FF Lugano 1976

Football Femminile Lugano 1976 known as FF Lugano 1976 or simply Lugano are a Swiss women's football team from Lugano, Ticino who play domestically in the Frauen Nationalliga A.[3]

FF Lugano 1976
Full nameFootball Femminile Lugano 1976
Founded1976
GroundStadio di Cornaredo
Capacity6,330[1]
ChairmanEmanuele Gaiarin
ManagerMassimo Migliorini[2]
LeagueNationalliga A
2018–192nd
WebsiteClub website

Since 2015 and through their chairman Emanuele Gaiarin, encourage young American footballers who have played NCAA soccer to play for them by providing free accommodation and classes in Italian.[4] Through this approach, they finished second in the 2018–19 season and made their European debut in the 2019–20 Women's Champions League. The majority of the current squad are American.

History

The club was founded in 1976 by Andrea Incerti, originally as AS Armonia Lugano but later, in 1983, the club was incorporated into Rapid Lugano and renamed to FCF Rapid Lugano.[5] They won their first league title in the 1988–89 season.

From 1978 to 2009, the club organised an internationally renowned Easter tournament[5] containing both domestic and international teams. Lugano won this tournament nine times, including three tournament wins in a row between 2005 and 2007.[6] At the end of the 2006–07 season, FC Rapid Lugano finished in the last place and was relegated to the Nationalliga B. In the 2015–16 season, after its return to the Nationalliga A, the club changed its name and became Football Femminile Lugano 1976.

Current squad
As of 25 September 2020[7]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
12 GK  ITA Miriam Ubaldi
28 GK  USA Morgan Bertsch
6 DF   SUI Sara Tonelli
14 DF   SUI Nathalie Polledri
15 DF  ENG Helen Seed
20 DF   SUI Mia Von Ballmoos
24 DF  USA Kelly Chicerking
7 MF  USA Lauren Curtin
8 MF   SUI Stella Suter
No. Pos. Nation Player
16 MF   SUI Mathilda Andreoli
17 MF  KVX Anila Bytyqi
22 MF   SUI Sofia Pedrazzini
23 MF  USA Kat McDonald
9 FW  USA Tori Baliatico
10 FW  COL Lina Granados
17 FW  USA Christina Bellero
18 FW  USA Samantha DePinho
21 FW  USA Kaela Dickerman
25 FW  USA Ashley Herndon

Record in UEFA Women's Champions League

Lugano made their Champions League debut in the 2019–20 season, losing in the round of 32 to Manchester City.[8]

Season Round Opponent Home Away Agg
2019–20 Round of 32 Manchester City 1–7[9] 0–4[10] 1–11

References
  1. "Lugano - Cornaredo Stadium". www.myfootygrounds.co.uk. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  2. Lugano 1976, F. F. (1 October 2019). "A huge congratulations to @MassimoMiglio for signing on as our new head coach! We are excited for what's ahead pic.twitter.com/NMxOtgiPUX". @FFLugano_1976. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  3. Profile in UEFA's website
  4. Goff, Steven. "16 U.S. soccer players find a home in Switzerland — and in the Champions League". The Washington Post. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  5. "FF Lugano 1976 - Home". luganosport (in Italian). Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  6. "Torneo Internazionale Femminile di Lugano (Switzerland)". www.rsssf.com. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  7. "Lugano - UWCL - Squad". UEFA.com. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  8. "Man. City-Lugano | UEFA Women's Champions League". UEFA.com. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  9. "Lugano-Man. City | UEFA Women's Champions League". UEFA.com.
  10. "Man. City-Lugano | UEFA Women's Champions League". UEFA.com. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
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