Already in the last act of 2016, the historic number 10 was present: Mattia Bottani, a real record…
«I would say that it is an "unachievable" dream that has come true. I grew up in Pregassona, 500 meters from the Cornaredo stadium, and I was already fantasizing about a future full of emotions in football. I started at 5 years old in the Rapid chicks, then the transition to Football Club Lugano it was natural, also because I am closely linked to my city, which I have always loved beyond football."
Your career is dotted with over 300 games in the black and white shirt, with a single parenthesis in Wil during the 2016/2017 season. What was the reason for your departure?
«The final lost in 2016 against Zurich, conditioned by the penalty that Faivre had saved for me at 0-0, was certainly the most painful moment of my career, together with the three ankle operations that had compromised my 2018. When you miss a such a "heavy" goal, you see and re-watch the scene endlessly, you ask yourself a thousand questions without answers, you are destroyed. Leaving my city for Wil helped me react."
Winning the 2022 Swiss Cup against St. Gallen, with that liberating Tardelli-style scream over your safety net, was the turning point...
«The 3-1 was a very nice goal also for the action that developed from the defense in just three passes. The trophy, at that point, was ours! Haile-Selassie's 4-1 was then the classic icing on the cake. A success that swept away the sense of guilt that had afflicted me for years and that I dreamed of redeeming in just that way. These are emotions that are priceless."
And to think that in January of that triumphant 2022 you could have moved to Sion...
«The offer from the Valais president Christian Constantin was practically indispensable, the money I would have earned was really a lot. The account opened with the cup had an important role in my choice, also because it would have meant a demanding change for my children. In the meantime, Clea (who is now 1 year old) has also arrived to complete the "team" together with Soleil (4), Lionel (5) and Christian (10)».
The names of the boys, who both grew up in FC Lugano, connect fans to the deities of contemporary football, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. A case?
«Only for the Argentine champion, who has always been my idol. Beyond the triumphs and recognitions that he has won in his extraordinary career, he impresses with his ability to think and do very complicated things in a simple and spontaneous way. Anyone who handles the ball every day on the pitch understands who Messi is. Brilliant. My bond with the number 10, which I have always had in Lugano, is strengthened by this admiration for Lionel."
Another foreign figure, an internationally admired coach, stimulated your growth: Zdenek Zeman…
«It was certainly fortunate for me and my teammates to be able to face the return to the Super League, in 2015, with such a highly rated and confident leader. The quality of his training helped us improve our overall quality and his offensive philosophy enriched me. Simply special. Credit goes to the then president Angelo Renzetti, who managed to bring him to Cornaredo."
Also special is the current coach, Mattia Croci-Torti, now known throughout Switzerland as the "terrible Crus". The growth of his Lugano has been impressive…
«I'm happy for him and for Ticino, it's always a pleasure to work in a family context, even if I believe that the squad available is complete and valuable. In addition to giving you extraordinary motivation, Croci-Torti has strategic management of the group, facilitated by the five changes introduced after COVID. Every player is aware that he must be ready, because at any moment he has his "chance", as a starter or as a substitute, to be deployed and help the team. I also appreciate the offensive system of the "Crus", with which I have an open dialogue regarding my physical conditions, which have slowed down my form on several occasions. He always finds the energy to motivate me and the whole team."
The new American ownership, headed by Joe Mansueto, has facilitated the evolution of a club that today ranks among the best in Switzerland with a now constant presence in European competitions...
«Not only has the squad expanded with classy players from Renato Steffen's CV or experienced men like Jonathan Sabbatini, managed on and off the pitch with great professionalism. Progress is often made up of details, the entire corporate structure has played an important role not only in the qualitative expansion of the squad, but also for the people who work around the club. As Lugano footballers we have entered a global dimension thanks to a careful diet, broader communication and an expanded structure that facilitate our role on the field."
The well-known Illinois entrepreneur has turned the page thanks to considerable economic strength…
«We perceive Joe Mansueto's presence above all through the organization he has established in Lugano since 2021. His vision is also outlined in the departments that the public cannot perceive through the purely sporting atmosphere experienced in the stadium. I was lucky enough to meet him by chance right at the stadium, while he was having lunch. The impression I had formed from his contacts in videoconference with the team and the press was confirmed. Joe Mansueto is a friendly and proactive person, who immediately put me at ease. Moreover, I am honored that his Chicago Fire had asked for my transfer to Major League Soccer. Even (and above all) in this case the priority for the family had prevailed."
The reality abroad remains above all your first participation in the 2017/2018 Europa League…
«Another indelible moment. The impact with the competition framework, the stadiums, the UEFA officials, the organization and the environment was just as exciting as being on the pitch for six high-level matches. I'm sorry that we narrowly missed out on progressing to the next round, but still achieved three prestigious victories. I hope to be able to play in a European cup again in the new stadium in Lugano, which we are all eagerly awaiting to inaugurate in 2026."
Euro 2024, Murat Yakin's new challenge
Murat Yakin took office on 9 August 2021, gaining access to a World Cup and a European Championship in his first experience leading the national team. “We have achieved all the objectives we had set ourselves,” underlines the Swiss coach. «This makes me happy and proud. There was a decline during the Euro 2024 qualifiers, even though we know what we need to improve. We have worked hard in recent months and are ready to face Hungary on our debut." Scotland and Germany are the other two opponents of our group in Cologne and Frankfurt. We need a great team performance: «It's a very strong group, the Germans are favorites as the home team. Furthermore, it is a very balanced group, in which everyone is capable of beating any opponent. Our first objective is to qualify for the second phase of this European Championship near our home, then we will evaluate match by match." Among the seventy players called up in his three-year mandate, the Red Cross selector also relied on Renato Steffen, Uran Bislimi and Mattia Bottani from Lugano: «They played an important role in the growth of the Bianconeri. Not only for their presence on the pitch, but because they know how to take responsibility for the game." Giorgio Contini (his deputy), Patrick Foletti (goalkeeping coach) and Pierluigi Tami (director of the national teams). Murat Yakin's new team speaks Italian. «I understand your language better and better, even if speaking it is a little more difficult for me. I can still order a bottle of good wine in Italian without any problems." Mattia Bottani hopes to open the champagne as a fan: «I will follow Euro 2024 with my children and I wish the best to those teammates who I got to know personally in a retreat full of emotion for me. Yakin is a coach who has already made the most of several young players at international level and his Switzerland has the means to surprise again."
