Lugano-Maccabi match raises security concerns

On Thursday evening the Cornaredo stadium hosts the match between Lugano and Maccabi Tel Aviv, part of the Conference League playoffs. Concerns over public order are growing around the game. Past incidents during some of the Israeli fanbase's European away trips weigh on the occasion, as do tensions linked to the war in the Middle East, which remain very much alive.

On the day of the match, a pro-Palestinian mobilisation against the Israeli club's presence is planned in Ticino. The organisers are calling for participation from beyond the canton as well. They object to the team's presence, speaking of racism, of «sionismo suprematista» (supremacist Zionism) and of «sportwashing», and announce that the protest will be «netta, visibile e determinata» (clear, visible and determined).

In recent days the Movement for Socialism put twelve questions to the government on the measures planned to guarantee security and prevent the situation from degenerating into clashes or violence.

The record of past incidents

Michele Giorgio, an RSI contributor reporting from Jerusalem, reconstructed on Seidisera the most problematic away trips by Maccabi supporters. An investigation into the 2024-2025 season attributes 118 episodes of racist chanting to the club's fans, linked to the growing weight of ultranationalist factions within the organised curva.

The cantonal police are cautious. They say they are monitoring the situation without disclosing details of the planned security arrangements.

Lugano's deputy mayor Roberto Badaracco, responsible for the Sport department, is also concerned and criticises UEFA: «Trovo un po' spiacevole che in questo caso non abbia avuto forse il coraggio di non far partecipare le squadre israeliane, vista la situazione molto delicata perché dovunque in passato sono andati, si sono creati momenti di scontro» (I find it somewhat regrettable that in this case it perhaps did not have the courage not to let the Israeli teams take part, given the very delicate situation, because wherever they have gone in the past, clashes have occurred). For Badaracco the situation «non è facile da gestire» (is not easy to manage).

A large turnout is nonetheless not expected. The FC Lugano security manager, Giordano Ferrari, urges a distinction between organised supporters, ordinary sympathisers, people already present in Switzerland, and relatives or acquaintances of the Israeli community. The estimate is around a hundred people in total. This is not, however, a reason to underestimate the risks: the security measures planned for the match will be greater than those adopted for previous games this season.