The call from the FC Lucerne bus

The 23-year-old Diego Martin dreamed of his professional debut alongside several current FC Lucerne regulars – and now, with Zug 94, he’s facing them as opponents.
 

No sooner had the cup draw ended than Diego Martin's cell phone rang. Ruben Dantas Fernandes, Tyron Owusu, Lars Villiger, Pascal Loretz, and Severin Ottiger appeared on the screen. The FC Lucerne professionals were on the team bus returning from their 6-0 victory against Bosna Neuchâtel, and the draw had just revealed that the childhood friends would face each other in the cup round of 16. Zug 94 will play FC Lucerne.

The moment will arrive at 8 pm this Wednesday: friends will become opponents. “It’s really special to suddenly be playing against FC Lucerne,” says Diego Martin. For eight years, the Emmenbrück native wore the blue and white logo on his chest, going through the entire youth academy alongside many of Lucerne’s current professionals. “If someone had told me I’d be playing against my old flame, I wouldn’t have believed them. I always thought I’d be playing for FC Lucerne.”

He dreamed of a professional career at FC Lucerne
Along with many of Lucerne’s current regulars, Diego Martin dreamed of making it to the professional ranks. “I’d been with FC Lucerne since the U14s. I could close my eyes and know exactly how a teammate ran, how they wanted the ball – we’d played together for so many years.” He’s still in daily contact with some of his former teammates.

In the end, unlike many of his childhood friends, he didn’t quite make it into FC Lucerne’s first team. “At some point, I felt like I wasn’t being given enough of a chance.” New age groups arrived and suddenly found themselves in the spotlight. After winning the Promotion League title with the U21 team in 2023, he said goodbye. "It was a difficult departure, emotionally as well. I had to process it first."

His stints at Kriens and Cham followed. Not everything went smoothly. Playing time and goals were scarce, and doubts crept in. "It was a rollercoaster," he says. He now plays for Zug 94 – and has finally rediscovered his love for football. With six goals and two assists, the winger is his team's top scorer. "Things are going very well for me personally at the moment. I feel an enormous amount of trust – from the club, the coach, from everyone. I feel like I'm slowly getting back to the form I used to have."

Diego Martin (second from the left) celebrates with his Zug 94 teammates             Photo: Roger Zbinden
Diego Martin (centre) in the FC Lucerne jersey     Photo: Manuela Jans-Koch
Wearing the Zug 94 jersey, Diego Martin wants to show that: "Hey, I'm actually good enough for FC Lucerne."
Photo: Alexandra Wey

Newly promoted Zug started strong but then slipped into a minor crisis. Last weekend, the team led 3-0 against Schötz after 52 minutes, thanks in part to a goal by Diego Martin, but ultimately let the victory slip away. "We can't afford to squander a lead like that," he says. "In the end, it came down to a combination of our own mistakes." At least Zug managed to salvage a point with a 3-3 draw.

In the cup match against the mighty FC Lucerne, the roles are clearly defined between the first-division side and the Super League team. "We have nothing to lose," says Diego Martin. "We can play freely and try to make it as uncomfortable as possible for Lucerne." Stories like that of FC Biel, who reached the cup final last season, are particularly encouraging.

25 tickets for friends and family
For Diego Martin, it's a match against his former teammates. "I usually just watch them play and cheer them on. Now I'm really excited to play against them and see how good they really are," he says about the encounter with his former teammates. For the explosive winger, who loves taking on defenders one-on-one, it's also a game where he can showcase his skills. "Of course, it's also a chance to show: 'Hey, I'm actually good enough already'.'"

He's currently studying computer science at HSLU in Rotkreuz and is close to completing his bachelor's degree. He also works as a substitute teacher in Emmenbrücke. Nevertheless, he hasn't completely given up on his dream of becoming a professional footballer. "I simply want to reach my full potential. Whether that means playing one league higher, or even two or three – we'll see."

He wants to demonstrate his current form on Wednesday evening,. "I'm hoping for a fantastic atmosphere," he says, and he can count on strong support at the Herti Allmend stadium. He had to organize no fewer than 25 tickets for friends and family. And on the other side are those teammates with whom he once dreamed of his professional debut.