Football Season Guide

Like most sides who finished the 2017/18 season inside the midtable places, Lugano are coming from a rather turbulent campaign which saw them eventually manage to pull away from danger. The Ticiners' did not achieve safety without drama, however, as they were battling against the drop before making the bold move to have a managerial change late in the season and replace Pierluigi Tami with the 29-year-old Guillermo Abascal. Lugano's form certainly improved under the young Spaniard, but the big question regarding them now is whether their form late in the previous season was a purple patch or a sign of things to come under their new manager. Despite having a new manager in charge, Lugano are among the sides that change the least during the summer break. Davide Mariani is the sole player of real note to have left, while the list of arrivals includes no players who are proven Super League quality. Akos Kecskes and Edoardo Masciangelo have been described by the club's scouts are promising signings but are unknown quantities at this stage. The Ticiners were a typical counter-attacking outfit ever since winning promotion to the top flight back in 2015 but, going into their fourth consecutive Super League season, look set to change their footballing philosophy, with Abascal being a fan of a more attacking-minded style of football. This brave new philosophy could work out either way for the Luganesi.