Wikipedia

FC Thun

Fussballclub Thun 1898is a Swissfootballteam from theBernese Oberlandtown ofThun.The club plays in theSwiss Challenge League,the second tier of theSwiss football league system,following relegation from theSwiss Super Leaguein the2019–20 season.The club plays at theStockhorn Arenawhich accommodates a total of 10,000 supporters, both seated and standing. The club's colours are red and white.

Thun
Full nameFussballclub Thun 1898
Founded1898;127 years ago(1898)
GroundStockhorn Arena
Capacity10,000
ChairmanAndres Gerber
ManagerMauro Lustrinelli
LeagueSwiss Challenge League
2023–24Swiss Challenge League, 2nd of 10
Websitehttps://fcthun.ch
Current season

The biggest achievements in the club's history are two second-place finishes in theSwiss Cup(1955 and 2019), as well as reaching the group stages of the2005–06 UEFA Champions League.

History

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Participation certificate of the FC Thun, issued 20. July 1936
Chart of FC Thun table positions in the Swiss football league system

Until 1995

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FC Thun was founded on 1 May 1898. The club played in the second Swiss division, the Nationalliga B (now known asSwiss Challenge League) from 1946 to 1950 and in the 1953–54 season. At the end of the 1953–54 season, the team finished in second place only behindFC Luganoand was promoted to the first division, the Nationalliga A (now known as theSwiss Super League), for the first time in the club's history. However, the club finished the1954–55 seasonin second to last place and was relegated back to the second division after playing just one season in the top flight. In 1955, Thun reached the final of theSwiss Cup,which was lost 1–3 toLa Chaux-de-Fonds.

From 1955 to 1970, Thun continuously played in the Nationalliga B, before being relegated to theSwiss 1. Liga,back then the third tier of the Swiss football league system, at the end of the 1969–70 season.

From third division to Champions League

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In 1995,Andy Eglibecame the manager of Thun. Two years later, at the end of the 1996–97 season, Thun regained promotion to the Nationalliga B for the first time since 1970. Under managerGeorges Bregy,the club took part in the1999–2000 Nationalliga A/B playoff games,but could not secure promotion to the first league and remained in the Nationalliga B. From July 2001 to December 2004 the team was coached byHanspeter Latour.Under his management, Thun was promoted to the Nationalliga A after 47 years of absence from the Swiss top flight at the end of the 2001–02 season. After Latour left Thun to coachGrasshopper Club Zürich,Urs Schönenbergerwas appointed as the new head coach.

Thun finished the2004–05 seasonin second place only behindFC Baseland thus became runners-up of the Swiss championship, which was rebranded from Nationalliga A to Swiss Super League by then. This constituted the best league result in the history of the club and also secured the club a place in thequalifying roundsfor theChampions League.By beatingDynamo Kyiv(3–2 on aggregate) andMalmö FF(4–0 on aggregate) in the qualifying rounds, FC Thun reached the group stages of the2005–06 Champions League.They were drawn in Group B alongsideArsenal,AjaxandSparta Prague.They started their campaign on 14 September 2005 awayat Arsenal,where after equalising throughNelson Ferreira,they narrowly lost 2–1 afterDennis Bergkampscored in the match's final seconds. On 27 September they hosted theCzechchampions Sparta Prague at home, theStadion Wankdorfin Bern, where all the club's European home matches were held, as the Lachen Stadium does not meet Uefa's prerequisites for Champions League venues.[citation needed]Thun's 1–0 victory thanks toSelver Hodžić's 80th-minute winner propelled them into second place in the group. Following a loss to Ajax on 2 November, they lost 1–0 at home to Arsenal and with Ajax beating Sparta Prague, FC Thun exited the Champions League. However, Thun drew 0–0 with Sparta Prague in their last group match, securing third place in the group and thus qualifying for theUEFA Cup Round of 32.

Despite his success, coachUrs Schönenbergerwas regarded as a controversial figure by the club management because of his uncompromising nature and communication style.[1]Just three days prior to their Uefa Cup tie againstHamburger SV,on 13 February 2006, Thun sacked Schönenberger, who had guided them to the Champions' League group stages and replaced him withHeinz Peischl.In the first leg, Thun managed a surprise 1–0 over Hamburg at theStade de Suisse.However, Hamburg was too strong at their home, theVolksparkstadion,and managed to overturn the deficit, winning the second leg 2–0 (2–1 on aggregate).

