In the next few days, the Young Boys are likely to win the Super League again, although management and players have rarely done a masterful job this season. The disagreements are increasing.
A defeat that fits the picture: Bern lost to Lugano 0-1 after Ousmane Doumbia’s goal on Saturday evening.
freshfocus
Recently, all sorts of videos and pictures of blissful people lying uninhibitedly in each other’s arms have been circulating among Bernese football fans: “Weisch no?” They recalled moments six years ago, on April 28, 2018. YB against Lucerne. The penalty save by goalkeeper Marco Wölfli, Jean-Pierre Nsame’s goal to make it 2-1 shortly before the end of the game, the storming of the pitch, the Young Boys’ first championship in 32 years. Joy, celebrations, free night. Everyone has their own personal picture of the evening in Wankdorf. For example, the father, who has had to wait for this title since 1986 and who sheds tears in his old age in a way that one could never have imagined.
28/4: The people of Bern know where they were that Saturday evening.
Moments that last: YB became champions in 2018 for the first time in 32 years.
Youtube
This year too, YB is very likely to become champions, despite the defeat on Saturday against Lugano. Maybe on May 15th or 16th, maybe not until May 25th. What the hell? It is an extension of the trophy collection, the sixth championship title in seven seasons, plus two cup victories, three participations in the Champions League and a regularly sold-out Wankdorf Stadium. It’s a high that never seems to end. YB has long since escaped the national competition in terms of sport and economy and is enthroned in a league of its own – the dominator of the Super League has almost become bored and is sitting in Bayern’s trap.
Simply winning titles is no longer enough.
Maybe the Young Boys will be champions this year as spectators on the sofa because some of their pursuers make a mistake again. It would fit. Actually, YB shouldn’t be at the top – management and players made too many mistakes, the performances were too modest, and there is too much unrest in the company.
This week, the conflict between sport and commerce that has been simmering for some time escalated. According to information from “NZZ am Sonntag”, CEO Wanja Greuel has submitted her resignation. An official confirmation is still pending. It is said that Greuel felt left alone in the discussions with representatives from the sporting sector.
The sports manager sits on the league committee for YB. He is heavily involved in the European Club Association (ECA), where he is even on the board. At the Young Boys, however, he struggled with the management.
Hardly any outstanding footballers left
The Young Boys’ performances have stopped inspiring for a long time. There are hardly any outstanding footballers like Guillaume Hoarau and Christian Fassnacht, Jean-Pierre Nsame and Fabian Rieder, to name just a quartet, in the previous championship years.
Even in slow motion, YB is the clear number 1 in the league. Although the club has been anything but convincing in the transfer market recently. Although several regular players such as Nsame, Rieder, Fassnacht, Cédric Zesiger and Ulisses Garcia left YB in the last ten months. Although supporters like Loris Benito were injured for a long time. Although there was considerable anger with the dissatisfied club icon Nsame as well as repeated disagreements with the coach Raphael Wicky about philosophy, formation and talent development. Wicky was released in the spring, even though the club had achieved all its goals with him in just over a year and a half and was in first place.
Die @BSC_YB give top scorer Jean-Pierre Nsame to Serie B club Como in the middle of the championship race. It’s not the first time that YB has surprisingly said goodbye to a deserving footballer – but never has it seemed so risky.https://t.co/JLwygr3j6R
— NZZ (@NZZ) January 29, 2024
Those responsible didn’t leave the best impression when moderating these topics, but they managed to limit the damage. The solid interim coach Joël Magnin is now leading the Young Boys to defend their title without any shine.
How tense the situation was around the team was shown not only by the debates about Nsame and Wicky or the insufficiently negotiated situation with the equal goalkeepers David von Ballmoos and Anthony Racioppi. But also statements and gestures from footballers. They spoke of difficult times – and a week ago in the 2-0 win in Zurich against FCZ, they made it clear with clear signs when celebrating the goal that dissatisfaction and bitterness dominated the mood rather than desire and fun.
Saturation and arguments, difficulties and stagnation: This YB could have been stopped. But the competition is very weak. Servette, which has been amazing for a long time, ultimately lacks capital, squad depth and know-how. And when the Geneva club came dangerously close to YB in the spring, a series of defeats followed. Lugano turned up the heat too late, while the Championship Group participants St. Gallen and surprise team Winterthur are happy if they finish 4th and 5th and take part in the European Cup. Lucerne is sinking into mediocrity, GC is becoming fatally dependent on foreign investors.
Abundance of power by Christoph Spycher
The situation is particularly dramatic at FC Basel and FC Zurich. At the two largest clubs in Switzerland alongside YB, David Degen and Milos Malenovic are two player advisors in power who are boldly implementing the business model of wanting to earn money from young footballers. At FCZ in particular, there has been a climate of fear and uncertainty since Malenovic joined – even though he was still in first place at the end of November after a home win against YB.
Even the Young Boys don’t succeed in everything. But the reliable Christoph Spycher is undisputedly the strong figure. The down-to-earth Bernese is an alternative to Degen and especially to Malenovic. Spycher led YB out of the crisis after being installed as sports director in autumn 2016. And he leads a management team of confidants around chief scout Stéphane Chapuisat, who has done an excellent job and created structures that lead to success even in a complicated season.
There is no criticism of Christoph Spycher in Bern. Why? Things are going well, not just on the pitch, but also financially. The club, which was economically struggling just a few years ago, is now in a position to invest 40 million francs in a campus for young talent and women. And there is no shortage of other ambitious projects: in the long term, a training center is finally to be built directly opposite the Wankdorf Stadium. In left-green Bern, this is politically difficult to implement; the commons belong to everyone.
But YB is the pride of the city, Spycher is a kind of king of Bern. He is no longer the sports director, but rather the sports delegate on the board of directors, but is still involved in every decision. Spycher is so strong that he immediately controls himself and the work of the sporting leadership on the board of directors – and has even become a shareholder in the club. He leads the board of directors around President Hanspeter Kienberger – and not the other way around.
“In Wuschu we trust,” is rightly the saying in Bern. “Wuschu” has been Spycher’s nickname since childhood. He is YB’s guarantee of success so far. But now he and his colleagues are faced with challenging tasks. They’re not just looking for a new coach: perhaps Winterthur’s Patrick Frame, perhaps a surprise like Gerardo Seoane in 2018.
Big upheaval in the summer
New leaders and reinforcements are also needed in all areas of the team. Captain Fabian Lustenberger is ending his career, and not only the great talent Aurèle Amenda (for Eintracht Frankfurt) will be leaving the club. YB should invest heavily in the squad in the summer, there is more than enough money. And regular participation in the Champions League further increases the gap to the other Super League teams.
And yet it is not certain whether and for how long the successful streak can continue. There were unexpected departures of long-standing employees, most recently that of Greuel. Now there are important personnel changes: new CEO, new coach, new players. YB has lost magic, lightness and sovereignty.
However, there is currently no club in sight that could seriously threaten the Young Boys. Nothing illustrates this more than the fact that YB is likely to become undisputed champions at some point in the next few days, despite some complications.
However, “Weisch no?” moments are missing this season.