BSC Young Boys facts for kids
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| Full name | Berner Sport Club Young Boys | |||
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| Founded | 14 March 1898 | |||
| Ground | Wankdorf Stadium | |||
| Capacity | 32,000 | |||
| Chairman | Hanspeter Kienberger | |||
| Manager | Joël Magnin (caretaker) | |||
| League | Swiss Super League | |||
| 2023–24 | Swiss Super League, 1st of 12 (champions) | |||
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Berner Sport Club Young Boys, often called YB, is a professional sports club from Bern, Switzerland. This famous football team has won the Swiss league championship 17 times and the Swiss Cup eight times. YB is one of Switzerland's most successful football clubs on the international stage. They even reached the semi-finals of the European Cup way back in the 1958–59 season. The team's official colours are bright yellow and black.
Contents
Club History: A Journey Through Time
The Early Years (1898–1925)
The Young Boys club started in 1898. Its name was inspired by another club called "Old Boys" from Basel.
YB quickly became successful. They had a surprising 2–2 draw against Lausanne and a big 7–0 win over Fortuna Basel in 1902. YB also started to outshine their city rivals, FC Bern. They beat FC Bern 3–1 away and 5–0 at home in 1903.
YB won the Central League championship and got to play in the Swiss championship finals. They beat FC Zürich 3–1 in the first final. Then, they faced FC Neuchâtel, who were the favourites. But YB surprised everyone with a huge 5–0 victory! This meant YB won their first Swiss football championship after only five years.
After training at Schwellenmätteli, YB moved to Spitalacker-Platz in 1904. It took six years for them to win again. In 1909, they beat FC Winterthur 1–0 in the finals. The next year, YB won against FC Aarau 3–1 and Servette Geneva 2–1. In 1911, YB won their fourth championship overall and their third in a row! This was the first time a team won three titles in a row in Swiss football history. YB also won the "Anglo-cup" (a cup competition) in 1910 and the next two years.
Fans used to talk about the "YB Quarter Hour." This was the last 15 minutes of the game when YB players would push extra hard. Opponents would often get tired, and YB would score important goals. For example, in the 1910 final against Aarau, the score was 1–1 until the 80th minute. But YB scored to win! In 1911, they scored three goals in the last 18 minutes to win their third title in a row.
In 1913, Reynold Williams from England became the club's first coach. Soon after, World War I started. The Spitalacker-Platz was turned into a potato field. YB had to rent other fields to play. Even with these challenges, the club won the Swiss league championship again in 1920.
After the war, the team returned to Spitalacker-Platz. But the field wasn't good enough anymore. So, they looked for a new place and found Wankdorffeld. They started building a new stadium there.
A New Name and Stadium (1925–1951)
In 1925, the club changed its name from FC Young Boys to Berner Sport Club Young Boys. This was also the year of the last game at the old Spitalacker-Platz. In October, the new Wankdorf Stadium opened. It was designed by architects Scherler & Berger. The new stadium had a main stand with 1,200 covered seats, a restaurant, changing rooms, and a training area. It could hold 22,000 fans, including covered standing room for 5,000. YB now had a big, modern stadium, which made their rivalry with FC Bern even stronger.
In 1929, YB reached the final round of the Swiss championship again. They played against Grasshoppers Zürich in the final. Grasshoppers only needed a draw to win the championship for the third time in a row. But YB, even with some players missing, won 2–0! They stopped Grasshoppers from getting their third title in a row.
On February 10, 1930, the club bought more land because the stadium was too small. The Wankdorf stadium area grew to 35,585 square metres. In 1930, Young Boys won their first Swiss Cup. About 30,000 fans came to Wankdorf to watch YB beat FC Aarau 1–0. For the next 15 years, YB didn't win any league titles or cup championships.
During this time, Wankdorf stadium kept getting bigger. Its capacity grew to 42,000 fans, and another training field was added.
