BSC Young Boys
Encyclopedia
Berner Sport Club Young Boys 1898 is a Swiss
sporting club based in the capital city of Bern. The name is often abbreviated to YB ([i bε]). Abroad, YB is often referred to as Young Boys Bern. The club's colors are yellow and black.
The club is best known for its football teams. The first team plays in the Swiss Axpo Super League
and has won 11 Swiss league championships and six Swiss Cups. In 1957, YB was named the Swiss team of the year. YB is one of the most successful Swiss football clubs internationally, and reached the semi-finals of the European Cup
in the 1958–59 season. The club famously does not assign the squad number 2. This is particularly reserved for the association.
Since 2005, the first football team has played its home games at the Stade de Suisse, at the former site of the Wankdorf Stadium
. YB are among the best known and most storied football clubs in Switzerland. The Swiss BSC have an active and loyal fan community and have a long-time membership in the association. YB also has a large junior department. The U-21 team (BSC Young Boys II) plays in the 1st League
, which is the third tier of Swiss football.
The club's sports also include field hockey
and bowling
. The women's hockey team also plays in the highest Swiss League.
playing against Fußball-Club Bern, they founded Football Club Young Boys on 14 March 1898. The four of them chose yellow and black to be the club colors.
The slightly older FC Bern submitted an offer to the YB leadership to provide grounds, changing rooms, and equipment if these students would play as a team affiliated with FCB. YB would still have its own leadership and its own statutes. This offer was accepted.
According to club chronicles, the first game was a victory on 17 June 1898 against FC Viktoria. The first official game was on 29 June 1898 against the Institute Grünau. The team had in its ranks a number of prominent players, but the game ended in a tie, and the return game on 17 October went 1–0 for the young Bernese club. Some of the Young Boys appeared increasingly in the FC Bern first team, affecting the incumbent Bern players. On 30 December 1898, the Young Boys held an election to either combine with FC Bern or strike out on their own. The vote by a large majority was to abandon the merger, leading to a bitter rivalry, especially on the part of FC Bern.
Successes in the spring games in 1900 showed that YB was on a successful path. However, many were still convinced that FC Bern was the stronger team. For this reason, the organisers of the Federal Schwingfests arranged a game between the rivals. The game took place on 26 August before some 3,000 people who had mostly come to see an "exotic" sport on display. The game ended, however, with an indecisive score of 1–1. On 17 August, nine days earlier, YB was admitted to the Swiss Football Association.
The two teams were increasingly separated from each other, and their venues also became ever further apart. FC Bern played in the southwestern part of the city, while FC Young Boys place almost in the center. The newly selected sports ground on Schwellenmätteli, however, had its advantages and disadvantages. Due to its location adjacent to the Aar River, the grounds were often flooded and marshy. Because of its central location, however, the club was followed by many Bern residents. With an agreement on 14 October 1901, the club leased its grounds from the city of Bern for three years. The entire area encompassed 10,975 square meters for only 257 francs per month. Therefore, the requirements for a regular playing field were finally fulfilled.
they celebrated a surprising 2–2 draw and on 26 October 1902 a 7–0 victory over Fortuna Basel. In these years YB also came out from the shadow of FC Bern. YB beat their city rivals away 3–1 and on 8 March 1903 5–0 at home. YB won the championship of the Central League and were invited to play in the finals of the Swiss championship. On 22 March was the first final against FC Zürich. YB played, among others, the two Schwab brothers, and they beat Zurich 3–1. On 29 March YB faced the West champion FC Neuchâtel. The guests from Neuchâtel were the clear favorites, because the Bern club had lost to them one month before 1–4. This caused Neuchâtel to make the error of underestimating the Young Boys. The Neuchâtel defense completely broke apart when the YB striker Walter Frey found the net shortly after halftime to post a 1–0 lead. The game ended with a one-sided 5–0 result, and YB after only five years of existence had won their first Swiss football championship.
After having trained for the early years on the Schwellenmätteli, below the Kirchenfeld bridge, YB played from the year 1904 at Spitalacker-Platz. In subsequent seasons the Young Boys did not win the championship but were always in the top three in the regional group. It took six years for YB to achieve further successes. In 1909, the Berners defeated FC Winterthur
in Basel in the finals 1–0. The next year, the Young Boys won the championship finals against FC Aarau
3–1 and against FC Servette Geneva 2–1. Again in 1911, Servette Geneva and FC Zürich could not prevent YB's fourth championship overall and third in a row. It was the first title hat trick in the history of the Swiss Football Association. YB was also in 1910 and the two following years the champion of the "Anglo-cup", the predecessor of today's Swisscom Cup.
At the time, the fans spoke of a time all opponents dreaded, the "YB Quarter Hour" fifteen minutes before the end of the game. The players sustained their efforts throughout the 90 minutes so effectively that the opponents began to run down after about 75 minutes. An example is the 1910 finals between the YB and Aarau, where until the 80th minute the score stood at 1–1. Similarly, in the game against Servette in the final round in 1911, up through the 72nd minute the game was a 1–1 draw, but three goals in the last 18 minutes turned the result decisively for YB to clinch the title hat trick.
In 1913, the English football instructor Reynold Williams became the first coach of the club. Shortly thereafter the First World War
erupted, and Spitalacker-Platz was converted to a potato field. YB arranged to rent facilities at Kirchfeld for 1400 francs per year. The military also made space available at the barracks for the team's use. Despite these hardships, the club won Swiss league championship again in 1920.
After the war, the team again played on the Spitalacker-Platz. However, the ground no longer suited the requirements of the Young Boys, so they searched for alternatives. They found space at the northeastern border of the city at the Wankdorffeld, and construction was initiated.
In 1929, YB once again progressed to the final round of the Swiss championship. The first game, on a Sunday, pitted Urania Geneva Sport against YB, the second a week later Grasshoppers
against Urania GC, and on the third Sunday in the final YB-GC. The first game in Geneva ended with a 0–0 draw, which satisfied the Bernese. When the Grasshoppers beat Geneva in Zurich 3–0, the chances for YB to win the title decreased tremendously. In the third game, the guests from Zurich needed only a draw to win the championship for the third time in a row. For this final on the 30th June, the Young Boys used replacement goalkeeper Erich Jung in the offensive midfield due to staff shortages. Striker Johan Baumgartner also scored a goal and YB prevented the championship hat trick with a 2–0 win.
On 10 February 1930 the club purchased an additional strip of land from the community, having noted that the stadium was too small, increasing the entire area of the Wankdorf stadium ground to 35,585 square meters. The 1930 Young Boys became the first to celebrate a Swiss Cup championship. The Swiss Cup had been initiated only five years earlier following the discontinuation of the Anglo Cup at the First World War. With 30,000 spectators crowding Wankdorf YB beat FC Aarau 1–0. In the following 15 years, YB won neither a league title nor a cup championship. However, the team was also rarely in the bottom half of table.
During this time, Wankdorf continued to expand. The capacity of the stadium increased by building an extension to 42,000 spectators, costing the association an additional 300,000 francs. Furthermore, another training field was added.
Towards the end of 1930s the world economic crisis started and Swiss football felt the effects. The attendance figures fell steadily, and the Sportplatz Spitalacker could no longer meet its financial obligations. After the outbreak of the Second World War
, the club considered selling the stadium. However, through a debt-reduction and the help of the city of Bern in 1943, the finances of the club were rehabilitated. At that point, the stadium group changed its name to "Verein Fussball-Stadion Wankdorf".
During the Second World War, the Bernese succeeded but could not claim a title. Only in 1945, at the end of the war, came the next success: YB won the second Cup against FC St. Gallen
with a 2–0 victory at Espenmoos
. Two seasons later the Bernese were relegated to the National League B. It would be three seasons until they returned to the highest league where they would then remain for over 50 years.
For the 1954 World Cup
, the capacity of the Wankdorf stadium was increased from around 30,000 to more than 60,000 seats.
In the spring of 1953 the Young Boys again advanced to the Cup. YB met Grasshoppers Zürich in the final pairing, and the clubs drew 1–1. Five weeks later the teams met in a replay, which went to the Bernese 3–1. In the summer of that year YB was invited to tour North America. The team played there against some American teams, Liverpool
(1–1), and the Irish national team
(a 4–1 win for YB). YB produced impressive results overseas for Swiss football and was enthusiastically received by thousands upon their return to Bern. From 1957 and 1960, YB were Swiss champions four times in a row, a feat that no other team has accomplished since. During this time YB became one of the more successful teams in European football and was superior to all Swiss opponents. 1958 brought yet another Cup, when YB defeated GC in a final replay 4–1.
Young Boys also achieved success in European competition. At their first appearance in the European Championship they were politically disadvantaged, however. The Bernese drew the Vasas Budapest, the Hungarian club of the Interior Ministry. Some Swiss politicians demanded that no Swiss sports club should have contacts with the Hungarian football club, especially in Bern, the capital. The leaders of Servette Geneva, made their Charmilles Stadium
available for one game. 20,000 spectators supported YB in Geneva during a 1–1 draw against the Hungarians. In the return match the Young Boys fell 1–2. The following year, their opponents in the European Cup were once again from Hungary, this time MTK Budapest. YB won the leg in the Nep Stadium 2–1. 26 November 1958 saw the European premiere in Wankdorf; 28,000 spectators celebrated the Young Boys' 4–1 victory. In the second round, YB met the East German champions SC Wismut Chemnitz and the Wankdorf was filled with 32,000 spectators. The teams drew 2–2 after a 2–0 lead for the Young Boys. A week later, the teams met in the GDR. The game ended 0–0, which at that time required a deciding game. This took place on 1 April 1959 in the Amsterdam Olympic Stadium
before 35,000 spectators, and YB won 2–1. Thus the Young Boys qualified for the semi-finals of the European Championship. Their opponents in the semi-finals were Stade de Reims.
The game of games in the history of the yellow and black took place on 15 April 1959, a rainy Wednesday. 60,000 spectators packed into Wankdorf, but the crowd may have exceeded the official count. After an impressive performance YB won 1–0 on a Geni Meier goal in the 13th minute. The game was a legend in Bern. Stade Reims received the Bernese in the return match at the Parc des Princes
in Paris, where the Frenchmen won 3–0 and thus reached the final. No other Swiss team besides FC Zürich has since found as much success in an international competition as the BSC Young Boys did in this season.
In 1960, YB played internationally once again. In the first round they met Eintracht Frankfurt
. Frankfurt won the first game in Bern 4–1 before 36,000 spectators; in the return game in Frankfurt's Waldstadion
YB at least managed a 1–1 draw. In 1961, the team first went to Ireland where they met Limerick F.C.
