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 | Giorgio Contini | |||
| League | Swiss Super League | |||
| 2024–25 | Swiss Super League, 3rd of 12 | |||
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The Berner Sport Club Young Boys, often called YB, is a professional football club from Bern, Switzerland. This team has won 17 Swiss league championships and eight Swiss Cups. YB is known as one of Switzerland's most successful football clubs on the international stage. They even reached the semi-finals of the European Cup in the 1958–59 season. The club's official colors are yellow and black.
Contents
Club History
The Young Boys football club has a long and exciting history, full of wins and challenges. Let's explore how this famous Swiss team grew over the years.
How Young Boys Started (1902–1925)
The club was founded in 1898. Its name, "Young Boys," was chosen to be similar to another club called "Old Boys" from Basel.
YB quickly became successful. In 1902, they had a big 7–0 win against Fortuna Basel. They also started to become more popular than their city rivals, FC Bern.
In 1903, YB won the championship of the Central League. They then played in the finals of the Swiss championship. They beat FC Zürich 3–1 and then surprised everyone by beating FC Neuchâtel 5–0. This meant YB won their first Swiss football championship just five years after starting!
From 1904, YB played at the Spitalacker-Platz. They continued to be a top team in their region. They won more championships in 1909, 1910, and 1911. Winning three titles in a row was a first for Swiss football! They also won the "Anglo-cup" three times, which was like today's Swiss Cup.
Fans used to talk about the "YB Quarter Hour." This was the last 15 minutes of a game when YB players would push extra hard. Opponents would often get tired, and YB would score important goals. For example, in the 1911 final, they scored three goals in the last 18 minutes to win.
In 1913, Reynold Williams became the club's first coach. Soon after, World War I began, and their home field was used for growing potatoes. Despite these difficulties, YB won another Swiss league championship in 1920. After the war, the club looked for a new, better stadium, finding a spot at Wankdorffeld.
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 they opened their new home, the Wankdorf Stadium. This modern stadium could hold 22,000 fans, including covered seats. It was much bigger than FC Bern's stadium, which made the rivalry between the two clubs even stronger.
In 1929, YB reached the Swiss championship final again. They played against Grasshoppers. YB won 2–0, stopping Grasshoppers from winning their third title in a row.
In 1930, Young Boys won their first Swiss Cup. They beat FC Aarau 1–0 in front of 30,000 fans at Wankdorf. Over the next 15 years, YB didn't win any more league or cup titles.
The Wankdorf Stadium continued to grow. Its capacity increased to 42,000 spectators. However, during the World War II, the club faced money problems. Luckily, with help from the city of Bern, the club's finances improved in 1943.
In 1945, at the end of the war, YB won their second Cup, beating FC St. Gallen 2–0. Two seasons later, they were moved down to a lower league. It took three seasons to return to the top league, where they stayed for over 50 years.
The Golden Years with Coach Albert Sing (1951–1964)
In 1951, Albert Sing became the new manager. No one knew then how successful YB would become under him. Sing first played and coached, then became a full-time coach. During his time, YB had its most successful period ever. Players like Eugene "Geni" Meier and goalkeeper Walter Eich joined the team, making it very strong.
For the 1954 FIFA World Cup, the Wankdorf stadium was made even bigger, holding over 60,000 people.
In 1953, Young Boys won the Cup again, beating Grasshoppers Zürich 3–1 in a replay match. That summer, YB toured North America, playing against teams like Liverpool and the Republic of Ireland national team. They showed great results for Swiss football and were welcomed home by thousands of excited fans.
From 1957 to 1960, YB won the Swiss championship four times in a row! They were the best team in Switzerland and did well in European competitions too. In 1958, they won another Cup, beating Grasshoppers 4–1.
YB also had great success in the European Cup. In 1958, they played against MTK Budapest from Hungary. YB won 4–1 at Wankdorf in front of 28,000 fans. In the next round, they beat SC Wismut Chemnitz from East Germany. This led them to the European Cup semi-finals. Their opponents were Stade de Reims from France.
On April 15, 1959, a huge game happened at Wankdorf. Sixty thousand fans packed the stadium, maybe even more! YB played amazingly and won 1–0 with a goal from Geni Meier. This game became a legend in Bern. In the return match in Paris, Stade de Reims won 3–0, so they went to the final. Still, no other Swiss team has had as much success in this competition as Young Boys did that season.
Albert Sing left Young Boys in 1964. He is still known as the most successful coach in the club's history.
Ups and Downs (1964–2001)
After Albert Sing left, it was hard for new coaches to match his success. Even with great players like Geni Meier, YB's performance became more average. They often finished in the top half of the league but didn't win many titles.
In the late 1960s and 1970s, YB had less success. They returned to European competition in 1975 but were knocked out early by Hamburger SV.
In 1977, YB won the Cup for the fifth time under coach Kurt Linder. This allowed them to play in the European Cup Winners' Cup. They faced Rangers from Scotland. YB lost 0–1 away and drew 2–2 at home, so Rangers moved on.
In 1984, Alexander Mandziara became the manager. He brought an attacking style of football and tough training. In the 1985–86 season, YB had an amazing comeback. They caught up to the league leaders, Neuchâtel Xamax, and beat them 4–1 in the final game. After 26 years, YB were champions again!
In the European championship, YB played against Real Madrid, a team with superstars like Hugo Sánchez. On September 17, 1986, 32,000 fans watched YB win 1–0 at Wankdorf. In the return game in Madrid, Real Madrid won 5–0.
