Swiss Club Lugano Prepares to Face Maccabi Tel Aviv in Conference League Playoff

Maccabi Tel Aviv will face Swiss club FC Lugano in the upcoming UEFA Conference League playoff following Maccabi's elimination from the Europa League qualifiers. Lugano, based in the Italian-speaking canton of Switzerland, has a modest trophy history with three league titles, the last in 1949, but currently leads the Swiss Super League after winning its first three matches this season. The club, which won its fourth Swiss Cup in 2022, is coached by 44-year-old Mattia Croci-Torti, who has managed Lugano since 2021 and previously coached lower league teams Chiasso and Adriese.

Croci-Torti employs a 3-4-2-1 formation focusing on possession-based football starting from the back three defenders. The team's standout player is new striker Kevin Behrens, who scored seven goals and provided two assists in seven games this season and previously played for Union Berlin and Wolfsburg. Lugano's squad market value is approximately 38.5 million euros, slightly higher than Maccabi Tel Aviv's 36 million euros. Key players include Italian right-back Mattia Zanotti, valued at 8 million euros, goalkeeper Daniel Van Buyten from Young Boys, Honduran winger Derek Mokenda, and veteran Swiss international Renato Steffen.

Lugano plays at the Cornaredo Stadium, which holds 6,330 spectators. Although the club has limited European success, it reached the Conference League round of 16 two years ago and this season advanced past Kosovo's Dukagjini and Faroe Islands' Runavik. Swiss media are optimistic about Lugano's chances for their first league title of the 21st century, but coach Croci-Torti remains cautious, acknowledging the team's strong form while preparing for challenges ahead.

Maccabi Tel Aviv is expected to be Lugano's toughest opponent this season, setting the stage for a competitive playoff encounter next week.