. YB won on the island with an impressive 5–0 showing, then again 4–2 in front of 22,000 spectators at Wankdorf in the return leg. In the second round YB met Hamburger SV
, with their star striker Uwe Seeler, in what was the first European Cup game in that team's history. 45,000 spectators were at the game in the Wankdorf, where Hamburg stunned YB with a 5–0 victory. In Hamburg, the Bernese improved upon their previous performance, earning a 3–3 draw before 40,000 spectators in the Volkspark Stadium. It would be the last appearance in Europe for YB for a long time.
After four league titles, a European Cup run and many successes the Young Boys traveled 31 days through the Far East. In five weeks, the Bernese visited ten countries and played several friendly matches against Asian teams.
Albert Sing left BSC Young Boys in 1964 and is still the most successful coach in the history of the club.
from FC Bayern Munich. Another new transfer, Walter "Wale" Mueller, played between 1967 and 1972 for YB, and was a dreaded striker for opposing defenders.
In the late sixties and the seventies the Bernese met with little success. As YB were runners-up in the 1974–75 season, they finally returned to European competition. In the first round of the UEFA Cup they faced Hamburger SV once again. In the first leg before 17,000 spectators in the Wankdorf, the two teams played to 0–0. HSV won at home in their Volkspark Stadium 4–2, and the Young Boys were bounced from the competition early. The Young Boys' side for these games included Jakob Brechbühl and Karl Odermatt among others.
It took until 1977 before YB would again win a title. Under coach Kurt Linder the Cup was brought to Bern for the fifth time. Thanks to this title, YB qualified for the preliminary round of the Cup Winners' Cup
. The Bernese faced a daunting challenge in the form of the Rangers
of Glasgow. In Ibrox Park YB played strongly and lost only 0–1. The return game in front of 17,000 spectators at Wankdorf ended 2–2, and Rangers advanced. The Young Boys again underwent a change of coaches when René Hüssy replaced Linder. 1979 again saw YB (as losing cup finalists) in the European Cup Winners' Cup. On 19 September 1979, only 6,700 spectators came to Wankdorf to see the game against Steaua Bucharest, which ended 2–2. Before this game, YB had lost three consecutive championship games, which may have contributed to the lack of fans. The goals were scored by Stoica, Zwygart, Lordanesen and Schönenberger. Two weeks later, the Young Boys lost in Bucharest 0–6.
They are known for singing a famous song which is named we love you we love you which has had thousands of hits on the internet.
joined the YB midfield as a playmaker alongside Georges Bregy
, and YB achieved an incomparable return round. The point advantage of the leaders Xamax
slowly melted round by round. On 24 May 1986 the showdown came in Neuchâtel Maladière, before a crowd of 21,500 including visiting YB spectators. The Young Boys came away with a 4–1 result. Lars Lunde
, Danish scoring champion, and Dario Zuffi
each connected twice and YB after 26 years finished in championship position.
In the first round of the European championship, the Bernese drew Real Madrid
, with their top stars such as Hugo Sánchez
and Emilio Butragueño
. 32,000 spectators descended on Wankdorf, despite torrential rain, for the 17 September 1986 match. Urs Bamert headed in a goal to provide the 1–0 margin of victory against the guests from Spain. For the return leg, 75,000 spectators occupied Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid. Until the 75th minute, the advantage stood at only 1–0 for the home side. But the 2–0 by Jorge Valdano broke the defense of the Young Boys, and Real Madrid went on to win 5–0.
In 1987 YB won the Cup for the sixth time. In the finals they defeated FC Servette Geneva 4–2 in a replay. In the first round of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, Young Boys traveled to Dunajská Streda in Czechoslovakia, where the Czechs won their home leg 2–1. Before 8,100, YB prevailed in Bern 3–1 and qualified for the second round. In the round of 16 the Bernese visited FC Den Haag, where they lost 1–2. In the return match in Bern only 6,400 spectators braved the icy chill of the Wankdorf. A 1–0 YB victory was enough to progress into the quarter-finals. The next opponent was again from Holland, this time Ajax of Amsterdam. For the 9 March 1988 match, temperatures of minus 6 caused Wankdorf to be rather sparsely occupied with only 7,686 spectators. Ajax won the game 1–0. The return leg in Amsterdam before 30,000 spectators saw the Bernese lose again 1–0 and they were eliminated from the competition.
in 1991. The Wankdorf stadium was packed with 50,000 spectators, with both teams contributing to the atmosphere. At halftime, the Bernese led 2–0, but Sion shot back in the second half with three goals to win the Cup. In 1993, YB qualified for the UEFA Cup and met Celtic F.C.
of Scotland in the first round. Only 7,300 spectators came to the stadium for the home leg, and the game ended 0–0. The Young Boys fell in Celtic Park
in Glasgow before 21,500 spectators in extra time 1–0 with André Baumann netting an own goal in the 105th minute.
In the mid-nineties the former football powerhouse increasingly experienced problems. The BSC Young Boys developed financial difficulties, and in 1997 for the first time since the 1946–47 season YB was relegated to the National League B (today's Challenge League). New Swedish coaches Roland Andersson
and Thomas Sjöberg
helped the club recover, placing first and earning promotion again, with Robert Schober and Admir Smajic
taking over on the bench. The following NLA season began with a surprise victory over the reigning champion Grasshoppers. Many defeats, however, forced the Young Boys back into the relegation playoffs. The economic and sporting emergency ended in the dismissal of coach Claude Ryf. The BSC Young Boys organization stood very close to bankruptcy and few thought it still possible to salvage YB. A Lucerne investment company saved the club from ruin, although by 1999 the debt was over 1.7 million Swiss francs (about 1.08 million euros).
Almost the whole squad left the capital and YB competed with the shell of a team the next season. The result was disastrous: third-last place after the 1999 qualification/descent round. The possibility of further relegation to the 1st League
(third tier) threatened. Marco Schällibaum
took over as manager and brought in reinforcements, which had a positive impact and enabled the club to stay up. On 17 December 1999, the BSC Young Boys AG was established with capital of CHF 500,000 (about 320,000 euros). The AG took over the operations of the 1st Team and increased the share capital. The remaining operation remains under the previous organization.
The next championship was contested with a more powerful team with new players such as Harutyun Vardanyan
and Gürkan Sermeter
. YB won victory after victory in the autumn and inspired the loyal fans with attractive offensive football. The team earned the top place in the table and participation in the promotion playoffs, ultimately returning to the top division.
New enthusiasm developed in Bern, and the attendance figures rose significantly. The first game of the 2001–02 season was the final game in old Wankdorf stadium. YB drew FC Lugano 1–1 before 22,200 spectators, and the last goal for the Bernese in the old Wankdorf was tallied by Reto Burri.
In the autumn of 2001, with a 1–3 home defeat against Grasshoppers, a series of 25 home games without defeat came to an end. However, with a 1–0 victory in the last game against FC St. Gallen on 9 December 2001 the BSC Young Boys qualified for the final round for the first time in seven years. The start of the final round was very promising. YB played exciting football and contended for a place in an international competition but ultimately finished in seventh position. The team also reached the semi-finals of the Swiss Cup before falling in a penalty shootout to FC Basel.
In 2002, YB finished the qualifying round in seventh and the final round in fourth place, earning the Young Boys an entry in an international competition (the UEFA Cup) for the first time in ten years. This season also saw Stéphane Chapuisat move to the club. Chapuisat is considered one of the best strikers in Swiss history.
In 2003, the league was completely reformed, including the names and sizes of the two highest leagues. For the 2003–04 season, Hans-Peter Zaugg was named as the new head coach. The played in the first "Super League", taking second place. As a result the team qualified for the 2004–05 Champions League, where they fell to Red Star Belgrade
5–2 on aggregate. The domestic season 2004–05 found them finishing in fourth place.
Only a few months later Gernot Rohr
signed as a coach. Although team maintained a defensive football strategy, the club succeeded with him at its head, advancing to the Cup final, but losing on a penalty shoot-out to FC Sion
. The first season at the Stade de Suisse Wankdorf, YB finished in third place, qualifying for the UEFA Cup. The Bernese defeated FC MIKA
of Armenia 4–1 on aggregate in the first qualifying round to set up a very attractive matchup with French giants Olympique Marseille, but narrowly lost the tie on away goals with draws 3–3 at home and 0–0 away.
Coach Gernot Rohr was succeeded by Martin Andermatt
. The debut of Andermatt was promising, as YB defeated their canton
rivals FC Thun
5–1 to open 2006–07 league play. The team finished the season in fourth place, once again returning to the UEFA Cup
. On 14 April 2007, the club president Peter Mast announced that he would resign his position at the end of the season, although he immediately joined the board of directors. His post as president was assumed by Thomas Grimm on 17 April 2007. Incidentally, in this season, with an average of 15,517 spectators in the championship, the club celebrated its highest attendance average in club history. Also at the end of the 2006–07 season, the club switched outfitters from GEMS to Puma
.
Young Boys finished runners-up in the 2009–10 season, finishing three points behind champions FC Basle despite losing only one match at home all season. They entered Champions League
qualification and defeated Fenerbahçe to set up a meeting with Tottenham Hotspur in the play-off round. YB went out to a 3–0 lead in the opening leg at Stade de Suisse on Tuesday 17 August, but had to hold on for a 3–2 win, then, fell 4–0 at White Hart Lane
eight nights later and went out of the competition.
). The construction cost of 350 million francs was more than any other building in Switzerland. Officially, there are only stadium seats, but standing tickets are also sold.
The name arises from the fact that the Stade de Suisse acts as a National Stadium. However, as one of the few stadiums with artificial turf, matches are rarely held there. For the European Championships in 2008 a natural grass field was to be laid, as three group games took place there.
The stadium is also the largest stadium-integrated solar power plant in the world. On the roof of the Stade de Suisse are enough solar cells to generate 700,000 kWh. The electricity powers the stadium and some houses around the Wankdorf area. Just below the playing field is one of the largest shopping centers in Switzerland and a parking facility with over 700 places. The stadium also includes schools, homes, a fitness center, several gyms and some restaurants. The stadium is near a highway interchange and only a few minutes' drive from the main railway station in Bern and only a few minutes' walk from the new Wankdorfquartier station. Furthermore, there are both a bus and a tram stop near Wankdorf.
Arthur Petrosyan Harutyun Vardanyan
Paul Agostino
Senad Lulić
Shi Jun
Andrés Escobar
Thierry Doubai
Seydou Doumbia Lars Lunde
Kamil Zayatte
Grétar Steinsson
Avi Tikva
Lars Bohinen
Mini Jacobsen Robert Prytz
Stéphane Chapuisat Walter Eich
Erich Hänzi Erni Maissen
Eugen Meier
Heinz Schneiter
Gürkan Sermeter
Martin Weber Hakan Yakın
Gabriel Urdaneta
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
sporting club based in the capital city of Bern. The name is often abbreviated to YB ([i bε]). Abroad, YB is often referred to as Young Boys Bern. The club's colors are yellow and black.