In the late 1930s, the world faced an economic crisis, and football felt it too. Fewer people came to games, and the club had money problems. During World War II, the club even thought about selling the stadium. But with help from the city of Bern in 1943, the club's finances got better. The stadium group changed its name to "Verein Fussball-Stadion Wankdorf."
During World War II, YB played well but didn't win any titles. In 1945, at the end of the war, YB won their second Cup! They beat FC St. Gallen 2–0. Two seasons later, the Bernese team was moved down to a lower league (National League B). It took three seasons for them to return to the top league, where they stayed for over 50 years.
The Golden Years (1951–1964)
In 1951, Albert Sing became the new manager. No one knew then how successful YB would become under this German coach. Sing started as a player-coach but later focused only on coaching. During his time, YB had its most successful period ever. New talented players like Eugene "Geni" Meier joined the team. Goalkeeper Walter Eich, one of the best in YB's history, also played a big part. Later, players like Heinz Schneite and Ernst Wechselberger joined.
For the 1954 FIFA World Cup, the Wankdorf stadium was made even bigger, from about 30,000 to over 60,000 seats.
In 1953, Young Boys reached the Cup final again. They played Grasshoppers Zürich, and the first game was a 1–1 draw. Five weeks later, YB won the replay 3–1. That summer, YB went on a tour to North America. They played against American teams, Liverpool (1–1), and the Republic of Ireland national team (YB won 4–1). YB's great results overseas made Swiss football proud, and thousands of fans welcomed them back to Bern.
From 1957 to 1960, YB were Swiss champions four times in a row! During this time, YB was one of the best teams in European football and much better than other Swiss teams. In 1958, YB won another Cup, beating Grasshoppers 4–1 in a replay.
Young Boys also did well in European competitions. In their first European Cup appearance, they played Vasas Budapest from Hungary. Some Swiss politicians didn't want a Swiss club to play against a Hungarian club from the Interior Ministry. So, Servette FC let YB use their stadium in Geneva. 20,000 fans watched YB draw 1–1 with the Hungarians. But YB lost the return match 1–2. The next year, Young Boys played another Hungarian team, MTK Budapest. YB won 2–1 in Hungary. On November 26, 1958, 28,000 fans watched YB win 4–1 at Wankdorf.
In the next round, YB played SC Wismut Chemnitz from East Germany. 32,000 fans filled Wankdorf. The game ended 2–2 after YB had a 2–0 lead. A week later, they drew 0–0 in East Germany, which meant they needed a deciding game. This game was on April 1, 1959, in the Amsterdam Olympic Stadium. YB won 2–1 in front of 35,000 fans! This meant Young Boys reached the European Cup semi-finals. Their opponents were Stade de Reims.
The most important game in YB's history happened on April 15, 1959. It was a rainy Wednesday. More than 60,000 fans packed into Wankdorf! YB played amazingly and won 1–0 with a goal from Geni Meier in the 13th minute. This game became a legend in Bern. In the return match in Paris, Stade de Reims won 3–0 and went to the final. No other Swiss team (except FC Zürich) has done as well in an international competition as Young Boys did that season.
In 1960, YB played internationally again, meeting Eintracht Frankfurt. Frankfurt won 4–1 in front of 36,000 fans. In the return match in Frankfurt, YB managed a 1–1 draw. In 1961, the team traveled to Ireland to play Limerick, winning 5–0. They won again 4–2 at Wankdorf. In the second round, YB met Hamburger SV and their star player Uwe Seeler. 45,000 fans watched at Wankdorf as Hamburg surprisingly won 5–0. In Hamburg, YB played better and drew 3–3. This was YB's last European appearance for a long time.
After winning four league titles and having a great European Cup run, Young Boys went on a 31-day trip through the Far East. They visited ten countries and played friendly matches against Asian teams.
Albert Sing left BSC Young Boys in 1964. He is still the most successful coach in the club's history.
Average Times (1964–1984)
The coaches who came after Albert Sing had a tough job. Fans expected a lot! Even though great players like Geni Meier and Ernst Wechselberger still played, the team's performance was just average. YB stayed in the top half of the league but didn't win titles.
