3 goals in the last 5 games. Luca Jaquez is currently Lucerne's most prolific defender. He owes most to his mother and sister, the 21-year-old shooting star tells blue Sport.
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- Luca Jaquez is currently the high-flyer at FC Luzern. 3 goals in the last 5 league games - no other Lucerne player is currently scoring as often as the central defender.
- blue Sport met up with the 21-year-old on the pitch where he used to play as a youngster. On the artificial turf of the Lucerne neighborhood club SC Obergeissenstein.
- Here, the U21 international raves about his two favorite people, his mother Petra and sister Elena. "They mean everything to me. They've been by my side since I was little. Even as a little boy, they supported me at every tournament and every game, and they still do now."
- On Sunday, FC Luzern will host GC, who have made a poor start to the season. blue Sport will broadcast the match live, kick-off is at 4.30pm on Sunday.
3 goals in the last 5 league games. Lucerne defender Luca Jaquez (21) is currently the most prolific scorer. This is not surprising, as he played up front in the FCL youth team and emulated Neymar.
Until FCL legend Michel Renggli converted Jaquez into a defender at U18 level. The youngster was not at all enthusiastic about Renggli's idea. "It didn't suit me at all at first. I always dreamed of an attacking career. It took me a few weeks, but then I came to the conclusion that I should give myself a chance at center-back," the 21-year-old told blue Sport. He has no regrets. "As it turned out, it was the right decision."
Junior coach Renggli and Mario Frick, who has unreserved confidence in the youngster in the Super League, are undoubtedly two very important people in Jaquez's career.
But the two most important are his mother Petra and his older sister Elena. "They mean everything to me. They've been by my side since I was little. Even as a little boy, they supported me at every tournament and every game. Even here on this pitch," says Jaquez, pointing to the artificial turf of the Lucerne neighborhood club SC Obergeissenstein, where he played until the age of 10. "And they still do now. I don't know how I could play football without them."
He is very grateful to them for sacrificing so much time and energy to always support him, Jaquez continued. "They are extremely important to me."
Sister Elena was in gymnastics for five years as a child, but then had to take a back seat. "I was the younger one and had to be driven. My sister had to sacrifice herself."
Did he never feel guilty that Elena's gymnastics career fell by the wayside? Jaquez smiles and says: "Back then, football was all that mattered to me and I didn't think that far ahead. But now, looking back, it certainly wasn't entirely fair." But it's not a problem. "She's extremely happy for me."
In September, the FCL extended the contract with its home-grown talent until 2028. Mother Petra and sister Elena were present when the contract was signed.
Nevertheless, it is conceivable that they will soon have to travel further to see Luca play. Jaquez has played his way into the notebooks of bigger clubs with top performances at the back and three goals up front. So far, he has always scored with his head - which is why blue Sport presenter Gianni Wyler has already dubbed him "Air Jaquez".
Renggli is confident that his former player can make the leap abroad. And Jaquez? The 21-year-old, who has also played the last three games for the U21 national team, thinks big and says: "I dream of the Champions League. And playing for the senior team has always been a dream - now just in a different position."
