UEFA CUP Updates (Bellinzona and Vaduz) and Lichtsteiner moves to Lazio!

The first leg of the UEFA Cup was played today and Super League teams Bellinzona and Vaduz were involved.

Bellinzona defeated the Armenian team Ararat Yerevan 1-0 away courtesy of a Mangiaratti goal at the 21st minute. This was Bellinzona’s first European game in their history and they qualified for the competition having been last year’s Swiss Cup Finalists (where they lost 4-1 to FC Basel).

FC Vaduz will have a hard return leg. The Liechtenstein side (who plays in the Swiss League) lost the home game to Bosnians HSK Zrinjski Mostar 1-2. Ziric opened the score for the visitors, Fischer drew at the 32nd minute but an unfortunate Iten own goal at the 90th minute condemned the home team. The return leg is going to be very tricky and Vaduz will hope to avoid an early exit.

Young Boys and FC Zurich will play in the second round (14th and 28th of August).

Lichtsteiner will play for Lazio!
Swiss International Stephan Lichtsteiner (who played all of Switzerland’s Euro 2008 games) was transferred from Ligue 1 side Lille to Serie A side S.S. Lazio for 1,8 million euros. He will take the place of fellow Swiss international Valon Behrami who has been linked with moves to Everton, Werder Bremen, West Ham and Wolfsburg.

Summer Friendlies
FC Luzern lost 2-1 to Liverpool in a pre-season friendly. Leiva and Voronin scored the two goals for the Reds while Mario Gavranovic (on a short trial from Lugano) scored for the home team.

Grasshopper Zurich defeated Partizan Belgrade 3-1 courtesy of Zarate, Touré and Vitor and coach Hanspeter Latour had the chance of trying some young players.

Young Boys won the OBI Cup defeating Wolfsburg in the final with a 3-2 score, scorers were Raimondi, Hochstrasser and Frimpong. In the 3rd/4th place game Botafogo defeated Vitoria Guimaraes 2-1.

Other transfers
Neuchatel Xamax bought two new players: Mickaël Niçoise from the Belgians of Mouscron and the Argentinian defender Ivan Alejandro Furios from Cordoba.

Bellinzona has a new player in Frenchman Vincent Bernadert from Gueugnon.

And get comfortable and ready! The Swiss Championship starts tomorrow with a big clash: Young Boys vs Basel at 20.15. Here’s the schedule:
Friday: Youngs Boys vs Basel
Saturday: Aarau vs Sion
Sunday: Luzern vs Vaduz & Neuchatel Xamax vs Zurich
Wednesday: Grasshoppers vs Bellinzona