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 | Stefan Wolf | ||
| 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 Swiss sports club from Lucerne. It's most famous for its professional football team. This team plays in the Super League, which is the top football league in Switzerland. FC Luzern has won the national championship once and the national cup three times.
The club's colours are blue and white. These colours come from the coats of arms of the City and Canton of Lucerne. The team plays its home games at the Swissporarena. This stadium was built in 2011 where their old stadium, Stadion Allmend, used to be.
FC Luzern started in 1901. It also has teams for women's football, volleyball, boccia, and gymnastics. These are not professional teams.
Contents
Club History
FC Luzern's biggest win was becoming Swiss Champions in 1989. The club has also won the Swiss Cup three times: in 1960, 1992, and 2021. They were runners-up (finished second) in the cup four times.
FC Luzern has moved between the top league and lower leagues many times. Since 1933, they have been promoted (moved up) to the top league 9 times and relegated (moved down) 8 times. This is the most of any club 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 tried to start a football club in Luzern as early as 1867. An ad in a newspaper asked for members for "FC Luzern." This early group of football fans was a first step towards the club we know today.
In 1901, three friends, Adolf Coulin, Ernst Haag, and Hans Walter, tried again. They knew football was popular in other parts of Switzerland. On July 8, 1901, they met with other fans to plan FC Luzern. Just four days later, on July 12, 1901, they held their first training session. This took place at Allmend, which later became the club's home ground. The club officially started on August 12, 1901.
The first match was on April 13, 1902, against SC Zofingen. Luzern lost 2-1, and Albrik Lüthy scored the club's first goal. Their first home game was on May 25, 1902, also against Zofingen. Luzern lost that game 4-0.
Early Years and Challenges (1903–1936)
On September 13, 1903, FC Luzern joined the Swiss Football Association (SFA). The club chose to play in the third division, Serie C. Even though they only won one match in their first season, they decided to play in Serie B the next year. After finishing second for three years in a row, Luzern was moved up to Serie A in 1909. But it was too tough, and they finished last.
With new leaders, things got better. Luzern played its first international matches. They lost 3-2 to Unione Sportiva Milanense in 1911. They drew 1-1 with Mulhouse and then won their first international game 4-2 against SV Stuttgart in 1912. But in the Swiss league, they struggled and lost their spot in Serie A.
Luzern also had a hard time in Serie B. They even faced their city rival, FC Kickers, five times between 1913 and 1915, losing every time. For a while, people even thought the two clubs might join together, but the idea was rejected by just one vote.
After five years in the second division, Luzern returned to Serie A in 1918. In 1921, Dionys Schönecker became the club's first professional manager. He helped Luzern win their group and reach the final round of the championship. They played against Servette Geneva for the title on June 25, 1922. Servette won 2-0, but the game ended early because Servette fans rushed onto the field.
Luzern then struggled again and was relegated in 1925. They played in the second division until 1930. Even after winning the second division title three times in a row, they couldn't get back to the top league right away. In 1931, many clubs, including Luzern, were forced to move down to make the top league smaller.
Ups and Downs (1936–1979)
Luzern was promoted to the new top league, Nationalliga, in 1936. They finished fourth in 1936–37, which was their best finish until 1976. But in the years that followed, especially during World War II, the club struggled. They often finished near the bottom and were relegated in 1944.
In the 1940s, Luzern became a typical second-division club. They were promoted again in 1953 but were relegated just two years later in 1955. The club then hired a young German manager, Rudi Gutendorf, who later became famous worldwide. Luzern was promoted again in 1958.
In 1960, Luzern won its first big national trophy, the Swiss Cup. They beat FC Grenchen in the final. This win allowed them to play in the first-ever UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1960–61. But they lost badly to Fiorentina.
The success didn't last. Money problems and average play led to many manager changes. Luzern was relegated again in 1966. They became known as a "yo-yo team" because they kept moving up and down between leagues. They were promoted in 1967, relegated in 1969, promoted in 1970, relegated in 1972, promoted in 1974, relegated in 1975, and finally promoted in 1979. During this time, 11 different managers led the team. One of them was Paul Wolfisberg, a local legend who won the cup in 1960 and later managed the Swiss national team. His second time as manager, from 1978 to 1982, started one of the club's most successful periods.