Otto Messerli, who later became YB's captain, said: "There were many good ideas, but FC Basel and FC Zürich were too strong for us." YB sometimes played big games, like the Cup final against Basel, which drew 52,000 fans to Wankdorf. But overall, their performance wasn't exciting. Still, some YB players became famous. Bert Theunissen from the Netherlands became the top scorer in Switzerland. Later, Dieter Brenninger from Bayern Munich and Walter "Wale" Mueller joined, becoming feared strikers.
In the late 1960s and 1970s, YB didn't have much success. When they finished second in the 1974–75 season, they finally returned to European competition. In the first round of the UEFA Cup, they played Hamburger SV again. They drew 0–0 at Wankdorf. But HSV won 4–2 at home, and Young Boys were out.
It took until 1977 for YB to win another title. Under coach Kurt Linder, they won the Cup for the fifth time! This win meant YB qualified for the European Cup Winners' Cup. They faced a very strong team, the Rangers from Glasgow. YB played well at Ibrox Park, only losing 0–1. The return game at Wankdorf ended 2–2, and Rangers moved on.
In 1979, YB played in the European Cup Winners' Cup again. Only 6,700 fans came to Wankdorf to see the game against Steaua București, which ended 2–2. Two weeks later, Young Boys lost 0–6 in Bucharest.
The Mandziara Era (1984–1991)
After many coaching changes, Alexander Mandziara became manager in 1984. He was known for his offensive football style and tough training. In his first year, Young Boys finished ninth. But in the next season, 1985–86, YB had an amazing second half of the season. With new player Robert Prytz in midfield, YB started catching up to the league leaders, Neuchâtel Xamax.
On May 24, 1986, the big match happened in Neuchâtel. 21,500 fans, including many YB supporters, watched. Young Boys won 4–1! Lars Lunde and Dario Zuffi each scored twice. After 26 years, YB were champions again!
In the first round of the European championship, YB played against Real Madrid, who had stars like Hugo Sánchez and Emilio Butragueño. 32,000 fans came to Wankdorf, even though it was raining heavily. YB won 1–0 with a header from Urs Bamert! For the return game, 75,000 fans filled the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid. Real Madrid won 5–0, but YB had made a statement.
In 1987, YB won the Cup for the sixth time, beating Servette FC 4–2 in a replay. In the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, Young Boys played against Dunajská Streda from Czechoslovakia. They lost 2–1 away but won 3–1 at home to move to the next round. In the Round of 16, they visited FC Den Haag and lost 1–2. In the return match in Bern, YB won 1–0, which was enough to reach the quarter-finals! Their next opponent was Ajax from Amsterdam. Ajax won both games 1–0, and YB was out of the competition.
Ups and Downs (1991–2001)
A big moment in the 1990s was the Cup final against FC Sion in 1991. Wankdorf was packed with 50,000 fans! YB led 2–0 at halftime, but Sion scored three goals in the second half to win the Cup. In 1993, YB qualified for the UEFA Cup and played Celtic. The home game ended 0–0. In Glasgow, Young Boys lost 1–0 in extra time.
In the mid-1990s, the club faced big problems. Young Boys had money troubles, and in 1997, they were moved down to a lower league (the National League B). This was the first time since 1947! New Swedish coaches helped the club get promoted back to the top league. But then, more defeats meant YB had to play in relegation play-offs. The club was almost bankrupt. A company from Lucerne saved the club, even though YB owed over 1.7 million Swiss francs in 1999.
Almost all the players left the team. YB played the next season with a very weak squad. They finished third-last, and there was a risk of being moved down to an even lower league. Marco Schällibaum became manager and brought in new players, which helped the club stay in the league. In December 1999, BSC Young Boys AG was created to manage the team's operations and finances.
The next season, YB had a stronger team with new players like Harutyun Vardanyan and Gürkan Sermeter. They won many games and played exciting football. The team finished at the top of the table and got promoted back to the top division!