Between first and second division

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FC Thun before their 2013 Europa League match againstDynamo Kyiv

FC Thun finished the2007–08 seasonin last place and was subsequently relegated to the second division. Two years later, the club won the2009–10 Swiss Challenge Leagueand was promoted back to the Super League under head coachMurat Yakin.Yakin led the team to a fifth-place finish in the following season but left Thun to assume the role as head coach ofFC Luzernbefore the start of the2011–12 season.Under the new coachBernard Challandes,the team played in thequalifying roundsof the2011–12 Europa League.After winning againstAlbaniansideKF Vllaznia Shkodër(2–1 on aggregate) and advancing againstItalianclubUS Palermobecause of theaway goals rule(3–3 on aggregate), Thun lost 1–5 on aggregate toStoke Cityin the final play-off round and thus missed qualification for the group stages.[2]

Urs Fischertook over management of the team in January 2013 and lead FC Thun to a fifth-place finish in the2012–13 season.In thequalifying roundsof the2013–14 Europa League,Thun won againstGeorgianteamChikhura Sachkhere(5–1 on aggregate),SwedishsideBK Häcken(3–1 on aggregate) as well asFK PartizanfromSerbia(3–1 on aggregate) and thus qualified for the group stages of the competition. They were drawn in Group G againstRapid Wien,KRC GenkandDynamo Kyiv.In their group, the team won only one out of the six fixtures (1–0 against Rapid Wien) and lost the other five games, finishing last in the group and dropping out of the competition.

After finishing 4th in the 2018–19 Swiss Super League, FC Thun were eligible for the3rd round UEFA Europa League qualifiers.Drawn againstSpartak Moscow,FC Thun lost both legs and 3–5 on aggregate to the Russian team.[3]

In 2019, FC Thun reached the final of theSwiss Cupfor the second time in the club's history. They lost the game 1–2 againstFC Basel.[4]In November of the same year, PMG,Chien Leeand The Seelig Group invested in the club and became the co-owners of FC Thun football club.[5]

Thun finished the2019–20 seasonin second to last place and had to face the runners-up team of the 2019–20 Challenge League,FC Vaduz,in the relegation play-offs. After losing 0–2 in the first leg played away inRheinpark Stadion,the 4–3 victory in the second leg was not enough to win on aggregate, which meant that FC Thun was relegated to theSwiss Challenge League.[6]In thefollowing season,the club reached second place in the Challenge League and qualified for the promotion play-offs, but lost 4–6 on aggregate againstFC Sionand remained in the second division.[7]Carlos Bernegger remained as manager for the2021–22 seasonwhich saw Thun finish in 5th place. The team were awarded was awarded the Fair Play Trophy for the dieci Challenge League.[8]

The following season was more of the same for Thun, finishing in 6th place.Gabriel Kyerematengfinished the season as the third highest goalscorer (16) and was nominated for March's player of the month award.[9][10]Bernegger left FC Thun at the end of the season to be replaced byMauro Lustrinelli.[11][12]

Under Lustrinelli for the firstfull season,Thun finished second, three points behind championsFC Sion.They qualified for the promotion playoff againstGrasshopper Club Zürich.The first leg of the playoff finished in a draw, and the second leg Thun lost 2–1 at home following an injury time goal fromAsumah Abubakar.FC Thun goalscorerKoro Konéwas sent off in the 94th minute.[13][14]Ahead of the 2024–25 season, captainMarco Bürkisigned a two year contract extension.[15]Daniel Dos Santoswas sold toFC Luganoafter a 10 goal and 9 assist season.[16]FC Thun made 11 signings in the off-season, includingDeclan Frithwho had played for bothAston VillaandChelseaacademy sides in England,Ashvin BalarubanfromNeuchâtel Xamax,Fabio FehrfromFC Vaduzand Genis Montolio who previously played for Villarreal in La Liga.[17][18][19]In addition, FC Thun were picked as favourites for promotion, and at their final home friendly match versusFC Sochauxrevealed their new mascot Münggu a 2m tallmarmot.[20][21]In July, FC Thun launched their new home shirts manufactured byMacronand sponsored byVisana.[22][23][24]They opened the new season with two wins againstFC Aarauand FC Vaduz, before a draw with newly relegatedStade Lausanne-Ouchy.A victory in game week four againstEtoile Carougeleft them top of the table.[25]FC Thun were drawn away in the first round of the2024–25 Swiss Cupagainst SC Schwyz who qualified under the Suva Fairplay Trophy rules. FC Thun won 6–0 at the Tschaibrunnen sports complex.[26]

Crest

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FC Thun's centenary crest used in 1998

FC Thun's first crest was a black logo script of the team name, with a prominent football coloured red, black and green. In 1998, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the club's formation, FC Thun used a logo with the name script in black, on a background showing the number 100 in red and yellow.