The club is best known for its football teams. The first team plays in the Swiss Axpo Super League
Swiss Super League
The Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
and has won 11 Swiss league championships and six Swiss Cups. In 1957, YB was named the Swiss team of the year. YB is one of the most successful Swiss football clubs internationally, and reached the semi-finals of the European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
in the 1958–59 season. The club famously does not assign the squad number 2. This is particularly reserved for the association.
Since 2005, the first football team has played its home games at the Stade de Suisse, at the former site of the Wankdorf Stadium
Wankdorf Stadium
The Wankdorf Stadium was a football stadium in the Wankdorf quarter of Bern, Switzerland, and the former home of Swiss club BSC Young Boys. It was built in 1925, and as well as serving as a club stadium, it hosted several important matches, including the 1954 FIFA World Cup Final, the 1961...
. YB are among the best known and most storied football clubs in Switzerland. The Swiss BSC have an active and loyal fan community and have a long-time membership in the association. YB also has a large junior department. The U-21 team (BSC Young Boys II) plays in the 1st League
Swiss 1. Liga (football)
1. Liga is the third tier of the Swiss Football League. The division is split into three groups of 16 teams, by geographical region.-Regional Format:...
, which is the third tier of Swiss football.
The club's sports also include field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
and bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
. The women's hockey team also plays in the highest Swiss League.
1898–1902: The founding
In 1897, brothers Max and Oscar Schwab, Hermann Bauer, and Franz Kehrli studied at the University of Bern. After hosting a game of football with the Basel Old Boys AssociationBSC Old Boys
Basler Sportclub Old Boys, commonly known as BSC Old Boys or Old Boys Basel, is a Swiss sports club based in Basel. The club is mainly known for its football but it also has track, swimming and tennis sections...
playing against Fußball-Club Bern, they founded Football Club Young Boys on 14 March 1898. The four of them chose yellow and black to be the club colors.
The slightly older FC Bern submitted an offer to the YB leadership to provide grounds, changing rooms, and equipment if these students would play as a team affiliated with FCB. YB would still have its own leadership and its own statutes. This offer was accepted.
According to club chronicles, the first game was a victory on 17 June 1898 against FC Viktoria. The first official game was on 29 June 1898 against the Institute Grünau. The team had in its ranks a number of prominent players, but the game ended in a tie, and the return game on 17 October went 1–0 for the young Bernese club. Some of the Young Boys appeared increasingly in the FC Bern first team, affecting the incumbent Bern players. On 30 December 1898, the Young Boys held an election to either combine with FC Bern or strike out on their own. The vote by a large majority was to abandon the merger, leading to a bitter rivalry, especially on the part of FC Bern.
Successes in the spring games in 1900 showed that YB was on a successful path. However, many were still convinced that FC Bern was the stronger team. For this reason, the organisers of the Federal Schwingfests arranged a game between the rivals. The game took place on 26 August before some 3,000 people who had mostly come to see an "exotic" sport on display. The game ended, however, with an indecisive score of 1–1. On 17 August, nine days earlier, YB was admitted to the Swiss Football Association.
The two teams were increasingly separated from each other, and their venues also became ever further apart. FC Bern played in the southwestern part of the city, while FC Young Boys place almost in the center. The newly selected sports ground on Schwellenmätteli, however, had its advantages and disadvantages. Due to its location adjacent to the Aar River, the grounds were often flooded and marshy. Because of its central location, however, the club was followed by many Bern residents. With an agreement on 14 October 1901, the club leased its grounds from the city of Bern for three years. The entire area encompassed 10,975 square meters for only 257 francs per month. Therefore, the requirements for a regular playing field were finally fulfilled.
1902–1925: The early years
YB began to be successful very early on. Against LausanneLausanne Sports
Lausanne-Sports is a Swiss sports club based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is most famous for its football department , but the club also had athletics, sport rowing, and rink hockey departments until they split in 2009 over a row about the construction of a new stadium that will be built by...
they celebrated a surprising 2–2 draw and on 26 October 1902 a 7–0 victory over Fortuna Basel. In these years YB also came out from the shadow of FC Bern. YB beat their city rivals away 3–1 and on 8 March 1903 5–0 at home. YB won the championship of the Central League and were invited to play in the finals of the Swiss championship. On 22 March was the first final against FC Zürich. YB played, among others, the two Schwab brothers, and they beat Zurich 3–1. On 29 March YB faced the West champion FC Neuchâtel. The guests from Neuchâtel were the clear favorites, because the Bern club had lost to them one month before 1–4. This caused Neuchâtel to make the error of underestimating the Young Boys. The Neuchâtel defense completely broke apart when the YB striker Walter Frey found the net shortly after halftime to post a 1–0 lead. The game ended with a one-sided 5–0 result, and YB after only five years of existence had won their first Swiss football championship.
After having trained for the early years on the Schwellenmätteli, below the Kirchenfeld bridge, YB played from the year 1904 at Spitalacker-Platz. In subsequent seasons the Young Boys did not win the championship but were always in the top three in the regional group. It took six years for YB to achieve further successes. In 1909, the Berners defeated FC Winterthur
FC Winterthur
FC Winterthur is a Swiss football club based in Winterthur, Canton of Zürich. They play in the Swiss Challenge League, the second highest tier of Swiss football...
in Basel in the finals 1–0. The next year, the Young Boys won the championship finals against FC Aarau
FC Aarau
FC Aarau is a Swiss football club, based in Aarau. They play in the Swiss Challenge League.-History:FC Aarau was formed on 26 May 1902 by workers from a local brewery. The early days of the club were a success and they won the Swiss championship in 1911/12 and then again in 1913/14...
3–1 and against FC Servette Geneva 2–1. Again in 1911, Servette Geneva and FC Zürich could not prevent YB's fourth championship overall and third in a row. It was the first title hat trick in the history of the Swiss Football Association. YB was also in 1910 and the two following years the champion of the "Anglo-cup", the predecessor of today's Swisscom Cup.
At the time, the fans spoke of a time all opponents dreaded, the "YB Quarter Hour" fifteen minutes before the end of the game. The players sustained their efforts throughout the 90 minutes so effectively that the opponents began to run down after about 75 minutes. An example is the 1910 finals between the YB and Aarau, where until the 80th minute the score stood at 1–1. Similarly, in the game against Servette in the final round in 1911, up through the 72nd minute the game was a 1–1 draw, but three goals in the last 18 minutes turned the result decisively for YB to clinch the title hat trick.
In 1913, the English football instructor Reynold Williams became the first coach of the club. Shortly thereafter the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
erupted, and Spitalacker-Platz was converted to a potato field. YB arranged to rent facilities at Kirchfeld for 1400 francs per year. The military also made space available at the barracks for the team's use. Despite these hardships, the club won Swiss league championship again in 1920.
After the war, the team again played on the Spitalacker-Platz. However, the ground no longer suited the requirements of the Young Boys, so they searched for alternatives. They found space at the northeastern border of the city at the Wankdorffeld, and construction was initiated.
1925–1951: New name and new stadium
In 1925, the association's name was changed from FC Young Boys to Berner Sport Club Young Boys. This year was also the last game on the old Spitalacker-platz. In October, the new Wankdorf Stadium by the architects Scherler & Berger was opened with a tournament. It was attended by the Old Boys from Basel, Servette Geneva, and the Young Boys. The new sports complex included a main grandstand with 1,200 covered seats, a restaurant, changing rooms, a training hall and a training ground. In total, the new stadium held 22,000 spectators, including covered standing room for 5,000. YB now had a large and modern stadium, which intensified the rivalry with FC Bern, because the older association continued to play at the small and outdated Neufeldplatz. The two clubs went so far as to negotiate a contract, facilitated by Central President Schlegel, to prevent discord.In 1929, YB once again progressed to the final round of the Swiss championship. The first game, on a Sunday, pitted Urania Geneva Sport against YB, the second a week later Grasshoppers
Grasshopper-Club Zürich
Grasshopper Club Zürich commonly referred to as simply GC, GCZ, or Grasshopper is a Swiss multisports club based in Zürich. The oldest and best known section of Grasshopper Club Zürich is its football team...
against Urania GC, and on the third Sunday in the final YB-GC. The first game in Geneva ended with a 0–0 draw, which satisfied the Bernese. When the Grasshoppers beat Geneva in Zurich 3–0, the chances for YB to win the title decreased tremendously. In the third game, the guests from Zurich needed only a draw to win the championship for the third time in a row. For this final on the 30th June, the Young Boys used replacement goalkeeper Erich Jung in the offensive midfield due to staff shortages. Striker Johan Baumgartner also scored a goal and YB prevented the championship hat trick with a 2–0 win.
On 10 February 1930 the club purchased an additional strip of land from the community, having noted that the stadium was too small, increasing the entire area of the Wankdorf stadium ground to 35,585 square meters. The 1930 Young Boys became the first to celebrate a Swiss Cup championship. The Swiss Cup had been initiated only five years earlier following the discontinuation of the Anglo Cup at the First World War. With 30,000 spectators crowding Wankdorf YB beat FC Aarau 1–0. In the following 15 years, YB won neither a league title nor a cup championship. However, the team was also rarely in the bottom half of table.
During this time, Wankdorf continued to expand. The capacity of the stadium increased by building an extension to 42,000 spectators, costing the association an additional 300,000 francs. Furthermore, another training field was added.
Towards the end of 1930s the world economic crisis started and Swiss football felt the effects. The attendance figures fell steadily, and the Sportplatz Spitalacker could no longer meet its financial obligations. After the outbreak of the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the club considered selling the stadium. However, through a debt-reduction and the help of the city of Bern in 1943, the finances of the club were rehabilitated. At that point, the stadium group changed its name to "Verein Fussball-Stadion Wankdorf".
During the Second World War, the Bernese succeeded but could not claim a title. Only in 1945, at the end of the war, came the next success: YB won the second Cup against FC St. Gallen
FC St. Gallen
Football Club St. Gallen 1879 is a Swiss football club based in St. Gallen. The club is currently playing in the 2011/12 Swiss Challenge League.-Brief history:...
with a 2–0 victory at Espenmoos
Espenmoos
Espenmoos Stadium, is a football stadium in St. Gallen, Switzerland. It was the home ground of the FC St. Gallen until their current stadium AFG Arena opened in 2008. The stadium has been since been demolished except for the main seated stand....
. Two seasons later the Bernese were relegated to the National League B. It would be three seasons until they returned to the highest league where they would then remain for over 50 years.
1951–1964: The golden years under Coach Albert Sing
In 1951 Norbert Eric Jones was replaced after only one year as the manager by the previously unknown Albert Sing. At that time, no one anticipated the successful years YB would experience under the German coach. Sing acted initially as a player-coach before he decided to become a trainer only. During his tenure YB experienced its most successful period. The team was reinforced by high-level transfers such as Eugene "Geni" Meier. Considerable success during this period was also attributed to the goalkeeper Walter Eich, who was one of the best in the history of the Young Boys. Later, the team consisted of top players like Heinz Schneite and Ernst Wechselberger.For the 1954 World Cup
1954 FIFA World Cup
The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game...