In 1987, YB won the Cup for the sixth time, beating Servette FC 4–2. They also reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, losing to Ajax from Amsterdam.
The 1990s brought more challenges. In 1991, YB reached the Cup final against FC Sion in front of 50,000 fans. YB led 2–0 at halftime but lost 3–2. In 1993, they played Celtic in the UEFA Cup, drawing 0–0 at home and losing 1–0 away.
In 1997, YB was moved down to the National League B (now called the Challenge League) for the first time since 1947. The club also faced serious money problems and was close to going bankrupt. An investment company helped save the club.
New coaches and players helped the team recover. In 2001, YB won promotion back to the top division. The last game in the old Wankdorf stadium was a 1–1 draw against FC Lugano in front of 22,200 fans.
Playing at Neufeldstadion (2001–2005)
While the new stadium was being built, Young Boys played their home games at the Neufeldstadion.
In 2001, YB qualified for the final round of the league for the first time in seven years. They played exciting football and aimed for a spot in an international competition, finishing seventh. They also reached the Swiss Cup semi-finals.
In 2002, YB finished fourth in the league, which meant they qualified for the UEFA Cup, an international competition, for the first time in ten years. This season also saw Stéphane Chapuisat, one of Switzerland's best strikers, join the club.
In 2003, the league system changed. For the 2003–04 season, Hans-Peter Zaugg became the new coach. YB finished second in the first "Super League" season. This allowed them to enter the Champions League qualifying rounds in 2004, where they lost to Red Star Belgrade.
The New Wankdorf Stadium Era (2005–Present)
In the summer of 2005, Young Boys moved into their brand new home, the Wankdorf Stadium, also known as Stade de Suisse.
In their first season at the new stadium, YB finished third in the league, qualifying for the UEFA Cup. They beat Mika from Armenia and then faced French giants Marseille. YB drew 3–3 at home and 0–0 away, but lost on the "away goals rule."
In the 2009–10 season, Young Boys finished second, just three points behind champions Basel. They entered Champions League qualification and beat Fenerbahçe. They then played Tottenham Hotspur. YB led 3–0 in the first game at home but won 3–2. In the second game, they lost 4–0 and were knocked out. They then played in the Europa League group stage, reaching the knockout stage. They beat Zenit Saint Petersburg 2–1 at home but lost 3–1 away and were eliminated.
In the 2010–11 and 2011–12 seasons, YB finished third in the league, qualifying for the UEFA Europa League.
Return to Dominance (2018–Present)
On April 28, 2018, Young Boys won their first league title in 32 years after beating Luzern 2–1 at home.
On August 28, 2018, YB qualified for the UEFA Champions League Group Stage for the first time ever! They beat Dinamo Zagreb 3–2 on total score.
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 the Cup (their seventh Cup title and first in over 30 years). The club won the league again in the 2020–21 season.
After Seoane left, David Wagner became the new manager in June 2021. Under Wagner, Young Boys qualified for the Champions League group stage again. They were in a tough group with Atalanta, Villarreal, and Manchester United. In their first game, YB surprised Manchester United, winning 2–1 with a goal in the last minute! However, they finished last in their group.
Wagner was replaced by Matteo Vanetta in March 2022. In June 2022, Raphaël Wicky became the new head coach. In his first season, he led the club to win both the Cup (their eighth) and their 16th Swiss championship. Wicky was dismissed in March 2024, and Joël Magnin took over temporarily.
In May 2024, Patrick Rahmen was announced as the coach for the 2024–25 season. However, he was dismissed after just 99 days in October 2024, following a difficult start to the league season. Joël Magnin stepped in again as caretaker coach. As of December 2024, Giorgio Contini is the current manager.
Home Stadium
Since 2005, Young Boys has played its home matches at Stadion Wankdorf. This stadium can hold 31,120 fans and is the second-largest football stadium in Switzerland. Between 2005 and 2020, it was called Stade de Suisse Wankdorf.
The stadium has artificial turf, which means the national team rarely plays there. However, the artificial pitch allows Young Boys to train at the stadium every day, as they don't have a separate training center. For UEFA Euro 2008, a natural grass field was temporarily installed for three matches.
The Wankdorf Stadium also has the world's largest stadium-integrated solar power plant on its roof. The solar cells generate a lot of electricity, enough to power the stadium and some nearby homes.
The stadium project cost 350 million Swiss francs. The club and stadium are owned by businessman Hans-Ueli Rihs, who, along with his late brother Andy, has helped fund Young Boys since the early 2000s.
Before 2005, Young Boys played in the historic Wankdorf Stadium, which was on the same spot. While the new stadium was being built, YB played their home games at Stadion Neufeld.
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.
Club Achievements
| Type | Competition | Titles | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | Swiss Super League | 17 |
1902–03, 1908–09, 1909–10, 1910–11, 1919–20, 1928–29, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60 |
| Swiss Cup | 8 |
1929–30, 1944–45, 1952–53, 1957–58, 1976–77, 1986–87, 2019–20, 2022–23 |
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| Swiss League Cup | 1 |
1976 |
International Awards
- 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
Current Team Squad
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Players on Loan
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Important Players
Club Staff
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Sporting director |  Steve von Bergen |
| Manager | Giorgio Contini |
| 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 |
See also
In Spanish: BSC Young Boys para niños
