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

After being eliminated from the Europa League qualifiers, Maccabi Tel Aviv will face Swiss club FC Lugano in the upcoming Conference League playoff. Lugano, based in the Italian-speaking canton of Switzerland, is not as decorated as Basel or Young Boys but has started the local league strongly with three wins in three matches, currently leading the table. The club has won three Swiss league titles, the last in 1949, and last season claimed its first-ever championship.

Lugano is coached by 44-year-old Mattia Croci-Torti, who has managed lower league teams before taking over Lugano in 2021. Under his leadership, the team won its fourth Swiss Cup in 2022 and qualified for the Conference League qualifiers by finishing third in the league last season. Croci-Torti favors a possession-based style with a 3-4-2-1 formation. The team’s standout player is new striker Kevin Behrens, who previously scored against Maccabi Haifa for Union Berlin in the Conference League. Behrens has netted seven goals and provided two assists in seven games this season.

Lugano’s squad value is estimated at 38.5 million euros, slightly higher than Maccabi Tel Aviv’s 36 million. The most valuable player is Italian right-back Mattia Zanotti, worth 8 million euros. Other notable players include goalkeeper Daniel Van Buyten from Young Boys, Honduran winger Derek Mokenda, and veteran Swiss international Renato Steffen. Lugano plays at the small Cornaredo Stadium, which seats 6,330 spectators.

Though Lugano has limited European success, it reached the Conference League round of 16 two years ago and has already passed Kosovo’s Dukagjini and Faroe Islands’ Runavik this season. 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 challenges ahead. The upcoming match against Maccabi Tel Aviv is expected to be their toughest test this season.