, the capacity of the Wankdorf stadium was increased from around 30,000 to more than 60,000 seats.
In the spring of 1953 the Young Boys again advanced to the Cup. YB met Grasshoppers Zürich in the final pairing, and the clubs drew 1–1. Five weeks later the teams met in a replay, which went to the Bernese 3–1. In the summer of that year YB was invited to tour North America. The team played there against some American teams, Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
(1–1), and the Irish national team
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
(a 4–1 win for YB). YB produced impressive results overseas for Swiss football and was enthusiastically received by thousands upon their return to Bern. From 1957 and 1960, YB were Swiss champions four times in a row, a feat that no other team has accomplished since. During this time YB became one of the more successful teams in European football and was superior to all Swiss opponents. 1958 brought yet another Cup, when YB defeated GC in a final replay 4–1.
Young Boys also achieved success in European competition. At their first appearance in the European Championship they were politically disadvantaged, however. The Bernese drew the Vasas Budapest, the Hungarian club of the Interior Ministry. Some Swiss politicians demanded that no Swiss sports club should have contacts with the Hungarian football club, especially in Bern, the capital. The leaders of Servette Geneva, made their Charmilles Stadium
Charmilles Stadium
Charmilles Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Geneva, Switzerland. It was used mostly for football matches, and was the home venue for Servette FC. The stadium was able to hold 9,250 people and was built in 1930 for the Coupe des Nations 1930 tournament. During the 1954 FIFA World Cup the...
available for one game. 20,000 spectators supported YB in Geneva during a 1–1 draw against the Hungarians. In the return match the Young Boys fell 1–2. The following year, their opponents in the European Cup were once again from Hungary, this time MTK Budapest. YB won the leg in the Nep Stadium 2–1. 26 November 1958 saw the European premiere in Wankdorf; 28,000 spectators celebrated the Young Boys' 4–1 victory. In the second round, YB met the East German champions SC Wismut Chemnitz and the Wankdorf was filled with 32,000 spectators. The teams drew 2–2 after a 2–0 lead for the Young Boys. A week later, the teams met in the GDR. The game ended 0–0, which at that time required a deciding game. This took place on 1 April 1959 in the Amsterdam Olympic Stadium
Olympisch Stadion (Amsterdam)
The Olympisch Stadion is a stadium built as the main stadium for the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. When completed, the stadium had a capacity of 31,600. Following the completion of the rival De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam in 1937, the Amsterdam authorities decided to increase the capacity of the...
before 35,000 spectators, and YB won 2–1. Thus the Young Boys qualified for the semi-finals of the European Championship. Their opponents in the semi-finals were Stade de Reims.
The game of games in the history of the yellow and black took place on 15 April 1959, a rainy Wednesday. 60,000 spectators packed into Wankdorf, but the crowd may have exceeded the official count. After an impressive performance YB won 1–0 on a Geni Meier goal in the 13th minute. The game was a legend in Bern. Stade Reims received the Bernese in the return match at the Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes
The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed...
in Paris, where the Frenchmen won 3–0 and thus reached the final. No other Swiss team besides FC Zürich has since found as much success in an international competition as the BSC Young Boys did in this season.
In 1960, YB played internationally once again. In the first round they met Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :...
. Frankfurt won the first game in Bern 4–1 before 36,000 spectators; in the return game in Frankfurt's Waldstadion
Commerzbank-Arena
The Commerzbank-Arena is a sports stadium in Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany. Commonly known by its original name, Waldstadion , the stadium opened in 1925. The stadium has been upgraded several times since then; the most recent remodelling was its redevelopment as a football-only stadium in preparation...
YB at least managed a 1–1 draw. In 1961, the team first went to Ireland where they met Limerick F.C.
Limerick F.C.
Limerick Football Club is an association football club based in Limerick, Ireland. The club currently play in the First Division of the League of Ireland. The first Limerick FC was founded in 1937 and has had a number of guises through its history, known at different times as Limerick FC, Limerick...
. YB won on the island with an impressive 5–0 showing, then again 4–2 in front of 22,000 spectators at Wankdorf in the return leg. In the second round YB met Hamburger SV
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
, with their star striker Uwe Seeler, in what was the first European Cup game in that team's history. 45,000 spectators were at the game in the Wankdorf, where Hamburg stunned YB with a 5–0 victory. In Hamburg, the Bernese improved upon their previous performance, earning a 3–3 draw before 40,000 spectators in the Volkspark Stadium. It would be the last appearance in Europe for YB for a long time.
After four league titles, a European Cup run and many successes the Young Boys traveled 31 days through the Far East. In five weeks, the Bernese visited ten countries and played several friendly matches against Asian teams.
Albert Sing left BSC Young Boys in 1964 and is still the most successful coach in the history of the club.
1964–1984: Descent to a normal club
The successor to Albert Sing had large shoes to fill; average performance was no longer acceptable to the discriminating Bernese supporters. Heinz Bigler and Hans Grütter took over the training until Hans Merkle ultimately succeeded Sing. Merkle had the misfortune to be measured against the championships of his predecessor. Although Geni Meier, Ernst Wechselberger and other players from the championship years continued to play, it mattered little. Merkle was a hard coach of the German school, however, and was able to keep YB in the top half of the table, with finishes of second, fifth, and seventh. The mixture of old and young players did not provide the results the Bernese sought, however. Otto Messerli, then a junior in the first team squad, who in later years would be captain of the Young Boys, described the situation: "There were many good ideas, but FC Basel and FC Zürich remained unattainable for us." This was also no different for the Merkle successors Skiba, Schneiter und Eich, Brülls, Peters and Linder: The Young Boys reached big games on occasion (such as the Cup final against Basel that brought 52,000 spectators to the Wankdorf), but over the long term their performance was unspectacular. Still, some YB players rose to national recognition. The Dutchman Bert Theunissen replaced Meier and Wechselberger in 1964 as "gunner" and he became Swiss scoring champion before he left YB. A good replacement for him was found, however: the Bernese bought Dieter BrenningerDieter Brenninger
Dieter Brenninger is a former German footballer.- Life :Brenninger was born in Altenerding, and began his career with SpVgg Altenerding. In 1962 he transferred to FC Bayern Munich in the Regionalliga South. In 1965 Bayern was promoted into the German Bundesliga. He would go on to win the German...
from FC Bayern Munich. Another new transfer, Walter "Wale" Mueller, played between 1967 and 1972 for YB, and was a dreaded striker for opposing defenders.
In the late sixties and the seventies the Bernese met with little success. As YB were runners-up in the 1974–75 season, they finally returned to European competition. In the first round of the UEFA Cup they faced Hamburger SV once again. In the first leg before 17,000 spectators in the Wankdorf, the two teams played to 0–0. HSV won at home in their Volkspark Stadium 4–2, and the Young Boys were bounced from the competition early. The Young Boys' side for these games included Jakob Brechbühl and Karl Odermatt among others.
It took until 1977 before YB would again win a title. Under coach Kurt Linder the Cup was brought to Bern for the fifth time. Thanks to this title, YB qualified for the preliminary round of the Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
. The Bernese faced a daunting challenge in the form of the Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
of Glasgow. In Ibrox Park YB played strongly and lost only 0–1. The return game in front of 17,000 spectators at Wankdorf ended 2–2, and Rangers advanced. The Young Boys again underwent a change of coaches when René Hüssy replaced Linder. 1979 again saw YB (as losing cup finalists) in the European Cup Winners' Cup. On 19 September 1979, only 6,700 spectators came to Wankdorf to see the game against Steaua Bucharest, which ended 2–2. Before this game, YB had lost three consecutive championship games, which may have contributed to the lack of fans. The goals were scored by Stoica, Zwygart, Lordanesen and Schönenberger. Two weeks later, the Young Boys lost in Bucharest 0–6.
They are known for singing a famous song which is named we love you we love you which has had thousands of hits on the internet.
1984–1991: The Mandziara Era
Turbulent times continued in the Wankdorf. After many coaching changes, in 1984 Alexander Mandziara was engaged as the manager. The quiet Pole with a German passport played offensive football and was known for hard training sessions. In his first years, the Young Boys reached only ninth place. In the next season, 1985–86, not all went for YB but the team still managed to finish the preliminary round in fifth. During the winter break, the Swede Robert PrytzRobert Prytz
Robert Prytz is a Swedish former footballer who played as a midfielder from the late 1970s until the early 2000s. He earned 56 caps for the Swedish national team and is best known for his time at Hellas Verona, Malmö FF and Rangers...
joined the YB midfield as a playmaker alongside Georges Bregy
Georges Bregy
Georges Bregy is a retired Swiss football midfielder.He was capped 54 times and scored 12 goals for the Swiss national team between 1984 and 1994...
, and YB achieved an incomparable return round. The point advantage of the leaders Xamax
Neuchâtel Xamax
Neuchâtel Xamax Football Club is a Swiss football club, based in Neuchâtel. It was created in 1970 through a merger between FC Cantonal and FC Xamax . The club plays in red shirts, black shorts and red socks and are currently in the Axpo Super League, the highest Swiss football league. They play...
slowly melted round by round. On 24 May 1986 the showdown came in Neuchâtel Maladière, before a crowd of 21,500 including visiting YB spectators. The Young Boys came away with a 4–1 result. Lars Lunde
Lars Lunde
Lars Lunde is a Danish former professional football player, who played in the striker position. Lunde got his breakthrough with Brøndby IF in 1983, and he made his debut for the Denmark national football team in October 1983. He was sold to Young Boys Bern in Switzerland, before moving to German...
, Danish scoring champion, and Dario Zuffi
Dario Zuffi
Dario Zuffi is a Swiss football coach and former international player, who is currently a coach for FC Winterthur's U-21 team.-Playing career:Dario Zuffi first became famous when he was playing on BSC Young Boys...
each connected twice and YB after 26 years finished in championship position.
In the first round of the European championship, the Bernese drew Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, with their top stars such as Hugo Sánchez
Hugo Sánchez
Hugo Sánchez Márquez , popularly nicknamed Pentapichichi, or Hugol, is a Mexican football coach and former striker. He played for four European clubs, including Real Madrid. Sanchez is considered the first highly talented Mexican player. He was also a member of the Mexico national team, and...
and Emilio Butragueño
Emilio Butragueño
Emilio Butragueño Santos is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a striker.He was best known for his spell with Real Madrid...
. 32,000 spectators descended on Wankdorf, despite torrential rain, for the 17 September 1986 match. Urs Bamert headed in a goal to provide the 1–0 margin of victory against the guests from Spain. For the return leg, 75,000 spectators occupied Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid. Until the 75th minute, the advantage stood at only 1–0 for the home side. But the 2–0 by Jorge Valdano broke the defense of the Young Boys, and Real Madrid went on to win 5–0.