For the 2010/11 season, following promotion to the Swiss Super League, FC Thun utilised a developed version of their original logo, with yellow added (and green removed) with "Berner Oberland" text added to the lower right side of the football.

The current red and white logo with yellow star has been used since 2011.

Kit Suppliers & Sponsors

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FC Thun kits[27]
Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor (chest) Shirt sponsor (other)
1898-1998 Unidentified Unknown Unknown
1998 Lotto Deichmann
1999 - 2005 Adidas Frutiger AG Adelbodner
2005-2007 Hummel
2009-2010 Erima Axpo
2011-2012 Panorama Center (Home)
SkyWork(Away)
2013-2017 Nike Panorama Center (Home)
Schneider Software AG (Away)
2017-2019 Schneider Software AG
2020-2024 Macron
2024-2025 Visana

Stadiums

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Inside the Stockhorn Arena

From 1945 until 2011, FC Thun played their home matches atStadion Lachen.The stadium held 10,350 fans in a mixture of standing and seating. FC Thun played their final game at Lachen in May 2011, beatingAC Bellinzona3-1.[28]

In 2005, when FC Thun qualified for theChampions League,they were required to use theStade de SuisseinBern.[29]

In 2006, the citizens of Thun refused to finance a new stadium withpublic funds,leaving FC Thun needing to find alternative investment or risk no longer being eligible to play professional football.[30]A private contractor offered to build the stadium with construction work beginning in spring 2010. The stadium would feature a shopping mall. The new stadium - at that time calledArena Thun- was officially inaugurated on 9 July 2011, with a friendly match between1. FC Kölnand FC Thun.[31]Köln's strikerMilivoje Novakovićwas the first player to score in the new arena, and the game ended in a tie (2:2).[32]In 2014, Stockhornbahn AG (which runs anaerial cablewayto theStockhorn) began sponsorship of the stadium, which became known as the Stockhorn Arena.[33]

Current squad

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As of 16 September 2024[34]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules;some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK SUI Nino Ziswiler
4 DF ESP Genís Montolio
5 DF GER Dominik Franke
6 MF SUI Leonardo Bertone
7 MF SUI Miguel Castroman
8 MF SUI Vasilije Janjičić
9 FW FRA Hermann Tebily
11 FW ENG Layton Stewart
16 MF SUI Justin Roth
17 DF SUI Ashvin Balaruban
18 FW CGO Christopher Ibayi
19 DF SUI Jan Bamert
23 DF SUI Marco Bürki
No. Pos. Nation Player
24 GK SUI Niklas Steffen
29 MF ENG Declan Frith
30 GK SUI Jan Eicher
33 FW SUI Marc Gutbub
36 MF SUI Enis Asani
37 DF SUI Lucien Dähler
46 FW SUI Hélios Sessolo
47 MF SUI Fabio Fehr
64 GK SUI Dario Wälti
70 MF SUI Nils Reichmuth
74 FW MKD Elmin Rastoder
77 MF SUI Franz-Ethan Meichtry
78 MF SUI Valmir Matoshi

European record

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  • Q= Qualifying
  • PO= Play-off
Season Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate
2005–06 UEFA Champions League Q2 Dynamo Kyiv 1–0 2–2 3–2
Q3 Malmö FF 3–0 1–0 4–0
Group B Arsenal 0–1 1–2 3rd
Sparta Praha 1–0 0–0
Ajax 2–4 0–2
UEFA Cup R32 Hamburger SV 1–0 0–2 1–2
2011–12 UEFA Europa League Q2 Vllaznia 2–1 0–0 2–1
Q3 Palermo 1–1 2–2 3–3
PO Stoke City 0–1 1–4 1–5
2013–14 UEFA Europa League Q2 Chikhura Sachkhere 2–0 3–1 5–1
Q3 Häcken 1–0 2–1 3–1
PO Partizan 3–0 0–1 3–1
Group G Dynamo Kyiv 0–2 0–3 4th
Genk 0–1 1–2
Rapid Wien 1–0 1–2
2015–16 UEFA Europa League Q2 Hapoel Be'er Sheva 2–1 1–1 3–2
Q3 Vaduz 0–0 2–2 2–2(a.)
PO Sparta Praha 3–3 1–3 4–6
2019–20 UEFA Europa League Q3 FC Spartak Moscow 2–3 1–2 3–5

