On Saturday, 31 January, at 8.30 p.m., FC Lugano will play their third match of 2026, facing Grasshopper Club Zurich at the Letzigrund Stadium on the 22nd match day of the Brack Super League. This match comes at an extremely positive time for the Bianconeri, who have started the new year with two convincing victories: a 5-2 away win against FC Lucerne and a 4-1 home win against FC Winterthur have confirmed a steady start to 2026.
It is precisely this positive run that makes the away game in Zurich anything but a foregone conclusion. Grasshopper, currently second from bottom in the table, remain a difficult team to assess, capable of peak performances but also prone to fluctuations.
CROCI-TORTI: WE HAVEN'T WON AT LETZIGRUND FOR YEARS
Mattia Croci-Torti made no secret of the historical difficulties of this stadium, referring in particular to the atmosphere: It's a stadium with a special environment. We haven't won there for years, and to be honest, it's always strange to play at Letzigrund. Sometimes it feels like a desert, there's no rhythm, no energy. It will be our job to find great motivation. A mental aspect that will be crucial for the Bianconeri coach in the course of the game.
As for the opposition, Croci-Torti has made a clear analysis of Grasshopper, describing the team as difficult to assess: They are a special team, capable of incredible performances like the one against Young Boys, but also of solid performances like the one in Lausanne recently. At the same time, however, they have also had moments when they have been unable to maintain their concentration. Therefore, maximum attention is required, especially from the attacking players, without losing sight of their weaknesses: We must skilfully exploit their weaknesses, especially a defence that has not yet found great stability.
On the eve of the match, Marques and Alioski are also out on the left, which will force Lugano to make some changes. However, Croci-Torti exudes calm and reaffirms his confidence in the internal solutions: It's not pleasant to lose two players in the same position, but we have alternatives. Someone will have to interpret the role differently, but I'm not worried. In this context, there is a possibility that Hannes Delcroix will be deployed as left-back, a tried and tested choice: Hajdari has played this position in the past. Delcroix can do this with different qualities, more constructive than driving forward, but that's not a problem.
With regard to the championship, the match in Zurich comes at a time when the level of competition is set to increase. The elimination of BSC Young Boys and FC Basel from the UEFA Europa League means that both teams can now focus exclusively on the Brack Super League again. Croci-Torti emphasised this clearly: Basel has the same number of points as last year when it won the championship. After their elimination from Europe, we are unlikely to see them in any trouble. Even without cup competitions, Young Boys remain a team to be taken seriously, even if they have dropped a lot of points.
KELVIN: IT'S A DREAM TO PLAY FOR LUGANO Damian Kelvin, who joined the club from FC Biel-Bienne in the summer, also spoke at the press
conference, talking about his career and his impressions of Lugano. Being here is something special. Every footballer's dream is to become a professional, and I can live that dream here at FC Lugano. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything in the world, said the player, born in 2002, who also touched on his initial difficulties: The injury slowed me down a bit, but today I feel good. Here I can work, improve and grow: that's exactly what I needed.
Words that are reflected in the appreciation of Croci-Torti, who publicly praised the young defender: Damian is a modest boy with a lot of hunger. He understands his role in this team and never lets himself get discouraged, even in difficult moments. A path that has been built day by day: He still has limitations, but he works very hard. He has earned every minute he has played; I haven't given him a single one for free.
Against this backdrop, FC Lugano is preparing for an away game that will require focus, intensity and character. In a special environment like the Letzigrund and against an unpredictable opponent, the Bianconeri will need to find new motivation to continue their positive run.