In 1987 YB won the Cup for the sixth time. In the finals they defeated FC Servette Geneva 4–2 in a replay. In the first round of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, Young Boys traveled to Dunajská Streda in Czechoslovakia, where the Czechs won their home leg 2–1. Before 8,100, YB prevailed in Bern 3–1 and qualified for the second round. In the round of 16 the Bernese visited FC Den Haag, where they lost 1–2. In the return match in Bern only 6,400 spectators braved the icy chill of the Wankdorf. A 1–0 YB victory was enough to progress into the quarter-finals. The next opponent was again from Holland, this time Ajax of Amsterdam. For the 9 March 1988 match, temperatures of minus 6 caused Wankdorf to be rather sparsely occupied with only 7,686 spectators. Ajax won the game 1–0. The return leg in Amsterdam before 30,000 spectators saw the Bernese lose again 1–0 and they were eliminated from the competition.
1991–2001: Down and up
A highlight of the nineties was the Cup finale against FC SionFC Sion
FC Sion is a Swiss football team from the city of Sion. The club was founded in 1909, and play their home games at the Stade Tourbillon. They have won the Swiss Super League twice, and the Swiss Cup in each of their twelve appearances in the final, the most recent being in 2011.The first team also...
in 1991. The Wankdorf stadium was packed with 50,000 spectators, with both teams contributing to the atmosphere. At halftime, the Bernese led 2–0, but Sion shot back in the second half with three goals to win the Cup. In 1993, YB qualified for the UEFA Cup and met Celtic F.C.
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
of Scotland in the first round. Only 7,300 spectators came to the stadium for the home leg, and the game ended 0–0. The Young Boys fell in Celtic Park
Celtic Park
Celtic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
in Glasgow before 21,500 spectators in extra time 1–0 with André Baumann netting an own goal in the 105th minute.
In the mid-nineties the former football powerhouse increasingly experienced problems. The BSC Young Boys developed financial difficulties, and in 1997 for the first time since the 1946–47 season YB was relegated to the National League B (today's Challenge League). New Swedish coaches Roland Andersson
Roland Andersson
Åke-Erik Roland Andersson is a former Swedish football player and coach. His most recent job was that as the assistant coach of the Nigeria National Team under Lars Lagerbäck....
and Thomas Sjöberg
Thomas Sjöberg
Thomas Sjöberg, , is a former Swedish footballer.- Career :Sjöberg played much of his career with Malmö FF in Allsvenskan during the 1970s...
helped the club recover, placing first and earning promotion again, with Robert Schober and Admir Smajic
Admir Smajic
Admir Smajić is a Bosnian former football defender who played for SFR Yugoslavia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.-Football career:...
taking over on the bench. The following NLA season began with a surprise victory over the reigning champion Grasshoppers. Many defeats, however, forced the Young Boys back into the relegation playoffs. The economic and sporting emergency ended in the dismissal of coach Claude Ryf. The BSC Young Boys organization stood very close to bankruptcy and few thought it still possible to salvage YB. A Lucerne investment company saved the club from ruin, although by 1999 the debt was over 1.7 million Swiss francs (about 1.08 million euros).
Almost the whole squad left the capital and YB competed with the shell of a team the next season. The result was disastrous: third-last place after the 1999 qualification/descent round. The possibility of further relegation to the 1st League
Swiss 1. Liga (football)
1. Liga is the third tier of the Swiss Football League. The division is split into three groups of 16 teams, by geographical region.-Regional Format:...
(third tier) threatened. Marco Schällibaum
Marco Schällibaum
Marco Schällibaum is a Swiss football manager, last in charge of AC Bellinzona in the Swiss Super League.-External links:...
took over as manager and brought in reinforcements, which had a positive impact and enabled the club to stay up. On 17 December 1999, the BSC Young Boys AG was established with capital of CHF 500,000 (about 320,000 euros). The AG took over the operations of the 1st Team and increased the share capital. The remaining operation remains under the previous organization.
The next championship was contested with a more powerful team with new players such as Harutyun Vardanyan
Harutyun Vardanyan
Harutyun Vardanyan is a former Armenian football defender. He spent most of his club career in the Swiss Super League, playing for Lausanne, Young Boys, Servette, and Aarau. Vardanyan was also a key defender for the Armenia national team, having played 62 international matches...
and Gürkan Sermeter
Gürkan Sermeter
Gürkan Sermeter is a footballer from Switzerland who plays as midfielder for AC Bellinzona in the Swiss Super League.-External links:* at T-Online.de * *...
. YB won victory after victory in the autumn and inspired the loyal fans with attractive offensive football. The team earned the top place in the table and participation in the promotion playoffs, ultimately returning to the top division.
New enthusiasm developed in Bern, and the attendance figures rose significantly. The first game of the 2001–02 season was the final game in old Wankdorf stadium. YB drew FC Lugano 1–1 before 22,200 spectators, and the last goal for the Bernese in the old Wankdorf was tallied by Reto Burri.
2001–2005: In the Neufeldstadion
The Young Boys played at the Neufeldstadion at the north end of town until the new, multi-functional Stade de Suisse Wankdorf Bern was opened in 2005.In the autumn of 2001, with a 1–3 home defeat against Grasshoppers, a series of 25 home games without defeat came to an end. However, with a 1–0 victory in the last game against FC St. Gallen on 9 December 2001 the BSC Young Boys qualified for the final round for the first time in seven years. The start of the final round was very promising. YB played exciting football and contended for a place in an international competition but ultimately finished in seventh position. The team also reached the semi-finals of the Swiss Cup before falling in a penalty shootout to FC Basel.
In 2002, YB finished the qualifying round in seventh and the final round in fourth place, earning the Young Boys an entry in an international competition (the UEFA Cup) for the first time in ten years. This season also saw Stéphane Chapuisat move to the club. Chapuisat is considered one of the best strikers in Swiss history.
In 2003, the league was completely reformed, including the names and sizes of the two highest leagues. For the 2003–04 season, Hans-Peter Zaugg was named as the new head coach. The played in the first "Super League", taking second place. As a result the team qualified for the 2004–05 Champions League, where they fell to Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is a part of the Red Star Sports Society.Red Star Belgrade is the most successful Serbian club, with a record of 25 national championships and 23 national cups in both Serbian and ex-Yugoslav competitions...
5–2 on aggregate. The domestic season 2004–05 found them finishing in fourth place.
2005–present: In the Stade de Suisse Wankdorf Bern
In the summer of 2005, YB was able to begin using the newly built Wankdorfstadion, the Stade de Suisse, after several years of construction.Only a few months later Gernot Rohr
Gernot Rohr
Gernot Rohr is a German manager and former footballer, who currently managed the Gabon national football team.-Managerial career:...
signed as a coach. Although team maintained a defensive football strategy, the club succeeded with him at its head, advancing to the Cup final, but losing on a penalty shoot-out to FC Sion
FC Sion
FC Sion is a Swiss football team from the city of Sion. The club was founded in 1909, and play their home games at the Stade Tourbillon. They have won the Swiss Super League twice, and the Swiss Cup in each of their twelve appearances in the final, the most recent being in 2011.The first team also...
. The first season at the Stade de Suisse Wankdorf, YB finished in third place, qualifying for the UEFA Cup. The Bernese defeated FC MIKA
FC MIKA
Mika Football Club , is an Armenian professional football club, playing in the capital, Yerevan.- History :It was originally founded as "Olimpia" in 1985. The club Kasakh Ashtarak is renamed in 1999 to Mika by the owner of Armavia Airlines, Mikhail Baghdasarov. Under the merger, the name of the...
of Armenia 4–1 on aggregate in the first qualifying round to set up a very attractive matchup with French giants Olympique Marseille, but narrowly lost the tie on away goals with draws 3–3 at home and 0–0 away.
Coach Gernot Rohr was succeeded by Martin Andermatt
Martin Andermatt
Martin Andermatt is a Swiss football manager.-Career:The trained teacher commenced his career as player with SC Zug, FC Baar, FC Emmenbrücke, and FC Wettingen. After this followed assignments as professional with Grasshopper-Club Zürich and FC Basel...
. The debut of Andermatt was promising, as YB defeated their canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
rivals FC Thun
FC Thun
FC Thun 1898 is a Swiss football team from the Bernese Oberland town of Thun. The club currently plays in the Swiss Super League after being promoted in the 2009/10 season. The club plays at the Arena Thun which accommodates a total of 10,300 supporters, both seated and standing...
5–1 to open 2006–07 league play. The team finished the season in fourth place, once again returning to the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup 2007–08
The 2007–08 UEFA Cup was the 37th edition of the UEFA Cup, UEFA's second tier club football tournament. The final was played at the City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester, England on 14 May 2008 between Rangers of Scotland and Zenit St. Petersburg of Russia. Zenit won the match 2–0, with...
. On 14 April 2007, the club president Peter Mast announced that he would resign his position at the end of the season, although he immediately joined the board of directors. His post as president was assumed by Thomas Grimm on 17 April 2007. Incidentally, in this season, with an average of 15,517 spectators in the championship, the club celebrated its highest attendance average in club history. Also at the end of the 2006–07 season, the club switched outfitters from GEMS to Puma
PUMA AG
Puma SE, officially branded as PUMA, is a major German multinational company that produces high-end athletic shoes, lifestyle footwear and other sportswear. Formed in 1924 as Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik by Adolf and Rudolf Dassler, relationships between the two brothers deteriorated until the two...
.
Young Boys finished runners-up in the 2009–10 season, finishing three points behind champions FC Basle despite losing only one match at home all season. They entered Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
qualification and defeated Fenerbahçe to set up a meeting with Tottenham Hotspur in the play-off round. YB went out to a 3–0 lead in the opening leg at Stade de Suisse on Tuesday 17 August, but had to hold on for a 3–2 win, then, fell 4–0 at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
eight nights later and went out of the competition.
Stadium
Since 2005, the Young Boys have played at the Stade de Suisse, Wankdorf, Bern. The stadium can seat 31,783 spectators and is the second largest soccer stadium in Switzerland (after St. Jakob-ParkSt. Jakob-Park
' is a Swiss sports stadium in Basel. It is the largest football venue in Switzerland and home to FC Basel. "Joggeli", as the venue is nicknamed by the locals, was originally built with a capacity of 33,433 seats. The capacity was increased to 42,500 for Euro 2008, which was hosted by Switzerland...
). The construction cost of 350 million francs was more than any other building in Switzerland. Officially, there are only stadium seats, but standing tickets are also sold.
The name arises from the fact that the Stade de Suisse acts as a National Stadium. However, as one of the few stadiums with artificial turf, matches are rarely held there. For the European Championships in 2008 a natural grass field was to be laid, as three group games took place there.
