FC Luzern facts for kids
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| Full name | Fussball-Club Luzern | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Die Leuchten (The Lights) | ||
| Founded | 12 August 1901 | ||
| Ground | Swissporarena, Lucerne | ||
| Capacity | 17,000 | ||
| President | Josef Bieri (interim) | ||
| Head coach | Mario Frick | ||
| League | Swiss Super League | ||
| 2023–24 | Swiss Super League, 7th of 12 | ||
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Fussball-Club Luzern, often called FCL, is a sports club from Lucerne, Switzerland. It's most famous for its professional football team. This team plays in the Swiss Super League, which is the top football league in Switzerland.
FC Luzern has won the national league title once and the Swiss Cup three times. The club's colors are blue and white, just like the flags of Lucerne city and its canton. They play their home games at the Swissporarena, a modern stadium built in 2011.
The club started in 1901. Besides professional men's football, FC Luzern also has teams for women's football, volleyball, boccia, and gymnastics.
Contents
Club History
FC Luzern's biggest win was becoming Swiss Champions in 1989. They have also won the Swiss Cup three times: in 1960, 1992, and 2021. They were runners-up in the cup four times.
The club has moved between the top league and lower leagues many times. Since 1933, they have been promoted (moved up) nine times and relegated (moved down) eight times. This is the most for any team in Switzerland!
| Promotions | Relegations |
|---|---|
| 9x (1936, 1953, 1958, 1967, 1970, 1974, 1979, 1993, 2006) | 8x (1944, 1955, 1966, 1969, 1972, 1975, 1992, 2003) |
How the Club Started
People in Luzern tried to start a football club way back in 1867. But it wasn't until 1901 that it really happened. Friends Adolf Coulin, Ernst Haag, and Hans Walter, who knew about football from other parts of Switzerland, decided to create a club.
On July 8, 1901, they met with other football fans. Just four days later, on July 12, 1901, they had their first practice at a big green area called Allmend. This place later became their home stadium. The club officially started on August 12, 1901.
Their first game was on April 13, 1902, against SC Zofingen. They lost 2-1, but Albrik Lüthy scored the first goal for FC Luzern! Their first home game was on May 25, 1902, also against Zofingen, which they lost 4-0.
Early Years and Challenges (1903–1936)
FC Luzern joined the Swiss Football Association (SFA) in 1903. They started in the third division, Serie C. Even though they didn't win much at first, they moved up to Serie B and then to Serie A in 1909. But playing in Serie A was tough, and they finished last.
Things got better when they played their first international matches. They lost to Unione Sportiva Milanense in 1911 but won against SV Stuttgart in 1912. However, they struggled in the Swiss league and even faced a city rival, FC Kickers. There was talk of joining forces, but it didn't happen.
In 1918, Luzern returned to Serie A. In 1921, they got their first professional coach, Dionys Schönecker. They almost won the championship in 1922, reaching the final against Servette Geneva. Servette won, but the game ended early because fans rushed onto the field!
After this, Luzern went back to the second division. The league system changed a lot in the early 1930s, and Luzern faced more challenges.
Tough Times and Comebacks (1936–1979)
In 1936, Luzern was promoted to the new top league, the Nationalliga. They had a good season in 1936-37, finishing fourth. But the years that followed, especially during World War II, were difficult. They often finished near the bottom and were relegated in 1944.
For a while, Luzern was mostly a second-division team. They were promoted again in 1953 but went down in 1955. A young German coach named Rudi Gutendorf joined in 1955. He helped the team get promoted again in 1958.
In 1960, Luzern won its first big trophy, the Swiss Cup! They beat FC Grenchen in the final. This win allowed them to play in a European competition, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, but they lost to Fiorentina.
After this success, the club had financial problems and changed coaches often. They became known as a "yo-yo team" because they kept moving up and down between leagues. Between 1966 and 1979, they were promoted four times and relegated four times! One famous coach during this time was Paul Wolfisberg, who later coached the Swiss national team.
The Golden Era (1980–1992)
The late 1970s and 1980s were a great time for FC Luzern. Paul Wolfisberg returned as coach in 1978, starting a successful period. In 1980, Ottmar Hitzfeld joined as a player. He later became a very famous coach.
