FC Thun, a recently promoted team, is on the cusp of an astonishing achievement: winning the Swiss Championship. This remarkable journey is spearheaded by two club legends in key management roles and the rock-solid defense led by Marco Bürki, brother of former BVB goalkeeper Roman Bürki.
Nestled by its namesake lake and dramatic mountain scenery, the picturesque town of Thun, with its approximately 45,000 inhabitants and historic castle, is unexpectedly becoming a focal point of Swiss football. Just last summer, the Swiss Football Association announced plans for a new national training center, the «Swiss Football Home,» to be built in Thun. Coincidentally, the local club, FC Thun, began crafting what many are calling the most sensational story in Swiss football history.
After five years in the second division, FC Thun secured promotion back to the Super League. They entered the season with the league’s second-lowest budget and the modest goal of avoiding relegation. Yet, this promoted side now stands poised to claim their first-ever championship title. Their last defeat was in mid-December, and since then, Thun has won twelve of their last thirteen competitive matches. No other team has scored more goals, and none have conceded fewer.
With three matches remaining in the regular season, followed by five in the championship group, FC Thun holds a commanding 16-point lead over their closest ‘pursuer,’ FC St. Gallen, with eight games left until the season concludes. Switzerland’s traditional footballing elite have been left far behind: the reigning double-winners FC Basel, captained by Xherdan Shaqiri, along with former dominant forces Young Boys Bern and the two historic Zurich clubs, FCZ and Grasshoppers (record champions and Bayern Munich’s cooperation partner), are battling relegation.
Last weekend, Thun emphatically defeated Grasshoppers 5-1 at home. The Stockhorn Arena was once again sold out with 10,000 spectators, meaning almost a quarter of the town’s population witnessed the triumph.
Lustrinelli and Gerber: Architects of a New Era, Echoing 2005 Success
Thun’s improbable narrative draws parallels to Leicester City’s Premier League title win in 2016 and 1. FC Kaiserslautern’s Bundesliga triumph as a promoted side in 1998. While another Swiss club, Grasshoppers, famously won the title directly after promotion in 1952, their victory was far less dominant, secured by just a single point, unlike Thun’s current commanding lead.
In its entire history, FC Thun has never won a major title, having lost two Cup finals. Their best league finish was second place in 2005, a season that saw the team, featuring striker Mauro Lustrinelli and midfielder Andreas Gerber, sensationally qualify for the Champions League. These two former protagonists are now central figures in the current fairytale: Lustrinelli as head coach and Gerber as president and sporting director.
Delving into the reasons behind this seemingly inexplicable success, one repeatedly finds answers in local commitment and continuity. Gerber has been involved in Thun’s management since ending his playing career in 2009, while Lustrinelli has coached the professional team since 2022. The squad boasts no internationally renowned stars but does feature a familiar name: Marco Bürki.
The Faces Behind the Sensational FC Thun Squad
Thun’s 32-year-old captain and defensive anchor, Marco Bürki, is the younger brother of long-serving BVB goalkeeper Roman Bürki (now playing for St. Louis City in the MLS). Leonardo Bertone, also 32, is already being compared to David Beckham in Switzerland due to his charisma and free-kick prowess. Both Bürki and Bertone hail from the region near Thun and are revered local heroes.
The most promising talent is considered to be 20-year-old U21 international Franz-Ethan Meichtry. This prolific midfielder is already being linked with a call-up to the Swiss senior national team, a potential World Cup appearance, and a subsequent move abroad.
Currently, Thun has three senior international players: top scorer Elmin Rastoder represents North Macedonia, Brighton Labeau plays for Martinique, and Mattias Käit for Estonia. Among the seven foreign players, one is German: Dominik Franke (27). A product of RB Leipzig’s youth academy, the left-back played for FC Ingolstadt 04 until 2023 before finding a new home in Thun after a period without a club – and is now likely to become a champion.