Fans in Bern became excited again, and more people came to games. The first game of the 2001–02 season was the last game in the old Wankdorf stadium. YB drew 1–1 with FC Lugano in front of 22,200 fans. Reto Burri scored the last goal for YB in the old stadium.
Temporary Home (2001–2005)
Young Boys played at the Neufeldstadion until the new Wankdorf Stadium (Stade de Suisse) opened in 2005.
In 2001, a long streak of 25 home games without a loss ended with a 1–3 defeat against Grasshoppers. But YB still qualified for the final round of the league for the first time in seven years. They played exciting football and almost qualified for an international competition, finishing seventh. The team also reached the semi-finals of the Swiss Cup but lost in a penalty shootout to FC Basel.
In 2002, YB finished fourth in the league, which meant they would play in an international competition (the UEFA Cup) for the first time in ten years! This season, Stéphane Chapuisat, one of the best Swiss strikers ever, joined the club.
In 2003, the league system changed. For the 2003–04 season, Hans-Peter Zaugg became the new head coach. YB played in the first "Super League" and finished second! This meant they entered the second qualifying round of the 2004–05 Champions League. They lost to Red Star Belgrade 5–2 over two games. In the 2004–05 domestic season, they finished fourth.
The New Wankdorf Stadium Era (2005–2018)
In the summer of 2005, Young Boys started playing their home matches in the newly built Wankdorfstadion, also known as the Stade de Suisse.
A few months later, Gernot Rohr became coach. The team played defensively but did well. They reached the Cup final but lost in a penalty shootout to Sion. In their first season at the new stadium, YB finished third, qualifying for the UEFA Cup. They beat Mika from Armenia 4–1. Then they faced the big French team Marseille. YB drew 3–3 at home and 0–0 away, but lost because Marseille scored more "away goals."
Coach Gernot Rohr was replaced by Martin Andermatt. YB started the 2006–07 season well, beating their rivals Thun 5–1. The team finished fourth, qualifying for the UEFA Cup again. In this season, YB had their highest average attendance ever, with 15,517 fans per game.
Young Boys finished second in the 2009–10 season, just three points behind champions Basel. They entered Champions League qualification and beat Fenerbahçe. Then they faced Tottenham Hotspur. YB took a 3–0 lead in the first game at Stade de Suisse but ended up winning 3–2. In the second game, they lost 4–0 and were out of the Champions League.
After that, Young Boys moved to the Europa League group stage. They qualified for the knockout stage, finishing second in their group. In the Round of 32, they played Zenit Saint Petersburg. YB won the first game at home 2–1 but lost 3–1 away and were eliminated.
In the 2010–11 season, the club finished third, qualifying for the UEFA Europa League again. The next season was similar, with YB finishing third. They didn't reach the Europa League group stage, losing to Braga on the away goals rule.
Back to Winning (2018–Present)
On April 28, 2018, after a 2–1 home win over Luzern, Young Boys became 2017–18 Swiss Super League champions! This was their first league title in 32 years.
On August 28, 2018, Young Boys qualified for the UEFA Champions League Group stage for the first time ever! They beat Dinamo Zagreb 3–2 over two games.
In April 2019, Young Boys won their 13th league title. The next season, manager Gerardo Seoane led the club to win both the league (their 14th title and third in a row) and their seventh cup title, which was their first in over 30 years! The club won the league title again in the 2020–21 season. Seoane left to join a German club, and David Wagner became the new manager in June 2021.
Under Wagner, Young Boys qualified for the Champions League group stage. They beat Slovan Bratislava, Cluj, and Ferencváros in the qualifying rounds. They were placed in a tough group with Atalanta, Villarreal, and English giants Manchester United. In their first Champions League game, YB surprised Manchester United, beating them 2–1 with a goal from Jordan Pefok in the 95th minute! However, the team couldn't keep up their good performance and finished last in their group.