The stadium is also the largest stadium-integrated solar power plant in the world. On the roof of the Stade de Suisse are enough solar cells to generate 700,000 kWh. The electricity powers the stadium and some houses around the Wankdorf area. Just below the playing field is one of the largest shopping centers in Switzerland and a parking facility with over 700 places. The stadium also includes schools, homes, a fitness center, several gyms and some restaurants. The stadium is near a highway interchange and only a few minutes' drive from the main railway station in Bern and only a few minutes' walk from the new Wankdorfquartier station. Furthermore, there are both a bus and a tram stop near Wankdorf.
Honours
- Swiss Super LeagueSwiss Super LeagueThe Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
:- Winners (11): 1903, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1920Swiss Super League 1919-20-East:-Central:-West:-Final:Young Boys Bern won the championship.-References:...
, 1929Swiss Super League 1928-29-East:-Central:-West:-Final:Young Boys Bern won the championship.-References:...
, 1957Swiss Super League 1956-57-League standings:-References:...
, 1958Swiss Super League 1957-58-League standings:-References:...
, 1959Swiss Super League 1958-59-League standings:-References:...
, 1960Swiss Super League 1959-60-League standings:-References:...
, 1986Swiss Super League 1985-86Statistics of Swiss National League A in the 1985–1986 football season.-League standings:-References:...
- Winners (11): 1903, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1920
- Schweizer CupSchweizer CupThe Swiss Cup is a football cup tournament that has been organised annually since 1926 by the Swiss Football Association . The winner is allowed to take part in the UEFA Europa League. Between 2003 and 2008 the cup has been sponsored and known as the Swisscom Cup.-Finals:All played...
:- Winners (6): 1930, 1945, 1953, 1958, 1977, 1987
- Swiss League CupSwiss League CupThe Swiss League Cup was a football tournament which took place as a summer pre-season tournament in 1972 and 1973, and during the Swiss football season from 1974–75 to 1981–82...
:- Winners (1): 1976
- Coppa delle AlpiCoppa delle AlpiCoppa delle Alpi , was a football tournament, first organized by the Italian national league to start 1960 and then aided by the Swiss League in 1962 for the reason that the majority of the Alps are in Switzerland...
- Winners (1): 1974
Current squad
| Young Boys Starting 11 in their 4-2-3-1 formation |
Out on loan
Notable former players
- See also .
Arthur Petrosyan Harutyun Vardanyan
Harutyun Vardanyan
Harutyun Vardanyan is a former Armenian football defender. He spent most of his club career in the Swiss Super League, playing for Lausanne, Young Boys, Servette, and Aarau. Vardanyan was also a key defender for the Armenia national team, having played 62 international matches...
Paul AgostinoPaul Agostino
Paul Agostino is an retired Australian football player who played as a striker. He played the majority of his club football outside Australia, most notably with 1860 Munich in Germany for ten years...
Senad Lulić
Senad Lulic
Senad Lulić is a Bosnian footballer. He plays for Lazio in the Serie A.Lulić was born in Mostar, but he spent most of his childhood in Jablanica....
Shi Jun
Shi Jun
Shi Jun is a Chinese footballer currently playing for Sichuan Dujiangyan Sampo F.C. as a striker.-Early career:At the age of five Shi was encouraged to start playing football by his father and was able to join Dalian Wanda's reserve team at an early age but was not able to hold down a place on the...
Andrés Escobar
Andrés Escobar
Andrés Escobar Saldarriaga , nicknamed "The Gentleman of Football", was a Colombian footballer who was shot and killed in Medellín. It is widely believed that he was murdered due to his own goal in the 1994 FIFA World Cup, which supposedly would have caused gambling losses to several powerful drug...
Thierry Doubai
Thierry Doubai
Moussé Doubai Tapé or Thierry Doubai is an Ivorian footballer, who plays for Serie A side Udinese.- Young Boys :...
Seydou Doumbia Lars Lunde
Lars Lunde
Lars Lunde is a Danish former professional football player, who played in the striker position. Lunde got his breakthrough with Brøndby IF in 1983, and he made his debut for the Denmark national football team in October 1983. He was sold to Young Boys Bern in Switzerland, before moving to German...
Kamil ZayatteKamil Zayatte
Kamil Zayatte is a Guinean footballer who plays for Turkish club İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor as a defender.-Club career:...
Grétar Steinsson
Grétar Steinsson
Grétar Rafn Steinsson is an Icelandic footballer who plays for Bolton Wanderers.-Club career:He started his career with local team KS in Siglufjörður and later played for ÍA Akranes before going abroad to play professionally for Swiss club BSC Young Boys.On 2 July 2007, AZ Alkmaar announced they...
Avi Tikva
Avraham Tikva
- Playing career :During the UEFA Cup 1998-99 season with Grasshopper, Tikva was allowed to miss the match against Belgian side Anderlecht in order to observe the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur.- Honours :*Swiss National League A:**Winner : 1997-98...
Lars Bohinen
Lars Bohinen
Lars Roar Bohinen is a Norwegian former footballer.-Club level:His first professional club was Vålerenga, and he played for Viking, Young Boys Bern, Nottingham Forest, Blackburn Rovers, Derby County...
Mini Jacobsen Robert Prytz
Robert Prytz
Robert Prytz is a Swedish former footballer who played as a midfielder from the late 1970s until the early 2000s. He earned 56 caps for the Swedish national team and is best known for his time at Hellas Verona, Malmö FF and Rangers...
Stéphane Chapuisat Walter Eich
Walter Eich
Walter Eich is a Swiss football goalkeeper who played for Switzerland in the 1954 FIFA World Cup. He also played for SC Young Fellows Juventus and BSC Young Boys.-References:...
Erich Hänzi Erni Maissen
Erni Maissen
Ernst "Erni" Maissen is a Swiss former footballer who played as a midfielder or striker during the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s. He is best known for his three spells at FC Basel.-Football career:...
Eugen Meier
Eugen Meier
Eugen Meier was a Swiss footballer born in Schaffhausen.During his club career he played for FC Schaffhausen and BSC Young Boys. He earned 42 caps and scored 3 goals for the Switzerland national football team from 1953 to 1962, and participated in the 1954 FIFA World Cup and the 1962 FIFA World Cup....
Heinz Schneiter
Heinz Schneiter
Heinz Schneiter is a former Swiss football player.He got 44 caps and 3 goals for Switzerland, playing all three games at the 1962 World Cup as well as in Switzerland's 0-5 loss to West Germany at the 1966 World Cup. He scored against West Germany in the 1962 World Cup.He coached FC Thun and BSC...
Gürkan SermeterGürkan Sermeter
Gürkan Sermeter is a footballer from Switzerland who plays as midfielder for AC Bellinzona in the Swiss Super League.-External links:* at T-Online.de * *...
Martin Weber
Hakan YakınHakan Yakin
Hakan Yakin is a Swiss footballer. He currently plays for Swiss Super League club FC Luzern. He was member of the Swiss national team for eleven years.-Personal life:...
Gabriel Urdaneta
Gabriel Urdaneta
Gabriel José Urdaneta Rangel is a Venezuelan football midfielder. He made 77 appearances for the Venezuela national team between 1996 and 2005, making him the third most-capped player in Venezuealan international football as of March 2008.Urdaneta has played professional football for a number of...
Managers
- See also .
|
Albert Brülls Albert Brülls was a German footballer who played 25 times for his national side, including matches in both the 1962 and 1966 FIFA World Cups.... (1968–70) Henri Skiba Henri Skiba is a former French football player of Polish/German origin who played for France national football team; he was then manager in Switzerland and France.... (1970) Heinz Schneiter Heinz Schneiter is a former Swiss football player.He got 44 caps and 3 goals for Switzerland, playing all three games at the 1962 World Cup as well as in Switzerland's 0-5 loss to West Germany at the 1966 World Cup. He scored against West Germany in the 1962 World Cup.He coached FC Thun and BSC... and Walter Eich (1970–72) René Hüssy René Hüssy was a Swiss football player and manager who played for Grasshopper-Club Zürich and FC Lausanne-Sport and managed the Switzerland national football team.-Playing career:... (1977–78) Tord Grip Tord Grip is a Swedish football manager. Prior to England's exit in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, he was one of Sven-Göran Eriksson's assistant coaches of the English national football team.... (1988–90) Pál Csernai Pál Csernai was a Hungarian football player and coach. As a player he was denied great successes, but as a coach he revived the fortunes of Bayern Munich in the early 1980s after the end of their golden era.-The Player:... (1990) Bernard Challandes Bernard Challandes is a Swiss football manager.-Coaching career:He was coach of the Switzerland national under-21 football team and he was manager of FC Zürich from summer 2007 to 19 April 2010. On 28 May 2010 the former FC Zurich, Servette and Young Boys coach has signed for FC Sion.-References:... (1994–95) |
Tord Grip Tord Grip is a Swedish football manager. Prior to England's exit in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, he was one of Sven-Göran Eriksson's assistant coaches of the English national football team.... (April 1997 – July 97) Roland Andersson Åke-Erik Roland Andersson is a former Swedish football player and coach. His most recent job was that as the assistant coach of the Nigeria National Team under Lars Lagerbäck.... and Thomas Sjöberg Thomas Sjöberg Thomas Sjöberg, , is a former Swedish footballer.- Career :Sjöberg played much of his career with Malmö FF in Allsvenskan during the 1970s... (1997–98) Admir Smajic Admir Smajić is a Bosnian former football defender who played for SFR Yugoslavia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.-Football career:... (1998) Admir Smajic Admir Smajić is a Bosnian former football defender who played for SFR Yugoslavia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.-Football career:... (July 1999) Marco Schällibaum Marco Schällibaum is a Swiss football manager, last in charge of AC Bellinzona in the Swiss Super League.-External links:... (1999-03) Gernot Rohr Gernot Rohr is a German manager and former footballer, who currently managed the Gabon national football team.-Managerial career:... (2005–06) Martin Andermatt Martin Andermatt is a Swiss football manager.-Career:The trained teacher commenced his career as player with SC Zug, FC Baar, FC Emmenbrücke, and FC Wettingen. After this followed assignments as professional with Grasshopper-Club Zürich and FC Basel... (2006–08) Vladimir Petkovic Vladimir Petković is a Bosnian football manager and former player who is currently in charge of Samsunspor of the Spor Toto Süper Lig.-Playing career:... (2008–11) Christian Gross Christian Gross is a professional football coach and former player who currently manages Young Boys Bern. Before that he managed VfB Stuttgart until his dismissal in October 2010. He was manager of FC Basel from 1 July 1999 to 27 May 2009.-Playing career:Gross began his playing career at... (2011–) |
