Swiss Stadia: Cornaredo, FC Lugano

 

Ever since I moved to Switzerland, I’ve found a lot of interest in FC Lugano. The summer I arrived here was also the summer Lugano were bought by Joe Mansueto, who then appointed Mattia Croci-Torti as head coach, despite his extremely limited resume.

Under Mansueto and Croci-Torti, Lugano have not only transitioned from a fluctuating top-flight side (after years of financial difficulties) to one that has never since finished outside the top 4, competing in Europe multiple times and picking up their first trophy in almost 3 decades with victory in the Swiss Cup in 2022, but have also become a team built on positive, aggressive, and fluid football. The latter may have meant their physical success has been limited, but it has earned the club – and Croci-Torti in particular – a lot of praise for their approach to the game. Their move to the newly built Ail Arena from next season will, they hope, take them closer to tangible proof of the club’s development.

On top of that, Lugano represents a region of Switzerland that so often goes unnoticed. Ticino is the 5^th largest Canton (8^th by population), and is the only Italian-speaking region of the country, yet it often feels overshadowed by the more prosperous and famous regions. Its natural beauty is as impressive as anywhere else Switzerland has to offer, and cities like Lugano and Bellinzona offer just as much for tourists as Zurich, Bern, and Luzern, but Ticino sits as something of a hidden gem, only known to those who know it. The fact that, from next season, Lugano will be its only representative in the top two divisions of Swiss football is somewhat reflective of how it stands in comparison with the rest of the country. Though the people of Ticino will make it clear that they are Swiss and not Italian, the fever for football reminiscent of their Southern neighbours is clear to see when you travel around the canton. Milan, Inter, Juve… the flags are hung from balconies and windows everywhere you look. Football is clearly a significant part of life there. So why are Lugano, apparently, the only game in town? And how do they convince more people to pay attention to the great things they have been doing over the past few years?

One way might just be to move stadiums. After 75 years, Lugano are leaving Stadio Cornaredo and heading… right next door, to the newly built Ail Arena. With over 8,000 seats and UEFA-appeasing amenities, Lugano’s new home will, no doubt, be a positive step in the club’s development, but they’ll be leaving behind a stadium that – while not producing much in the way of silverware – has a unique and intangible quality that, so often, is disappearing from the sport. As such, I had to make the journey to Cornaredo before it faded into the past.

In a distinct contrast to many stadiums in Switzerland, Cornaredo isn’t much to look at. Not from a design perspective anyway. Scaffolding surrounds much of the North and South stands, which sit – disconnected – from the grandstand. An odd, out-of-place, glass-fronted “corporate” section sits on one of the corners, but separated from the pitch by a running track which, now, only makes it about halfway round the ground. The stadium itself is separated from the main road by fencing which doesn’t add much to the charm of the area, but seems to fit with the rough and ready style that blends so well with the sea of black and white shirts that mill around before kick-off. Colours are always pretty consistent in match-going supporters, but Lugano make it easy – pull on something black, and off we go to the game. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a blanket sartorial approach outside of a club’s ultras. Annoyingly, I went with white on the day, but my lack of Italian would have rumbled me as an outsider immediately anyway, so it felt appropriate to advertise my standing out on arrival.

Stepping into the stands didn’t reveal much more than what was visible from the outside. Cornaredo is a ground that, realistically, needs to be left behind. Even the pitch was starting to show the wear and tear that the aforementioned scaffolding was holding up; a clear juxtaposition to the vibrancy of Lugano on the pitch. Years ago, in my visit to Wankdorf – far more emblematic of Lugano’s new home – I was blown away by how aggressively Young Boys implemented their dominance on the pitch. This time, the boys from Bern were pressed back for almost the entire game, as Croci-Torti’s side attempted a wide variety of tactics to pull them out of line. But, with European qualification still on the line, dominance needed to be turned into a result, and while Lugano had a lot of the ball, it wasn’t until the second half that real chances began to appear as the Young Boys defensive lines tired and splintered. Not that the visitors didn’t have their own opportunities: as Lugano pushed, gaps opened behind them, and Monteiro almost snatched the lead on 75 minutes, heading the ball down and onto von Ballmoos’ post.

But 10 minutes later, dominance paid off. Papadopoulos recycled his own blocked header from a corner, fed it back to Anto Grgic, who swung the ball back in where – out of the crowd – rose Renato Steffen, so often the talisman of this side. He diverted his own header into the bottom corner, to the delight of the home support, basking in the evening sun. Ail Arena will be hosting at least one team from outside Switzerland next season. Well, two, if you count Vaduz.

I’m intrigued to see how the Lugano fans I shared my day with will adapt to the far more pristine surroundings of their new stadium, as I felt the atmosphere within Cornaredo gelled so wonderfully with the informal setting of the ground. Old friends and regular neighbours were on show throughout the game and half-time, as fans chatted, mingled, and caught up with just about anyone they came across. As always, Lugano’s ultras made the noise, but there was far more involvement from the general fanbase around me than I’ve found at other grounds. The cheers and celebrations that followed Steffen’s late winner was everything you’d want from a stadium, despite Cornaredo’s distinctly unpolished nature. As with every club who makes a move the likes of which Lugano are embarking on, I worry that some of that vibrant informality will be lost in the rigidity of a new ground. I hope to be wrong on that front. I’ll certainly be back to check it out as soon as I can.