Former coaches

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Honours

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References

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  1. ^"Der ewig Kompromisslose"(in German).NZZ Online (nzz.ch).19 February 2006.Archivedfrom the original on 8 December 2023.Retrieved12 November2022.
  2. ^"Stoke 4-1 FC Thun".bbc. 25 August 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 12 November 2022.Retrieved12 November2022.
  3. ^"Spartak Moskva (RUS)FC Spartak Moskva 2 1 Thun (SUI)".uefa.
  4. ^"Basel holt 13. Cupsieg"(in German). srf.ch. 19 May 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 12 November 2022.Retrieved12 November2022.
  5. ^"Strategic partnership between FC Thun Bernese Oberland and the Pacific Media Group (PMG)"(in German). fcthun.ch. 26 November 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 13 January 2020.Retrieved12 November2022.
  6. ^"Spätes Aufbäumen reicht nicht: Thun scheitert an Vaduz und steigt ab"(in German).Kicker.11 August 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 12 November 2022.Retrieved12 November2022.
  7. ^"Sion unterliegt Thun, bleibt aber erstklassig"(in German). srf.ch. 30 May 2021.Archivedfrom the original on 12 November 2022.Retrieved12 November2022.
  8. ^"Fair Play Trophys gehen nach Lugano und Thun"[Fair Play trophies awarded to Lugano and Thun]. 1 June 2022.
  9. ^"Wir suchen den" Best Player "des Monats März"(in German). Swiss Football League. 6 April 2023.
  10. ^""Best Player" im März ist: Cedric Itten "(in German). 13 April 2023.
  11. ^"Bernegger verlässt den Club Ende Saison".fcthun.ch(in German). FC Thun. 4 May 2022.Retrieved16 June2022.
  12. ^"Willkommen Mauro!".fcthun.ch(in German). FC Thun. 16 June 2022.Retrieved16 June2022.
  13. ^"GC erkämpft sich in letzter Sekunde ein Unentschieden".srf.ch(in German).
  14. ^"GC hält sich gegen starkes Thun in extremis in der Super League".srf.ch(in German).
  15. ^"Marco Bürki verlängert bis 2026 beim FC Thun".fcthun.ch(in German).
  16. ^"Daniel Dos Santos joins FC Lugano".bluewin.ch.
  17. ^"Sunderland, QPR miss out on 22-year-old forward after recent bids".the72.co.uk.
  18. ^"Frith und Meichtry unterschreiben beim FC Thun".fcthun.ch(in German).
  19. ^"Update Kaderplanung: Vier Spieler neu beim FC Thun".fcthun.ch(in German).
  20. ^"Thun go into the new season as favorites".bluewin.ch.
  21. ^"Neues FC Thun Maskottchen".fcthun.ch(in German).
  22. ^"Neue Trikots Saison 24/25"(in German).
  23. ^"Langfristige Partnerschaft mit Visana".fcthun.ch(in German).
  24. ^"FC Thun hat neuen Hauptsponsor – und trennt sich vom Investor".thunertagblatt.ch(in German).
  25. ^"Thun wins top match in Carouge".bluewin.ch.
  26. ^"Schweizer Cup: Ein unvergesslicher Tag für den SC Schwyz".football.ch(in German).
  27. ^"FC Thun".footballkitarchive.
  28. ^"Abschied vom Stadion Lachen".derbund.ch(in German).
  29. ^"Thun's fairy tale journey to Highbury".telegraph.co.uk.
  30. ^"Schnappschüsse aus fast 60 Jahren im Lachen".bernerzeitung.ch(in German).
  31. ^"Stockhorn Arena".stadiumguide.
  32. ^"2:2 gegen den FC Thun"(in German). fc-koeln.de.Retrieved18 June2014.
  33. ^"Das Thuner Stadion wird zur Stockhorn Arena".bernerzeitung.ch(in German).
  34. ^"FC Thun Berner Oberland – Kader".fcthun.ch.Retrieved4 November2024.
  35. ^"Thun coach takes players' advice and quits".uk.reuters.20 November 2012. Archived fromthe originalon 6 March 2016.
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