Lugano vs Red Star: Riera Without Katai and Bukari
Red Star took 22 players to Switzerland without Katai, Ivanic, Bukari and three other first-teamers, and Riera says the rules apply to everyone. The hosts are unbeaten after ten rounds.
First time, second time, and now a third: Albert Riera spent Wednesday in Lugano explaining to the same reporters why Aleksandar Katai is not on Red Star’s travel list. He walked into the press conference talking with captain Rade Krunic, and his answer began with the words “I told you the first time, the second time…”, before moving on to the rules he says he wrote down the moment he took over the club.
“I’ll tell you a third time if it matters that much to you. When I came to the club, I wrote a paper in the dressing room with clear rules. In my team the rules have to be respected, and if they aren’t, then it’s not a football team, it’s a circus. I’m not a dictator, or an autocrat, or a policeman. I’m not their father either. Everyone can’t just do what they want, because my teams are always organized. Second, the club has not had the results in Europe it wants for a long time. I want stability, balance, calm.”
That is how the Spanish coach explained the decision on Katai, who, according to B92, was suspended internally for two games over his behavior after being substituted in the match against Radnicki Nis. The first-round league phase match in the Conference League is played today, October 15, at 6:45 pm at the AIL Arena in Lugano, and it is broadcast on Arena.
Who stayed at home?
Riera took 22 players to Switzerland, among them Mateus, Sava Radanovic, Yuta Nakajima, Milos Veljkovic, Stefan Gudelj, Vasilije Kostov, Marko Arnautovic, Mohamed Cam and Bamba Dieng. Those who did not travel:
- Aleksandar Katai, temporarily dropped from the squad by the coach’s decision
- Mirko Ivanic
- Loizos Loizou, returned injured from international duty
- Derrick Luckassen, injured in Kragujevac (Novosti spell him Mitchell Lukasen)
- Osman Bukari and Abu Fani, both suspended
Cam had to leave the pitch at Cika Daca, but he is among the travelers and is in contention for Lugano. According to B92, Krunic has recovered from the muscle injury he picked up in the Belgrade derby and is back in training, though whether he plays depends on the coaching staff’s assessment. Novosti nevertheless put him in the starting lineup and expect a 3-4-3: Mateus; Nakajima, Gudelj, Tebo Ucena; Krunic, Elsnik, Gastarov, Kostov; Cam, Balov, Dieng. The open question is the second winger, where Lucic, Kim and Balov are competing, with Balov closest to a start.
Riera himself did not reveal the lineup. Asked by Mozzart Sport why he is swapping sides for Nakajima and Luckassen, he answered sharply.
“I don’t know if tomorrow against Lugano I’ll play with the full-backs in their own positions or the other way around. They don’t know how we’ll play either. Did we play any game badly? Check again. When we lose, the idea is bad. When we win, it’s a good idea. You are journalists, you have to know what you are writing about, or don’t comment.”
What kind of host awaits Red Star?
After ten rounds of the Swiss league, Lugano have nine wins and one draw, no defeats, and lead the table. Their only dropped points came against Young Boys (2-2). Before that they beat Lausanne, St. Gallen and Lucerne in turn, scoring four goals each time, and the last match, against Lucerne, ended 4-0. The two clubs have never met in an official competition.
Red Star arrive as leaders of the Superliga, with 31 points after 11 rounds (ten wins and a draw), and won their last league match in Kragujevac against Radnicki 1923 by 3-0. Europe was harder over the summer: they reached the Conference League after going out in the Champions League qualifiers and in the Europa League play-off, where they lost the second leg to Viktoria Plzen 5-1 and gave up a three-goal lead from the first match.
Mozzart Sport lists the odds as Lugano 2.70, draw 3.60, Red Star 2.55. Odds change until kickoff.
What do the coaches say?
Riera tried to keep expectations grounded: “Tomorrow we are not playing a qualifier, we are playing a game for three points. It would be nice to start with a win, but if something else happens, it won’t be the end of the world.” He gave his assessment of the state of the team without sugarcoating: “I’ve only been at the club for two months. We are in a process. We are quite far from what we want.” Lugano are not unfamiliar to him, since he beat them as coach of Celje. Ahead of the match he also said: “I’m here so the team improves, plays well and wins.”
Home coach Mattia Croci-Torti spoke about the visitors without arrogance, but also without fear.
“We are playing against a team with a rich history and great international experience, used to playing in the Champions League and the Europa League. It is a team used to winning and dominating in its own league. This will be a tough challenge, but we are not afraid. We respect them a lot and we are ready.”
At the press conference Riera also mentioned the upcoming fixtures: “We will play against Gent and Copenhagen.” In the league phase, besides Lugano, Red Star will also face Copenhagen, Inter Escaldes, Gent, Iberia from Tbilisi and Trabzonspor.
Who is the referee?
The match is officiated by German Florian Badstubner, assisted by his compatriots Sven Wasicki and Filip Hive. The fourth official is Florian Exner, and the video assistant room is staffed by Christian Dingert and Patrick Hanslbauer, also Germans. Badstubner has never refereed a Red Star match, but he took charge of the game in which Partizan lost to Dynamo Kyiv 6-2 in Champions League qualifying two years ago.
Red Star therefore play their first league phase match without six players from the earlier period, against an opponent that has not yet lost in its league. The first answer on whether Riera’s idea is sustainable comes after 6:45 pm, and the broadcast is on Arena.