The tough schedule made the team tired. By the winter break, they were in third place in the Super League, eleven points behind the leader. David Wagner left the club in March 2022. Assistant coach Matteo Vanetta took over as interim coach.
On June 2, 2022, Raphaël Wicky was announced as the new head coach. In his first season, he led the club to win both the Cup (their eighth) and their 16th Swiss championship! On March 4, 2024, he was replaced by U21 coach Joël Magnin as interim coach.
On May 14, 2024, Patrick Rahmen was announced as the coach for the 2024–25 season. He signed a two-year contract. However, he was dismissed after just 99 days on October 8, 2024, because the team had its worst league start in the 21st century. Joël Magnin is now the interim coach again.
Home Ground: Wankdorf Stadium
Since 2005, Young Boys plays its home matches at the new Wankdorf Stadium, which was called Stade de Suisse Wankdorf until 2020. This stadium can hold 31,120 fans and is the second largest football stadium in Switzerland. Before 2005, Young Boys played in the historic Wankdorf Stadium that was in the same spot since 1925.
Building the new stadium cost 350 million francs, which was a lot of money for a building in Switzerland at the time. The stadium and the club are owned by businessman Hans-Ueli Rihs. He and his late brother Andy have supported Young Boys financially since the early 2000s. Andy Rihs passed away on April 18, 2018, just 10 days before YB won the championship.
The stadium is called Wankdorf because it was meant to be a National Stadium for Switzerland. However, it has artificial turf, so the national team doesn't play there very often. The artificial pitch is good because it allows Young Boys to train there every day, as they don't have a separate training center. For UEFA Euro 2008, a natural grass field was put in for three group stage matches.
The stadium also has the largest stadium-integrated solar power plant in the world! On the roof of the Stade de Suisse, there are enough solar cells to make 700,000 kWh of electricity. This electricity powers the stadium and some homes around the Wankdorf area.
Team Kits
- Current sports brand: Nike
- Home kit: Yellow shirt, black shorts, yellow socks.
- Away kit: Black shirt, yellow or black shorts, black socks.
- Third kit: White shirt, white shorts and white socks.
Trophies and Achievements
National Titles
- Swiss Super League:
- Winners (17): 1902–03, 1908–09, 1909–10, 1910–11, 1919–20, 1928–29, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1985–86, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2022–23, 2023–24
- Runners-up (20): 1901–02, 1907–08, 1913–14, 1917–18, 1920–21, 1936–37, 1940–41, 1952–53, 1960–61, 1964–65, 1974–75, 1992–93, 2003–04, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17
- Swiss Cup:
- Winners (8): 1929–30, 1944–45, 1952–53, 1957–58, 1976–77, 1986–87, 2019–20, 2022–23
- Runners-up (8): 1928–29, 1955–56, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1990–91, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2017–18
- Swiss Super Cup:
- Winners: 1986
- Runners-up: 1987
- Swiss League Cup:
- Winners: 1976
International Titles
- Coppa delle Alpi
- Winners: 1974
- European Cup/UEFA Champions League
- Semi-final: 1958–59
- European Cup Winners' Cup
- Quarter-final: 1987–88
- UEFA Europa League
- Round of 16: 2020–21
Meet the Team: Current Players
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Players on Loan
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Famous Players
Who Runs the Club?
