); Geisselhardt (63' Selmanaj), Seeger, Matković; Ismaili (63' Wild), Marinović (63' Kecanović), Alleheri, Ukaj; Rama-Bitterfeld; Anioke (63' Muata), Laidouci.
Substitutes: Bartolomeo.
Manager: Rahim Kürsat Ortancioğlu.
FC LUGANO U21 (3-4-2-1): Ndiaye; Krueziu (84' Heller), Chiesa, Chakor; Shabanaj (53' Donnini), Amirzade, Gervasini, Peverelli; Raffa (84' Jagodić), Parente (65' Riva); Zurmühle (53' Tiraboschi).
Substitutes: Pellanda, Radić.
Manager: Andrea Vitali.
REFEREE: Patrick Rogalla.
ASSISTANTS: Michael Gilli and Pascal Schuler.
BOOKINGS: 21' Laidouci, 49' Zurmühle, 90' +1' Gervasini.
SENT OFF: 81' Tiraboschi.
Men's U21May 30, 2026