In 1985, Friedel Rausch became the coach. He led Luzern to its most successful time. In 1986, they finished third and played in the UEFA Cup for the first time. They drew 0-0 against Spartak Moscow away but lost the home game 0-1.
The biggest moment came in 1989 when Luzern surprisingly won the Swiss championship! This was their first and only league title. They won the title with a 1-0 home victory against Servette in front of 24,000 fans. Jürgen Mohr scored the winning goal.
Winning the league meant they could play in the European Cup (now the Champions League). But they lost to PSV from the Netherlands. In 1990, they won their first European match against MTK Budapest.
In 1992, after a tough season, Luzern was relegated. But just days later, they won their third major trophy, beating FC Lugano 3-1 in the Swiss Cup final! Coach Rausch left after this season.
Challenges and Comebacks (1993–Present)
Luzern quickly returned to the top league in 1993. But they struggled again, except for reaching the cup final in 1997, which they lost. The late 1990s and early 2000s were hard, with financial problems and many coach changes. In 2001, the club even faced serious financial difficulties.
They were relegated again in 2003. But in 2006, under coach René van Eck, the team had an amazing 31-match unbeaten run and won the Swiss Challenge League, earning promotion back to the Super League.
Since 2006, Luzern has been a regular in the Super League. They reached another Swiss Cup final in 2007 but lost to FC Basel. They also reached the final in 2012 but lost again. In 2009, they avoided relegation by winning a playoff.
In 2009, star player Hakan Yakin joined, helping the team finish third. His brother, Murat Yakin, later coached the team, leading them to a second-place finish in 2012, their best since 1989.
Coaches like Markus Babbel helped stabilize the team in the mid-2010s. In 2018, Gerardo Seoane led them to a third-place finish before moving to another club.
On May 24, 2021, Luzern won their third Swiss Cup by beating FC St. Gallen 3-1. This was a big moment for the club!
Fans and Rivalries
FC Luzern has a strong fan base, mostly from Central Switzerland. Even though they haven't won many big trophies, they are a traditional club. Since moving to the new stadium in 2011, they have always been among the top five clubs for average attendance in the Swiss Super League, with 9,000 to 14,000 fans at games.
Their local derby (a game against a nearby rival) is with SC Kriens. Their stadiums are very close! They played each other in an official match in 2017 for the first time since 2006.
While there aren't many very old rivalries, fans often see FC St. Gallen as a main rival. Matches against FC Aarau also attract many Luzern supporters.
Stadium
From 1934 to 2009, FC Luzern played at the Stadion Allmend. It could hold 25,000 people, but for safety, only 13,000 were allowed in its final year. While the new stadium was being built, Luzern played temporarily at the Gersag Stadion.
In August 2011, the club moved into the new Swissporarena, built on the same spot as the old stadium. The first game there was a 0-0 draw against FC Thun.
Honours
- Swiss Super League
- Winners: 1988–89
- Runners-up: 1921–22, 2011–12
- Swiss Cup
- Winners: 1959–60, 1991–92, 2020–21
- Runners-up: 1996–97, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2011–12
Winning the championship in 1989 under coach Friedel Rausch was the club's greatest success. They have played in six Swiss Cup finals. They won two of them: 1-0 against FC Grenchen in 1960 and 3-1 against FC Lugano in 1992. They lost four cup finals, including two against FC Basel. Reaching the cup final in 2005 as a second-tier club, getting promoted in 2006, and winning the cup in 2021 are some of their recent achievements.