Golden Years and a Shock (1980–1992)
In 1980, Luzern signed Ottmar Hitzfeld, who later became a very successful manager. With him, the club became stronger in the league. Friedel Rausch took over as manager in 1985 and led Luzern to its best time. In 1986, they finished third and played in the UEFA Cup for the first time. They drew 0-0 away against Spartak Moscow but lost the home game 0-1.
In 1989, Luzern, seen as an underdog, amazingly won the Swiss championship! This is still the club's biggest success. They won the title with a 1-0 home victory against Servette, with 24,000 fans watching. German striker Jürgen Mohr scored the winning goal.
Winning the league meant Luzern played in the European Cup (now Champions League) for the first and only time. But they lost to Dutch champions PSV. In 1990, Luzern played in the UEFA Cup again. They got their first European win against MTK Budapest but lost in the next round.
In 1991–92, Luzern had a shocking season. They missed out on the championship playoffs and were surprisingly relegated. But just days after this disappointment, Luzern won its third major trophy! They beat FC Lugano 3-1 in the Swiss Cup final. Manager Friedel Rausch left the club after this season.
Challenges and Comeback (1993–Present)
Luzern quickly returned to the top league in 1993. But they couldn't repeat their earlier successes. They reached the cup final in 1997 but lost to FC Sion. The late 1990s and early 2000s were tough. The club had many manager changes and money problems. In 2001, the club's 100th year, the company that owned FC Luzern had to go into administration (meaning it was managed by others to sort out its money problems).
Luzern was relegated again in 2003. In 2005, they lost the Swiss Cup final to FC Zürich. But in 2006, under manager René van Eck, the team won the Swiss Challenge League and was promoted back to the Super League. They went 31 matches without losing!
Since 2006, Luzern has been in the Super League. They reached another Swiss Cup final in 2007 but lost to FC Basel. In 2009, they avoided relegation by winning a playoff against FC Lugano.
The arrival of star player Hakan Yakin in 2009 made the team successful, finishing third. They played in the UEFA Europa League qualifiers but lost. After some changes, Murat Yakin (Hakan's brother) became manager. In 2011–12, Luzern finished second in the league, their best finish since 1989. But they lost another Swiss Cup final, their fourth in a row.
Later, Markus Babbel became manager. Under him, the club's performance improved. They finished fifth, third, and fifth again. However, they kept struggling in the UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds.
In 2018, Gerardo Seoane became manager and led the club to a third-place finish. He then left for another club. René Weiler and then Thomas Häberli managed the team. In 2019, Luzern won a European qualifying match for the first time since 1992, beating KÍ Klaksvik. But they were then knocked out by Espanyol.
On May 24, 2021, Luzern won their third Swiss Cup by beating FC St. Gallen 3-1.
Fans and Rivalries
Even though FC Luzern has only won four main national trophies, it's a traditional club with many loyal supporters. Most of their fans come from Central Switzerland. Since moving to the new stadium in 2011, Luzern has always been among the top five clubs for average attendance in the Swiss Super League, with 9,000 to 14,000 fans at games.
The local derby (a match against a rival from the same area) is against SC Kriens. Their stadium is very close to FC Luzern's old ground. They played each other in an official match in 2017 for the first time since 2006.
While there aren't many very old rivalries, Luzern has had strong competitions with Basel and Sion in the past. Many fans, especially the Ultra groups, see FC St. Gallen as a main rival. Matches against FC Aarau are also seen as a local derby and attract many Luzern supporters.
Stadium
Between 1934 and 2009, FC Luzern played its home games at the Stadion Allmend. It could hold 25,000 people, but for safety, only 13,000 were allowed in its final year. While a new stadium was being built, Luzern played temporarily at the Gersag Stadion in Emmenbrücke.
In August 2011, the club moved into the new Swissporarena. It's built in the same place as the old stadium. The first match 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
The club's greatest success was winning the championship in 1989. They won under the German coach Friedel Rausch. Luzern has 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 in a row: in 1997, 2005, 2007, and 2012. Reaching the cup final in 2005 (while in a lower league), getting promoted in 2006, reaching the cup finals in 2007 and 2012, and winning the cup in 2021 are some of their recent achievements.
