Soccer
Surprise in the round of 16: Rotkreuz ousted the top FC Schaffhausen from the competition
The Zug first division team manages the next hurdle: thanks to the 2-1 victory over Schaffhausen, they secure a place in the cup. The winning goal came late.
He scored the most important goal: FC Rotkreuz’s Genc Krasniqi.
And suddenly the pitch stormed: Genc Krasniqi just scored 2-1 for Rotkreuz and now there was no way to stop them. The pitch speaker shouted desperately that the fans would have to leave the lawn quickly, as the match was still in progress. But there were only a few seconds left, then referee Turkes whistled – then it’s over, the feeling. Simon Grether, who won the cup with FC Luzern in 2021, was beaming, couldn’t believe it and said:
“This is the cup, the stories are written there.”
Fourth class FC Rotkreuz (1st division) have already managed to eliminate top of the range Chiasso and Kriens from the Promotion League in the first two rounds. A surprising development, because in the spring of 2018 the inhabitants of Zug were still playing in the 3rd regional division. Four years later and three more leagues, the ambitious club has no problem keeping up and has now proven they are capable of making a splash in the cup multiple times.
FC Rotkreuz are now also a TV celebrity
And since last Sunday evening, FCR has also become famous, Swiss television has broadcast a contribution to the program “Super League – Highlights”. The goal before the match against Challenge League FC Schaffhausen was coach René Erlachner, who will give up his 35-year coaching career at the end of the season, never as a professional. In his coaching career he had knocked the Grasshoppers out of the cup with Baden and Xamax with Wangen an der Aare. And now the Oltner garage has handled another, possibly last, coup with Rotkreuz.
From the start, the Red Crossers had no intention of playing on the sidelines. Every opportunity was taken to attack. In terms of the number of doors, the locals even had an advantage. But Red Cross goalkeeper and later match winner Genc Krasniqi was unable to take advantage of him (12/15/28). Instead of being ahead, Zug fell behind in the 29th minute. Schaffhausen star Raul Bobadilla (Mönchengladbach, Augsburg) was able to cross in extremis in the center, where Robin Kalem scored 1-0.
However, it did not bring peace to the upper-class game. The game became hateful, the referee had his hands full. The atmosphere was hot, the 100 Schaffhausen fans who had traveled with them diligently misted the not particularly lit square with the smoke of the pyrotechnic material they had brought with them. The locals raised their voices and whistled at every controversial decision: there was something going on in the otherwise quiet Rotkreuz. And then they went crazy when Guto Cappellini drew on a pass from Grether in the 84th minute. And even more so when Krasniqi scored for 2-1. “Now we’re going to celebrate a little bit, we deserve it,” Grether said, laughing.
Rotkreuz – Schaffhausen 2: 1 (0: 1)
Dorfmatt (artificial grass). – 650 spectators. – Turkish SRs. – Injustice: 29. Kalem 0: 1. 84. Guto Cappellini 1: 1. 92. Krasniqi 2: 1. – Red Cross: Ngongo; Grether, Latifi, Classer Rodriguez, Trachsel; Clay, Gregory Cappellini, Field Pes; Allou, Two Saints, Krasniqi. – Schaffhausen: Ruberto; Krasniqi, Serge Müller, Lurvink, Lika; Sarr; Soldo (46. Stevic), Cherny (46. Gonzalez); Axel Müller Odriozola (89. Sliskovic); Kalem (73. Maouche), Bobadilla.