European Games
FC Luzern has played in several European competitions. Here's a look at some of their matches:
| Season | Competition | Round | Club | 1st leg | 2nd leg | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960–61 | UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | QF |  Fiorentina |
0–3 | 2–6 | 2–9 |
| 1986–87 | UEFA Cup | 1R |  Spartak Moscow |
0–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 |
| 1989–90 | European Cup | 1R |  PSV |
0–3 | 0–2 | 0–5 |
| 1990–91 | UEFA Cup | 1R |  MTK Budapest |
1–1 | 2–1 | 3–2 |
| 2R |  SCN Admira/Wacker |
0–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | ||
| 1992–93 | European Cup Winners' Cup | 1R |  Levski Sofia |
1–2 | 1–0 | 2–2 (a) |
| 2R | Feyenoord |
1–0 | 1–4 | 2–4 | ||
| 1997–98 | UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | 1R |  Slavia Prague |
2–4 | 0–2 | 2–6 |
| 2010–11 | UEFA Europa League | 3Q | Utrecht |
0–1 | 1–3 | 1–4 |
| 2012–13 | UEFA Europa League | PO |  Genk |
2–1 | 0–2 | 2–3 |
| 2014–15 | UEFA Europa League | 2Q |  St Johnstone |
1–1 | 1–1 (aet) | 2–2 (4–5 p.) |
| 2016–17 | UEFA Europa League | 3Q | Sassuolo |
1–1 | 0–3 | 1–4 |
| 2017–18 | UEFA Europa League | 2Q |  Osijek |
0–2 | 2–1 | 2–3 |
| 2018–19 | UEFA Europa League | 3Q |  Olympiacos |
0–4 | 1–3 | 1–7 |
| 2019–20 | UEFA Europa League | 2Q |  KÍ Klaksvík |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 |
| 3Q |  Espanyol |
0–3 | 0–3 | 0–6 | ||
| 2021–22 | UEFA Europa Conference League | 3Q | Feyenoord |
0–3 | 0–3 | 0−6 |
| 2023–24 | UEFA Europa Conference League | 2Q |  Djurgårdens IF |
1–1 | 2–1 | 3–2 |
| 3Q | Hibernian |
1–3 | 2–2 | 3–5 |
Players
Current Team
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Players on Loan
These players are currently playing for other teams for a set period.
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FC Luzern U21 Team
This is the youth team for FC Luzern. They play in the Swiss Promotion League.
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Club Staff
Current Coaching Team
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Mario Frick | Head coach |
| Genesio Colatrella | Assistant coach |
| Lorenzo Bucchi | Goalkeeper coach |
| Christian Schmidt | Fitness coach |
| Remo Meyer | Director of Football |
Head Coaches Since 2006
This table shows the main coaches of FC Luzern since 2006.
| No. | Coach | from | until | days | Points per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Ciriaco Sforza |
1 July 2006 | 10 August 2008 | 771 | 1.15 |
| 2 | Jean-Daniel Gross (interim) |
11 August 2008 | 17 August 2008 | 6 | - |
| 3 | Roberto Morinini |
17 August 2008 | 27 October 2008 | 71 | 0.88 |
| 4 | Rolf Fringer |
27 October 2008 | 2 May 2011 | 917 | 1.51 |
| 5 |  Christian Brand (interim) |
2 May 2011 | 30 June 2011 | 59 | 0.80 |
| 6 | Murat Yakin |
1 July 2011 | 19 August 2012 | 415 | 1.57 |
| 7 |  Ryszard Komornicki |
20 August 2012 | 2 April 2013 | 225 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Gerardo Seoane (interim) |
4 April 2013 | 8 April 2013 | 4 | - |
| 9 |  Carlos Bernegger |
8 April 2013 | 6 October 2014 | 546 | 1.44 |
| 10 | Markus Babbel |
13 October 2014 | 5 January 2018 | 1180 | 1.50 |
| 11 | Gerardo Seoane |
9 January 2018 | 1 June 2018 | 143 | 2.00 |
| 12 | René Weiler |
22 June 2018 | 17 February 2019 | 231 | 1.31 |
| 13 | Thomas Häberli |
21 February 2019 | 16 December 2019 | 298 | 1.36 |
| 14 | Fabio Celestini |
2 January 2020 | 22 November 2021 | 691 | 1.37 |
| 15 | Sandro Chieffo (interim) |
22 November 2021 | 20 December 2021 | 28 | 0.25 |
| 15 |  Mario Frick |
20 December 2021 |
Club Owners and Leaders
The professional football part of FC Luzern is run by a company called FC Luzern Innerschweiz AG. This company is separate from the main club, which handles the non-professional sports.
The company is owned by Bernhard Alpstaeg (52%) and Josef Bieri (48%). Josef Bieri is currently the interim president of the club.
Images for kids
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Chart of FC Luzern table positions in the Swiss football league system
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Swissporarena, home to FC Luzern.
See also
In Spanish: FC Lucerna para niños
