The central Swiss are not better in the second leg on the way to a 2-0 win, but they are more efficient and lucky than their strong opponents from the Challenge League. Now that the fear of relegation has been banished, Lucerne longs for more stability. Once more.
Filip Ugrinic jubilantly takes off his jersey after the redeeming 2:0.
Barrage is playoff. Two games, one final record. full stadiums. Charged atmosphere. FC Luzern suffered a 2-0 win against FC Schaffhausen in the second leg of the barrage, which secured them a place in the league. Especially in the first half, there are scenes in front of the Lucerne players’ bench that are symbolic of the fact that this afternoon is also a game of nerves for the upper class.
The referee warns protagonists on and supporting actors off the pitch. People shouted on the sidelines, waved their hands, talked to the fourth referee, and verbally attacked the opponent. A different kind of play-off form. Questions have arisen after the Swiss Football League introduced play-offs for the 2023/24 season.
Is this league and its surroundings play-off-ready? After a barrage match, why isn’t there a police intervention and tear gas, as happened a few days ago at the Schaffhausen train station? And what would have happened if the emotionally fragile FC Luzern had conceded a goal in their own arena?
Lucerne benefits from a hands penalty
After the 2-2 win in the first leg, the favorite undoubtedly has the better scoring chances and the luck of the game with a hand penalty, which Marvin Schulz converted to 1-0 in the 19th minute. Schaffhausen are better in terms of play, but only become dangerous in the opposing penalty area in the final minutes, although they know that Joaquín Ardaiz, the top scorer in the Challenge League (20 goals this season), is in their ranks.
Lucerne celebrates frenetically Marvin Schulz, the goal scorer to 1-0.
Whether Ardaiz will stay in Schaffhausen has now become even more unlikely. The straying of his Schaffhausen predecessor Rodrigo Pollero (19 goals in the 2020/21 season) to Zurich and Lausanne in the Super League should be a warning sign for Ardaiz. Not everything that is good in the Challenge League can simply be refined a class further up.
The bottom line for the league is merciless: only a few mourn that they will not see FC Schaffhausen in the Super League. The average number of spectators in the new stadium is modest with just over 1000 people present. Before the match, a former Schaffhausen coach is asked about the opaque processes in the club leadership. Who pays what? “We’re not going to open this barrel now,” he replies. At the same time, he suggests that in-depth investigations might be worthwhile.
Lucerne looks back on a bad first half of the season
While the Schaffhausen team will probably fight against FC Lausanne-Sport and FC Aarau for the two promotion places in the increased Super League next season, the stressed FC Luzern can calm down for the time being. The first half of the season was so miserable that the club couldn’t get over the fear of relegation and more millions of holes until the end, although his second half of the season with the new coach Mario Frick was good – behind FC Zurich and FC St. Gallen the best, up the same amount as FC Basel.
This is how the checkered history of Central Switzerland continues. They are capable of good halves of the season, but not good years. A high like the 2021 Cup victory, which covered too much, is followed by a low that almost ends in a descent. The development with coach Frick gives reason for hope in Lucerne. Once again. Stability is the order of the day. But after the wealth of experience of recent years, skepticism runs through every crack in Lucerne.