All-time League Table
Luzern is ranked 9th in the all-time league table, which lists how clubs have performed over all seasons.
European Appearances
FC Luzern has played in several European competitions over the years. Here's a look at their results:
| 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 |
| 2023–24 | UEFA Europa Conference League | 3Q | Hibernian |
1–3 | 2–2 | 3–5 |
Recent Seasons
Here's how the club has performed in recent years:
| Season | Rank | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | Cup | EL/ECL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–07 | 8 | 36 | 8 | 9 | 19 | 31 | 58 | −27 | 33 | Runner-up | - |
| 2007–08 | 6 | 36 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 40 | 49 | −9 | 44 | R16 | - |
| 2008–09 | 9* | 36 | 9 | 8 | 19 | 45 | 62 | −17 | 35 | SF | - |
| 2009–10 | 4 | 36 | 17 | 7 | 12 | 66 | 55 | +11 | 58 | QF | - |
| 2010–11 | 6 | 36 | 13 | 9 | 14 | 62 | 57 | +5 | 48 | R16 | 3Q |
| 2011–12 | 2 | 36 | 14 | 12 | 8 | 46 | 32 | +14 | 54 | Runner-up | - |
| 2012–13 | 8 | 36 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 41 | 52 | −11 | 42 | 1R | PO |
| 2013–14 | 4 | 36 | 15 | 6 | 15 | 48 | 54 | −6 | 51 | SF | - |
| 2014–15 | 5 | 36 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 54 | 46 | +8 | 47 | R16 | 2Q |
| 2015–16 | 3 | 36 | 15 | 9 | 12 | 59 | 50 | +9 | 54 | SF | - |
| 2016–17 | 5 | 36 | 14 | 8 | 14 | 62 | 66 | −4 | 50 | SF | 3Q |
| 2017–18 | 3 | 36 | 15 | 9 | 12 | 51 | 51 | 0 | 54 | QF | 2Q |
| 2018–19 | 5 | 36 | 14 | 4 | 18 | 56 | 61 | −5 | 46 | SF | 3Q |
| 2019–20 | 6 | 36 | 13 | 7 | 16 | 42 | 50 | −8 | 46 | QF | 3Q |
| 2020–21 | 5 | 36 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 62 | 59 | +3 | 46 | Winner | - |
| 2021–22 | 9* | 36 | 9 | 13 | 14 | 52 | 64 | −12 | 40 | SF | 3Q in ECL |
| 2022–23 | 4 | 36 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 56 | 54 | 2 | 50 | R16 | - |
| 2023–24 | 7 | 38 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 47 | 53 | −6 | 49 | R16 | 3Q in ECL |
Rank = Position in the Swiss Super League; P = Games Played; W = Wins; D = Draws; L = Losses; F = Goals For; A = Goals Against; GD = Goal Difference; Pts = Points; Cup = Swiss Cup; EL = UEFA Europa League.
in = Still playing; – = Did not play; 1R = 1st round; 2R = 2nd round; R16 = Round of 16; QF = Quarter-finals; SF = Semi-finals; 2Q = 2nd qualifying round; 3Q = 3rd qualifying round; PO = Play-off round.
*Avoided being relegated by winning a special play-off game.
Players
Current Squad
These are the players currently on the main team.
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Players on Loan
These players are still part of FC Luzern but are playing for other teams for a set time.
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FC Luzern U21 Team
This is the Under-21 team, which plays in the Swiss Promotion League.
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Club Staff
Current Coaching Team
These are the people who coach and train the team.
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| 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
Here are the head coaches who have led the team 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 Mai 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 Leadership
The professional football part of FC Luzern is run by a company called FC Luzern Innerschweiz AG. This company is separate from the main FC Luzern club, which handles the non-professional sports.
FC Luzern Innerschweiz AG is owned by Bernhard Alpstaeg (52%) and Josef Bieri (48%). The current president of the club is former player Stefan Wolf.
Famous Former Players
See also
In Spanish: FC Lucerna para niños
