Football Season Guide

Realistically speaking, Lugano no longer have any excuses for not making a title push. The only thing that stopped them last season was attempting to juggle European football and domestic football, and it led to a spate of injuries. After they exited Europe, they did really well in the Super League and almost caused an upset in the title race. They did ultimately finish as runners-up in the Schweizer Pokal too. They've made some seriously good signings in the transfer window, bringing in Papadopoulos to give them that extra CB they found themselves without too often last season, Zanotti (outstanding at RB for St. Gallen last season), and Brault-Guillard to give them more athletic depth at WB - again, something they found themselves without too often last season due to either Valenzuela's injuries or Espinoza's almost 'refusal' to improve. Arguably their best signing has been that of FC Thun wonderkid dos Santos though; a real live wire in the final third, and a natural successor for either Bottani or Steffen in due course (not to mention a bit of a warning nod toward Aliseda). The big loss for Lugano was that of Captain Sabbatini. His role was reduced toward the end of last season because of his age and they coped ok without him. They'll miss his leadership though, and that's apparent by the efforts Lugano made to keep him at the club in a non-playing capacity, which he ultimately turned down. He was their only substantial loss though, and talented boss Croci-Torti had clearly been preparing for it for a while. They've got a bit of everything in their squad now, not to mention one of the most tactically astute managers in the division, enough so for Italian clubs to start casting an eye over him. Losing Croci-Torti would set this club back a lot - he's their most valuable asset in their ascent. The only real concern I have for this team is their lack of a goal-scorer if Celar is out, although it's fair to say that Vladi did enough last season to be given a second chance this season. There are no weaknesses in Lugano's squad though; that's what makes them title contenders. Keep an eye on Mahmoud and Bislimi, both of which were excellent toward the end of last season. If they keep hold of both, and if Aliseda/Valenzuela can stay fit, then there's no reason this team can't win the title - they're more convincing on the pitch than reigning champions Young Boys Bern; they just need to make it count more on the results front.