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Club - Lugano: Club Facts

UEFA Conference League

Match Day 4 in the UEFA Conference League puts Club Brugge head to head with Swiss FC Lugano on Thursday. Keeping the points at Jan Breydel would be a huge step towards the next round. A win for Club and no win for Beşiktaş means Club is certain of more European nights in 2024. 

The game

The first meeting between the two in Switzerland resulted in a 1-3 win for Club, courtesy of goals by Balanta, Skov Olsen and Vanaken, with Shkelqim Vladi scoring for the hosts. Club hopes to be repeating that trick on Thursday, in what will be the tenth game on the European stage this season. 

Totalling 353 games so far, Club far outdoes Lugano, playing its 38th European fixtures. For the 48th time, teams from Belgium and Switzerland will be meeting. 

Both on the score sheet against Lugano, Skov Olsen and Hans Vanaken have proven the most prolific scorers in Europe so far for Club. De Cuyper, Zinckernagel, Vetlesen and Vanaken all have two assists to their name. With 22 goals in Europe so far, Club has been making his way towards the back of the nets often. The record is only undone by seasons 2001-02 (30) and 2014-15 (29).

Blue & Black have been unbowed in its group so far. Getting past the group stages without conceding a defeat has only happened once in its history: in 2014 the team did not lose in a Europa League group with Copenhagen (Denmark), Helsinki (Finland) and Torino (Italy). To boot, the team has gone unbeaten for seven games in a row by now. Between 2013 and 2016, Club even made it to 16 unbeaten games on a spin. 

The opponent

FC Lugano is not having the best of seasons. Thirteen games into the current, the team is in sixth position with 16 points. On Saturday, another Raffeisen Super League defeat came at the hands of Lausanne (3-1), the team it had just ousted from the Swiss Cup just a few days prior to that (0-4). 

Three men join the top scorers ranking for their team: Shkelqim Vladi, Yanis Cimignani and Zan Celar have all scored three. Renato Steffen is even heading the assist table in Switzerland, having been involved in six goals. 

Milestones 

  • Jorne Spileers and Igor Thiago are up for a tenth appearance for Club in Europe. For the latter, it would even be his 25th in Europe in total. 
  • With 9 European games for Anderlecht, 8 for Lokeren, and 12 for Club Brugge, Denis Odoi could be featuring in a 30th European game. 

The man in black

In charge of next Thursday's game will be Hungarian ref, Mr. Tamás Bognár, assisted by linesmen Mr. Balázs Buzás and Mr. Péter Kóbor. Fourth ref will be Mr. Marton Rúsz. 

Making his debut at the highest level in Hungary in 2006, the man has been appointed in Europe just three years later. Next week, he will be turning 45. 

Mr. Bognár, a first category UEFA ref (the second highest level), has never had a game featuring Club, but has been appointed for games with Antwerp and Genk. This will be the eighth time a Club skipper will be shaking hands with a Hungarian referee at kick-off.