Slettvoll prepares for the 1985/1986 season knowing that it may indeed be the most important one in the club's history bianconero. The buying campaign brings to Lugano two more pawns of good hope: Sandro Bertaggia and Andy Ton while Jörg Eberle returns from Davos, veteran of two national titles. With them also comes a talented Grisonian: Roberto Triulzi from St. Moritz.
March 1, 1986, Lugano Swiss champion! A season to be framed that ends with the most coveted prize, namely the delivery to captain Kaufmann of the cup of the first Swiss playoffs won on the beautiful rink of Davos. Hero of the evening and of the entire championship once again Kenta Johansson with no less than four goals in the decisive game that overturned the score from 2-4 to 7-5! The Davos rink was tinged with bianconero with more than 3,000 fans following the team. And that night the era of the Great Lugano begins.
Following the saying 'you can't change a winning team' Slettvoll faced his first season as defending champion with the same players as the previous year. Only the arrival of goalkeeper Urs Räber, destined to relay with Thierry Andrey, should be noted.
During the 1986/87 season, which always saw Lugano at the top of the standings, the architect of what would turn out to be the greatest tussle in Ticino derby history, Mats Hallin, also passed through Lugano for a few games. 86/87 was also the season that launched Lugano into Europe. Victorious first in East Berlin, the bianconeri eliminate what was considered at that time the strongest Western team ever: Cologne! No Swiss team had ever managed to reach the final stage of the European Cup. In the league, Lugano repeated in a big way, winning its second national title in the playoff final against Kloten. At the end of the season, however, several mportant pawns leave Lugano: Waltin, Lörtscher, Kaufmann, Triulzi and Von Gunten.
To replace the several departures, mainly due to the retirement from competitions, the Finnish Kari Pekka Eloranta, the slinger Peter Jaks, Thomas Vrabec, Didier Massy and Remo Walder are called for the 1987/1988 season. In spite of Slettvoll having a team to build, Lugano confirmed its dominance in the championship. After dominating the regular season, in the playoffs it won its third consecutive title, again at Kloten's expense.
I bianconeri s impose themselves in the final in three games by winning the last match at the Resega with a goal by Vrabec in overtime under a literally delirious North Curva! Note of credit also for the European Cup held in an enthusiastic Resega. The guests of honor are none other than the legendary CSKA Moscow, then great world leaders with legends Larionov, Makarov, Krutov and Fetisov, Färjestad and Kosice. Nothing, however, can Lugano do against these holy monsters of European field hockey.
John Slettvoll and Geo Mantegazza 's Lugano conquered first place in the 1988/1989 regular season as well. However, when spring approaches, the Bernese bears dragged by the phenomenal Renato Tosio wake up from hibernation and steal the title from Lugano! The never-ending challenge ends after five battles at the Resega, under the incredulous eyes of the fans bianconeri. For the first time since the introduction of the playoffs, Lugano leaves the national title to an opponent. The great disappointment leads to the painful separation of the public from its great idol: Kenta Johansson. With him, Peter Jaks also returns to his Ambri and Thierry Andrey also leaves Lugano.
Thus, goalkeeper Markus Bachschmied, defenseman Patrice Brasey and American unknown Lane Mc Donald are called up to revive Lugano in the 1989/1990 season. Unfortunately, the latter, late in the season, has to say goodbye to field hockey because of a serious eye problem. Lugano is forced to look for a new foreigner and signs Czech Dusan Pasek. Disqualified the latter after a violent tussle against Ambrì, Wizard Slettvoll decides to call a little Japanese-Canadian named Steve Tsujiura to Lugano for the playoffs. This little big man will be behind the fourth national title of the bianconeri, forming with Ton and Eberle a terrible trio! In the final, Lugano took revenge for the previous season by winning in four games and taking the title in the impressive Allmend rink packed with fans bianconeri. Eberle and his teammates inscribe for the fourth time Lugano's name in the golden roll of Swiss field hockey. A success that practically closes the era of the great Lugano and with it the era of a president beloved by the public, that of Geo Mantegazza. The Presidentissimo in fact leaves the team in the hands of Fabio Gaggini.
