FC Lugano did not shake and dominated Saint-Gall (4-1). At Wankdorf, the Ticino opened the scoring through Zelar in the 5th minute. The Saint-Gallens had the credit of equalizing by Maglica in the 21st, but the men of Mattia Croci-Torti then managed to find the fault three times to win a trophy behind which Lugano had been chasing since 1993.
St-Gall was not undeserved but proved to be too naive and too lax against the hyper-sharp and efficient Ticinese. The 10,000 supporters who had made the trip from across Gotthard ended up taking over the 20,000 or so St. Gallen fans.
This coronation under the eyes of the Ticino president of the Confederation Ignazio Cassis marks the return to the forefront of a club which had gone bankrupt in 2003, before rebuilding itself patiently.
Ziegler’s paw
Lugano started the part with their feet on the floor and found the fault in the 4th on a sudden appearance of Celar, their best gunner before St-Gall equalized from a corner.
But the Luganese continued their rides and were rewarded just before the break by the 2-1 signed Custodio. The whole of Ticino roared when Bottani, trained at the club, emerged to register the 3-1 which sounded the hallali on the hour mark. And the Ticino joy was total after the swift Haile-Selassie 4-1 shortly after.
Special mention, at the end of this final, to the three titular Vaudois in Lugano, Ziegler, Custodio and Lavanchy. Reto Ziegler, in particular, crowns in a superb way a career – moreover not finished – started in 2002 with the title of European champion U17 with Switzerland. He also won the Turkish Cup twice with Fenerbahce and the Swiss Cup for the first time with Sion, in 2015.
Good mix
This bianconero success is also that of a well-planned project, thanks to the millions of American owner Joe Mansueto and the local know-how embodied by local players and Ticino management under the leadership of young coach Mattia Croci-Torti.
A neophyte at this level, the coach with the cap had only experience working as an assistant in Chiasso and Lugano and a first role as coach in Balerna. This trophy will give a great boost to an entire region, three or four years before the inauguration of Nuovo Cornaredo, the club’s future showcase.
ats/tzing