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Sporting director |  Steve von Bergen |
| Manager | Joël Magnin |
| Assistant managers |  Zoltán Kádár Steffen Karstenbaum |
| Goalkeeper coach | Christoph Born |
| Conditioning Coach | Martin Fryand |
| Athletic coach | Stephan Flückiger |
| Match Analyst | Frank Lieberfeldt |
| Trainer Scout | Erich Hänzi |
| Chief Scout | Stéphane Chapuisat |
| Club Doctor | Thomas Ringgenberg Jan Montagne |
| Physiotherapist | Thomas Breitenmoser |
| Team Official | Nico Zaugg |
| Chief Instructor | Ernst Graf Gérard Castella |
| Loan Player Manager | Patrik Schuler |
| Academy manager | Christian Franke |
Club Coaches Through the Years
Reynold Williams (1913–18)- Jimmy Hogan (1 July 1918 – 30 June 1920)
- Berth Smith (1920–24)
- Sandy Higgens (1924–28)
- Ernst Meyer (1928–29)
Viktor Hierländer (July 1931 – June 32)- Hans Wüthrich (1932–34)
- Valère de Besveconny (1934)
Izidor Kürschner (July 1934 – June 35)- Hans Pulver (1935–42)
- Béla Volentik (1 July 1942 – 30 June 1946)
- William Baumgartner (Jan 1947 – June 48)
- Fritz Gschweidl (July 1948 – June 49)
- Eric Jones (1949–50)
Albert Sing (1 July 1951 – June 64)- Heinz Bigler (April 1964 – July 64)
- Hans Merkle (1 July 1964 – 30 June 1968)
- René Häfeli (Jan 1968 – July 68)
- Albert Brülls (1968–70)
- Walter Eich (Jan 1970 – July 70)
Henri Skiba (July 1970 – November 70)- Heinz Schneiter and Walter Eich (1970–72)
- Otto Peters (1972–73)
- Kurt Linder (1 July 1973 – 31 December 1977)
- René Hüssy (1977–78)
- Friedhelm Konietzka (1 July 1978 – 30 June 1980)
Lambertus Theunissen (July 1980 – June 83)- Kurt Linder (July 1983 – October 83)
- Walter Eich (1983–84)
Aleksander Mandziara (1 July 1984 – 30 June 1988)
Tord Grip (1 July 1988 – June 90)- Pál Csernai (31 December 1989 – 30 June 1990)
- Martin Trümpler (1 July 1990 – 30 June 1994)
- Bernard Challandes (1 July 1994 – 13 March 1995)
- Jean-Marie Conz (1995–97)
- Tord Grip (April 1997 – July 97)
- R. Andersson and T. Sjöberg (1 July 1997 – 30 June 1998)
- Robert Schober and
Admir Smajić (Jan 1998 – July 98) - Claude Ryf (1 July 1998–99)
- Martin Weber (May 1999 – July 99)
- Roger Läubli (July 1999)
- Richard Wey and Admir Smajić (July 1999)
- Richard Wey (6 Aug 1999 – 28 September 1999)
- Marco Schällibaum (1 September 1999 – 30 June 2003)
- Hans-Peter Zaugg (1 July 2003 – 17 October 2005)
- Gernot Rohr (18 October 2005 – 21 September 2006)
Erminio Piserchia (interim) (21 September 2006 – 11 October 2006)- Martin Andermatt (12 October 2006 – 30 July 2008)
- Erminio Piserchia (interim) (30 July 2008 – 10 August 2008)
- Vladimir Petković (10 Aug 2008 – 8 May 2011)
- Erminio Piserchia (interim) (8 May 2011 – 30 June 2011)
- Christian Gross (1 July 2011 – 29 April 2012)
- Erminio Piserchia (interim) (29 April 2012 – 30 June 2012)
- Martin Rueda (1 July 2012 – 7 April 2013)
- Bernard Challandes (8 April 2013 – 30 June 2013)
- Uli Forte (1 July 2013 – Sept 2015)
- Adi Hütter (Sept 2015 – 1 June 2018)
- Gerardo Seoane (1 July 2018 – 30 June 2021)
David Wagner (1 July 2021 – 7 March 2022)- Matteo Vanetta (interim) (7 March 2022 – 1 June 2022)
- Raphaël Wicky (2 June 2022 – 4 March 2024)
- Joël Magnin (4 March 2024 – 1 June 2024) (interim)
- Patrick Rahmen (1 June 2024 – 8 October 2024)
- Joël Magnin (8 October 2024 – present) (interim)
See also
In Spanish: BSC Young Boys para niños
- BSC Young Boys in European football
- Mario
