Lausanne faces a crucial Europa Conference League qualifying match against Sigma Olomouc on Thursday, with manager Peter Zeidler acknowledging the quality of the Czech side after a challenging first leg. “The quality of Sigma Olomouc is real, we saw that in the second half,” Zeidler said, referring to a match where Lausanne was overtaken. He added that his team struggled to maintain their aggression and intensity, failing to control possession and force their opponents to run.
Zeidler is looking for a repeat performance of the strong second half displayed in a recent 2-1 loss to Lugano, despite the defeat. “Dominating a team that’s always competing for the title makes the approach to the next match easier,” he explained.
The Swiss club is currently experiencing a seven-match winless streak across all competitions, their longest of the year, but Zeidler remains optimistic. “Yes, we’re in a results slump, but the performances have always been correct and positive,” he stated.
Elimination from the Europa Conference League would leave Lausanne focusing solely on the Swiss Super League, where they currently trail the top six by six points with seven matches remaining before the league splits into championship and relegation groups. A second consecutive European qualification is looking increasingly distant.
Despite the stakes, Zeidler emphasized that the match against Olomouc isn’t the most key of the season for Lausanne. “It’s possible we’ll be eliminated on Thursday night. We’re remarkably proud to be playing in two competitions and we’ll fight for them until the end. There will be another big match on Sunday against Basel,” Zeidler declared.
“Spring is in the Air in Lausanne”
Lausanne will rely on their home advantage, including their enthusiastic supporters and their fast synthetic pitch, which has proven beneficial in European competitions. However, Zeidler cautioned, “The pitch won’t score goals for us, nor will it prevent counterattacks.”
The conditions have changed since the first leg, which was played on a poor grass surface in the Czech Republic. Sigma Olomouc had only one training session on Lausanne’s pitch to adjust – immediately following a training session for the Swiss women’s national team, who are preparing for the 2027 World Cup qualifiers.
Lausanne hopes to advance to the round of 16, where they would face either AEK Larnaca (Cyprus) or Mainz (Germany). “We’re ready, everyone is looking forward to this match. The weather will be good, it’s spring in Lausanne! Everything is in place for a great match,” said the ever-enthusiastic Peter Zeidler.