Presidents
|
|
|
European results
| Season | Competition | Round | Country | Club | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957–58 | European Cup UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It... |
R1 |  |
Vasas Budapest | 1–1, 1–2 |
| 1958–59 | European Cup UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It... |
R1 | |
MTK Budapest | 2–1, 4–1 |
| QF |  |
Wismut Karl-Marx-Stadt | 2–2, 0–0, 2–1 | ||
| SF |  |
Stade Reims Stade Reims Stade de Reims is a French association football club based in Reims. The club was formed in 1911 under the name Société Sportive du Parc Pommery and currently play in Ligue 2, the second level of French football having achieved promotion to the league following the 2009–10 season... |
1–0, 0–3 | ||
| 1959–60 | European Cup UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It... |
R1 |  |
Eintracht Frankfurt Eintracht Frankfurt Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :... |
1–4, 1–1 |
| 1960–61 | European Cup UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It... |
Q |  |
Limerick F.C. Limerick F.C. Limerick Football Club is an association football club based in Limerick, Ireland. The club currently play in the First Division of the League of Ireland. The first Limerick FC was founded in 1937 and has had a number of guises through its history, known at different times as Limerick FC, Limerick... |
5–0, 4–2 |
| R1 | |
Hamburger SV Hamburger SV Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department... |
0–5, 3–3 | ||
| 1962–63 | Intertoto Cup | Group |  |
RH Slovnaft Bratislava FK Inter Bratislava FK Inter Bratislava is a Slovak football club, playing in the city of Bratislava.FK Inter Bratislava merged with FK Senica on June 18, 2009. Players of Inter Bratislava had to move to other clubs. In season 2010/2011 has been renewed and will start in 5.league... |
0–4, 0–1 |
| Group | |
RCF Paris RCF Paris Racing Club de France – Levallois 92 is a French association football club formerly based in Colombes, a suburb of Paris. In 2009, the club moved to nearby Levallois-Perret after the club reached a financial agreement with the commune. Racing was founded in 1882 as a sports club and is one of the... |
4–4, 1–3 | ||
| Group | |
S.S.C. Venezia | 3–1, 1–6 | ||
| 1963–64 | Intertoto Cup | Group | |
Modena F.C. Modena F.C. Modena Football Club is an Italian football club based in Modena, Emilia-Romagna. The club was formed in 1912 and currently plays in Italian Serie B, after being relegated from a two year period in Serie A in the year 2004. The team's previous stay in Italy's top division ended in 1964. The team... |
1–2, 1–3 |
| Group |  |
La Gantoise | 2–2, 0–2 | ||
| Group | |
Toulouse FC Toulouse FC Toulouse Football Club is a French association football club based in the city of Toulouse. The club was founded in 1970 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Toulouse plays its home matches at the Stadium Municipal located within the city. The first team is managed by... |
3–2, 0–3 | ||
| 1964–65 | Intertoto Cup | Group | |
R.F.C. de Liège R.F.C. de Liège Royal Football Club de Liège is a Belgian football club from the city of Liège. It currently plays in the Belgian Third Division. Its matricule is 4, meaning that it was the fourth club to register with the country's national federation, and the club was the first Belgian champion in history... |
0–2, 3–3 |
| Group |  |
NAC Breda NAC Breda NAC Breda , simply often known as NAC, is a Dutch professional football club, based in Breda, Netherlands. NAC Breda play in the Rat Verlegh Stadium, named after their most important player, Antoon 'Rat' Verlegh. They play in the Dutch Eredivisie and are known by the fierce and fanatic support of... |
3–6, 2–6 | ||
| Group | |
1. FC Saarbrücken 1. FC Saarbrücken 1. FC Saarbrücken is a German association football club based in the city of Saarbrücken, Saarland. The club began its existence as the football department of Turnverein Malstatt formed in 1903... |
2–2, 3–2 | ||
| 1967–68 | Intertoto Cup | Group |  |
Ruch Chorzów Ruch Chorzów Ruch Chorzów is a Polish association football club based in Chorzów, Upper Silesia. It is one of the most successful football teams in Poland: 14 time national champion, and 3 time winner of the Polish Cup. Currently the team plays in the top Polish league, the Ekstraklasa. Their stadium capacity... |
0–2, 3–4 |
| Group |  |
Boldklubben Frem Boldklubben Frem Boldklubben Frem is a Danish sports club based in the Valby-Sydhavnen area of Copenhagen. It is best known for its semi-professional football team. Since its foundation in 1886, Frem has won the Danish Championships six times and the Danish Cup twice... |
0–0, 1–4 | ||
| Group |  |
First Vienna FC First Vienna FC First Vienna FC is an Austrian association football club based in the Döbling district of Vienna. Established on 22 August 1894, it is the country's oldest team and has played a notable role in the history of the game there... |
2–0, 2–2 | ||
| 1969–70 | Intertoto Cup | Group |  |
IFK Norrkoping IFK Norrköping IFK Norrköping is a Swedish football club based in Norrköping. The club, formed on 29 May 1897, is currently playing in the first division of Swedish football, Allsvenskan... |
1–4, 2–1 |
| Group | |
Rapid Wien | 2–0, 1–8 | ||
| Group | |
Hannover 96 Hannover 96 Hannoverscher Sportverein von 1896, commonly referred to as Hannover 96, Hannover or simply 96, is a German association football club based in the city of Hanover, Lower Saxony.-Foundation to WWII:... |
1–2, 1–1 | ||
| 1971–72 Intertoto Cup 1971 In the 1971 Intertoto Cup no knock-out rounds were contested, and therefore no winner was declared.-Group stage:Teams from seven countries participated: four teams from each country... |
Intertoto Cup | Group | |
Eintracht Braunschweig Eintracht Braunschweig Eintracht Braunschweig is a German association football club based in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony. The club was one of the founding members of the Bundesliga in 1963 and won the national title in 1967.-History:... |
1–5, 0–2 |
| Group | |
Malmö FF Malmö FF Malmö Fotbollförening, also known simply as Malmö FF, are a Swedish professional football club based in Malmö. The club is affiliated with Skånes Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Swedbank Stadion. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are sky blue and white... |
2–4, 3–6 | ||
| Group | |
Zaglebie Wałbrzych | 2–0, 0–1 | ||
| 1972–73 | Intertoto Cup | Group | |
AS Saint-Étienne AS Saint-Étienne Association Sportive de Saint-Étienne Loire is a French association football club based in Saint-Étienne. The club was founded in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Saint-Étienne plays its home matches at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard located within the city... |
0–5, 0–0 |
| Group | |
Wisła Kraków | 1–1, 0–8 | ||
| Group | |
Åtvidabergs FF Åtvidabergs FF Åtvidabergs FF is a Swedish football club located in Åtvidaberg. The club, formed 1 July 1907 as Åtvidabergs IF, is currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan. The club changed to the present name before the 1935–1936 season. The club is affiliated to Östergötlands Fotbollförbund... |
2–1, 1–2 | ||
| 1975–76 | Intertoto Cup | Group | |
1. FC Kaiserslautern 1. FC Kaiserslautern 1. Fußball-Club Kaiserslautern, also known as 1. FCK, FCK or simply Kaiserslautern, is a German association football club based in Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate. On 2 June 1900, Germania 1896 and FG Kaiserslautern merged to create FC 1900... |
1–3, 2–4 |
| Group | |
FC Bohemians Praha | 1–2, 1–2 | ||
| Group | |
GAIS Göteborg GAIS Göteborgs Atlet- och Idrottssällskap is a Swedish football club based in Gothenburg, currently playing in Allsvenskan. The club is commonly referred to simply as GAIS, while its fans also refers to the club as grönsvart or the mackerels because of the traditional shirt colours... |
3–4, 1–0 | ||
| 1975–76 | UEFA Cup UEFA Cup The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League... |
R1 | |
Hamburger SV Hamburger SV Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department... |
0–0, 2–4 |
| 1976–77 | Intertoto Cup | Group | |
Malmö FF Malmö FF Malmö Fotbollförening, also known simply as Malmö FF, are a Swedish professional football club based in Malmö. The club is affiliated with Skånes Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Swedbank Stadion. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are sky blue and white... |
3–2, 1–1 |
| Group |  |
Beitar Jerusalem | 6–3, 1–1 | ||
| Group | |
Admira Wacker Wien | 1–1, 3–1 | ||
| 1977–78 | Intertoto Cup | Group | |
SK Slavia Prague | 1–4, 0–5 |
| Group | |
Legia Warszawa Legia Warszawa Legia Warszawa is a professional football club based in Warsaw, Poland. It was founded in March 1916 in the area of Maniewicze in Volhynia as the football club of the Polish Legions... |
1–1, 1–4 | ||
| Group | |
Landskrona Landskrona BoIS Landskrona BoIS is a Swedish professional football club located in Landskrona, which currently plays in the second highest Swedish division, Superettan. The club, formed on 7 February 1915 was a merger of two clubs from the city of Landskrona; IFK Landskrona and Diana... |
4–0, 1–2 | ||
| 1977–78 | Cup Winners' Cup | Q |  |
Rangers F.C. Rangers F.C. Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses... |
0–1, 2–2 |
| 1978–79 | Intertoto Cup | Group | |
1. FC Tatran Prešov 1. FC Tatran Prešov 1. FC Tatran Prešov is a Slovak football team, based in the city of Prešov. Tatran Prešov is the oldest football team in Slovakia, founded on the 25th May 1898. The "Green and Whites" played 32 seasons in the Czechoslovakian top division. Tatran became the dark horse of Czechoslovakian football in... |
0–1, 0–1 |
| Group | |
Esbjerg fB Esbjerg fB Esbjerg forenede Boldklubber also referred to as Esbjerg fB or simply EfB is a professional Danish football club from the port city of Esbjerg in West Jutland. The club was formed in 1924, as a merger between Esbjerg Boldklub af 1898 and Esbjerg Amatørklub af 1911. The club has training facilities... |
1–1, 0–3 | ||
| Group | |
Wiener SC | 0–0, 1–2 | ||
| 1979–80 | Cup Winners' Cup | R1 |  |
Steaua Bucureşti | 2–2, 0–6 |
| 1980–81 | Intertoto Cup | Group | |
Halmstads BK Halmstads BK Halmstads Bollklubb, also called HBK or just Halmstad, is a Swedish football club located in Halmstad in the southwest of Sweden. The club, formed 6 March 1914, competes in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan, and has won 4 national championship titles and 1 national cup title... |
1–1, 2–4 |
| Group | |
FK Inter Bratislava FK Inter Bratislava FK Inter Bratislava is a Slovak football club, playing in the city of Bratislava.FK Inter Bratislava merged with FK Senica on June 18, 2009. Players of Inter Bratislava had to move to other clubs. In season 2010/2011 has been renewed and will start in 5.league... |
0–3, 0–3 | ||
| Group | |
Voest Linz LASK Linz LASK Linz is an Austrian association football club, from the Upper-Austrian state capital Linz. It is the oldest football club hailing from that region, and currently plays in the Austrian Football First League. The club's colours are black and white... |
0–1, 0–2 | ||
| 1981–82 | Intertoto Cup | Group | |
R.W.D. Molenbeek R.W.D. Molenbeek Racing White Daring Molenbeek was a Belgian football club founded in 1909 as White Star Club de Bruxelles. It then became a member of the Belgian Football Association later the same year as White Star Athletic Club and received the matricule n°47.... |
0–1, 1–3 |
| Group |  |
Bryne FK | 1–2, 0–0 | ||
| Group | |
Sparta Praha | 1–0, 1–0 | ||
| 1982–83 | Intertoto Cup | Group | |
FC Bohemians Praha | 1–3, 0–5 |
| Group | |
Gwardia Warszawa Gwardia Warszawa Gwardia Warszawa is a Polish football club based in Warsaw, Poland. The club was founded in 1948 and is currently playing in the Polish A klasa . It participated in the Polish 1st League between 1953–1960 , 1962–1966 , 1967–1968, 1969–1975, 1978–1979 and 1981–1983... |
2–1, 2–2 | ||
| Group | |
Linzer ASK | 0–2, 3–0 | ||
| 1983–84 | Intertoto Cup | Group | |
SK Slavia Prague | 2–1, 1–2 |
| Group | |
Brøndby Brøndby Brøndby Kommune is a municipality in the former Copenhagen County on the east coast of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 21 km², and has a total population of 33,831... |
0–2, 2–1 | ||
| Group |  |
Slavia Sofia | 1–0, 1–0 | ||
| 1985–86 | Intertoto Cup | Group | |
Górnik Zabrze Górnik Zabrze Górnik Zabrze is a Polish football club from Zabrze. The club has won numerous championships, and was a dominant force in the 1960s and 1980s. For now Górnik has the most titles in Poland. The club plays in white or dark blue - red kit, and is based at the Ernest Pohl Stadium... |
1–4, 0–3 |
| Group | |
Zalaegerszegi TE Zalaegerszegi TE Zalaegerszegi Torna Egylet is a Hungarian football team from the city of Zalaegerszeg.ZTE traces its roots back to 1912, at the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Its first match was a 4-2 defeat to a team from Vasvár. The team was first composed of members of a literary and debating society... |
4–1, 0–4 | ||
| Group | |
Aarhus GF | 0–1, 7–4 | ||
| 1986–87 | Intertoto Cup | Group | |
SK Sigma Olomouc SK Sigma Olomouc SK Sigma Olomouc is a Czech football club from the city of Olomouc. They reached the quarterfinals of the 1991-1992 UEFA Cup.Since 2011, Olomouc have had an agreement where FK SAN-JV Šumperk is acting as their farm team.- Historical names :... |
2–1, 1–3 |
| Group | |
Hannover 96 Hannover 96 Hannoverscher Sportverein von 1896, commonly referred to as Hannover 96, Hannover or simply 96, is a German association football club based in the city of Hanover, Lower Saxony.-Foundation to WWII:... |
2–3, 1–2 | ||
| Group | |
Legia Warszawa Legia Warszawa Legia Warszawa is a professional football club based in Warsaw, Poland. It was founded in March 1916 in the area of Maniewicze in Volhynia as the football club of the Polish Legions... |
3–1, 0–0 | ||
| 1986–87 | European Cup | R1 |  |
Real Madrid Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la... |
1–0, 0–5 |
| 1987–88 | Cup Winners' Cup | R1 | |
DAC Dunajská Streda | 1–2, 3–1 |
| R2 | |
FC Den Haag | 1–2, 1–0 | ||
| QF | |
AFC Ajax | 0–1, 0–1 | ||
| 1988–89 | Intertoto Cup | Group | |
DAC Dunajská Streda | 5–1, 1–3 |
| Group | |
IFK Norrkoping IFK Norrköping IFK Norrköping is a Swedish football club based in Norrköping. The club, formed on 29 May 1897, is currently playing in the first division of Swedish football, Allsvenskan... |
3–2, 2–0 | ||
| Group | |
Haladas Szombathely | 4–0, 1–3 | ||
| 1992–93 | Intertoto Cup | Group | |
Karlsruher SC Karlsruher SC Karlsruher SC is a German association football club, based in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg. KSC rose out of the consolidation of a number of predecessor clubs. They currently play in the 2... |
2–2, 2–2 |
| Group | |
Halmstads BK Halmstads BK Halmstads Bollklubb, also called HBK or just Halmstad, is a Swedish football club located in Halmstad in the southwest of Sweden. The club, formed 6 March 1914, competes in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan, and has won 4 national championship titles and 1 national cup title... |
3–1, 1–2 | ||
| Group | |
Austria Salzburg | 3–1, 2–4 | ||
| 1993–94 | Intertoto Cup | Group | |
SK Sigma Olomouc SK Sigma Olomouc SK Sigma Olomouc is a Czech football club from the city of Olomouc. They reached the quarterfinals of the 1991-1992 UEFA Cup.Since 2011, Olomouc have had an agreement where FK SAN-JV Šumperk is acting as their farm team.- Historical names :... |
1–0 |
| Group | |
Aarhus GF | 3–2 | ||
| Group | |
Austria Salzburg | 2–0 | ||
| Group | |
Oţelul Galaţi | 3–3 | ||
| 1993–94 | UEFA Cup UEFA Cup The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League... |
R1 | |
Celtic F.C. Celtic F.C. Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the... |
0–0, 0–1 |
| 1994–95 | Intertoto Cup | Group | |
Hapoel Be'er Sheva | 0–1 |
| Group | |
Electroputere Craiova | 1–0 | ||
| Group | |
Karlsruher SC Karlsruher SC Karlsruher SC is a German association football club, based in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg. KSC rose out of the consolidation of a number of predecessor clubs. They currently play in the 2... |
1–0 | ||
| Group | |
BK Häcken BK Häcken BK Häcken is a Swedish football club based in Gothenburg. The club, formed on 2 August 1940, is currently playing in the Swedish premier division, Allsvenskan after being promoted in 2008.- The beginning :... |
4–1 | ||
| 2003–04 | UEFA Cup UEFA Cup The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League... |
Q1 |  |
MyPa-47 | 2–3, 2–2 |
| 2004–05 | Champions League UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It... |
Q2 |  |
Red Star Belgrade Red Star Belgrade Red Star Belgrade is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is a part of the Red Star Sports Society.Red Star Belgrade is the most successful Serbian club, with a record of 25 national championships and 23 national cups in both Serbian and ex-Yugoslav competitions... |
2–2, 0–3 |
| 2005 | Intertoto Cup | R2 | |
K.S.C. Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen | 4–1, 2–1 |
| R3 | |
Olympique Marseille | 2–3, 1–2 | ||
| 2006–07 | UEFA Cup UEFA Cup The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League... |
Q1 |  |
Mika Ashtarak | 3–1, 1–0 |
| Q2 | |
Olympique Marseille | 3–3, 0–0 | ||
| 2007–08 UEFA Cup 2007–08 The 2007–08 UEFA Cup was the 37th edition of the UEFA Cup, UEFA's second tier club football tournament. The final was played at the City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester, England on 14 May 2008 between Rangers of Scotland and Zenit St. Petersburg of Russia. Zenit won the match 2–0, with... |
UEFA Cup UEFA Cup The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League... |
Q1 | |
FC Banants FC Banants Football Club Banants is an Armenian professional football team, playing in the capital, Yerevan. The club plays in the Armenian Premier League and has won the Armenian Cup twice, in 1992 and 2007.- Banants Kotayk :... |
1–1, 4–0 |
| Q2 | |
RC Lens RC Lens Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du... |
1–1, 1–5 | ||
| 2008–09 UEFA Cup 2008–09 The UEFA Cup 2008–09 was the 38th edition of the UEFA Cup football tournament. The final was played at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, home ground of Fenerbahçe, in Istanbul, Turkey, on 20 May 2009. This season was the final one to use the UEFA Cup format; starting in 2009, the event is known as the... |
UEFA Cup UEFA Cup The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League... |
Q2 | |
Debreceni VSC Debreceni VSC Debreceni VSC or just Debrecen or DVSC is a football club from the city of Debrecen in Hungary. They are best known for reaching the group stages of the UEFA Champions League 2009–10 season. Debreceni VSC has been the most successful Hungarian club since 2000. The club has won the Hungarian... |
4–1, 3–2 |
| R1 | |
Club Brugge Club Brugge Club Brugge Koninklijke Voetbalvereniging is a football club from Bruges in Belgium. It was founded in 1891 and is one of the top clubs in Belgium. Its home ground is the Jan Breydel Stadium, which has a capacity of 29,472.... |
2–2, 0–2 | ||
| 2009–10 | UEFA Europa League | Q3 | |
Athletic Bilbao Athletic Bilbao Athletic Club, also known as Athletic Bilbao, is an association football club from Bilbao in Biscay, Spain. The club has played in the Primera División of La Liga since its start in 1928. They have won La Liga on eight occasions... |
0–1, 2–1 |
| 2010–11 | Champions League UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It... |
Q3 | |
Fenerbahçe SK Fenerbahçe SK Fenerbahçe Spor Kulübü is a professional sports club based in Kadıköy, Istanbul, Turkey. The club derives its name from the Fenerbahçe neighbourhood of Istanbul. Fenerbahçe is one of the biggest and the best supported clubs in Turkey. They are nicknamed Sarı Kanaryalar )... |
2–2, 1–0 |
| Q4 |  |
Tottenham Hotspur FC | 3–2, 0–4 | ||
| 2010–11 | UEFA Europa League | Group | |
VfB Stuttgart VfB Stuttgart Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga seasons... |
0-3, 4-2 |
| Group | |
Getafe CF Getafe CF Getafe Club de Fútbol is a Spanish La Liga football club based in Getafe, a city in the Madrid metropolitan area, founded in 1946 and refounded in 1983.In the top level since 2004-05, it holds home games at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez.... |
2-0, 0–1 | ||
| Group | |
Odense Boldklub | 4-2, 0–2 | ||
| 1/32 |  |
FC Zenit Saint Petersburg FC Zenit Saint Petersburg Football Club Zenit is a Russian football club from the city of Saint-Petersburg. Founded in 1925 , the club plays in the Russian Premier League... |
2-1, 1-3 | ||
| 2011–12 2011–12 UEFA Europa League The 2011–12 UEFA Europa League is the third season of the competition since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup. It began on 30 June 2011 with the first legs of the first qualifying round, and will end on 9 May 2012 with the final to be held at Stadionul Național in Bucharest, Romania... |
UEFA Europa League | Q3 | |
Westerlo K.V.C. Westerlo Koninklijke Voetbal Club Westerlo is a Belgian professional football club located in the city of Westerlo in the province of Antwerp. Westerlo has been playing in the Belgian Pro League since 1997–98. Their highest finish is a 6th place in 1999–2000, 2003–04 and 2008–09. They have won 1 Belgian... |
3-1, 2-0 |
| PO |  |
S.C. Braga | 0-0, 2-2 |