FC Thun was almost destroyed by a coup and fought for survival – now it is back in the Super League

Thun hosted a night off last Saturday. The local football club and its supporters celebrated their promotion to the Super League in the city center on Mühleplatz and in the surrounding bars of the old town. The 2-1 winning goal by 19-year-old substitute Franz-Ethan Meichtry against FC Aarau sparked a euphoria around the Stockhorn Arena that is rarely seen in this normally rather sober small town.

Five years after being relegated in the play-offs against FC Vaduz, FC Thun is back in Switzerland's top flight. President Andres Gerber said before the decisive match against Aarau: "It would be nice for us just to be back. We know what awaits us in the Super League. We've been there for ten years."

But Gerber also knows: In recent years, FC Thun has been in a latent struggle for survival. After relegation, no one knew exactly what the club would do next. "We were fighting for our survival. Everyone pulled together. That's why this is a great satisfaction for all of us. After years in the Challenge League, everyone feels: It's time to see something different again."

After the final whistle against Aarau, Gerber was seen in a warm embrace with coach Mauro Lustrinelli on the artificial turf. Tears streamed down both of their faces. Gerber and Lustrinelli are the true architects of Thun's return to the Super League. Together, they were also protagonists of the old FC Thun, which astonished Switzerland and all of Europe exactly 20 years ago.

At that time, the small club from the Bernese Oberland had advanced to the Champions League. With victories against Dynamo Kyiv and Malmö FF, they had sensationally qualified for the group stage of the competition. There, they faced illustrious opponents: Arsenal from London, Ajax Amsterdam, and Sparta Prague.

Thun performed far better in that legendary Champions League autumn of 2005 than Young Boys did the previous season. Thun earned four points against Sparta Prague (1-0 home, 0-0 away).

Nelson Ferreira, then a floor layer at the upper end of Lake Thun in Interlaken, scored a goal against Arsenal at the famous Highbury Stadium that now enjoys legendary status. At the time, the BBC invited a journalist from the Bernese Oberland to their studio to explain the phenomenon of FC Thun.

Ferreira now works as an assistant and youth coach for FC Thun. He, too, mingled with the party crowd that weekend. FC Thun remains a large family that still dreams of those Champions League nights. And yet, the club almost collapsed because of that coup.

UEFA rewarded FC Thun with CHF 9 million from the Champions League pot – and the money aroused the usual desires. Players' salaries skyrocketed and spiraled out of control. Everyone wanted a piece of the pie. There is probably no other club that more clearly demonstrated the power of sudden wealth. The story could have come from the pen of the great Emmental pastor and author Jeremias Gotthelf, who chronicled how prosperity changes society in his novel "Money and Spirit."

FC Thun, founded in 1898, has a turbulent history. It was at the center of an alleged betting scam in which players allegedly sold a match in Yverdon. In 2009, it made headlines due to a sex scandal. Three defendants close to the club allegedly raped a woman in November 2005. Two young Swiss men, ages 19 and 20, were fined for sexual activity with a minor.

The then sporting director of FC Thun was also the owner of a successful nightclub, popularly known as the "Camel Drinking House." He brought his dancers along with footballers from Brazil. This contributed to the football club's somewhat disreputable image. On more than one occasion, FC Thun seemed to be on the verge of financial collapse.

Current president Andres Gerber recently dampened the euphoria. A year ago, Thun had at least reached the play-offs, but were defeated by GC. "We fell into a huge hole after that and felt a great emptiness," says Gerber. Therefore, now that promotion has finally been achieved, he's just trying to absorb what's happening.

According to Gerber, FC Thun is ready for the new challenge. "The current budget is around 10 million Swiss francs. I expect we would have to increase it to around 15 million for the Super League." Appropriate financial commitments are said to be in place.

The collaboration with the Chinese Pacific Media Group ended in 2024 after only five years. Their interests clearly did not align. FC Thun insisted on its independence. There is now said to be a generous patron supporting the club. There is also talk of a one-time investment of CHF 2.5 million. The parties have agreed to keep the details of this money confidential. The only thing that is clear is that the new funds are coming from the region.

With 44,000 inhabitants, Thun is the eleventh-largest city in Switzerland. It was long known primarily for its military base and the arms industry that had settled there. The Federal Department of Defense (DDPS) was the largest employer. When the sun went down, the city also went to sleep. In 1997, the journalist Roger Anderegg wrote: "To those not in uniform, Thun appears like a military-occupied front-line town under constant enemy attack."

With the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the city of Thun also slid into crisis. Jobs were cut, unemployment rose. The metal processing company Selve was forced to close. Added to this was the collapse of the Thun Savings and Loan Bank. Images of small savers standing in long lines in front of the bank's closed doors spread like wildfire, contributing to the depressed mood in the city.

Today, there's no trace of that. Life pulsates along the Aare. During its decline, exciting projects were pursued in the picturesque little town. A party scene emerged in the derelict Selve area, attracting audiences from all over Switzerland. Restaurants along the Aare quay to Mühleplatz began to flourish. Attracted by the municipality's attractive tax policy, out-of-town companies relocated their headquarters to Thun.

Today, Thun, with its lake, nearby mountains, and connection to the international rail network, is considered one of the cities with the highest quality of life. Andres Gerber says he senses a lot of energy around his club, a spirit of optimism everywhere. "Now we're standing up and taking the next step forward."

At some point, the celebrations will end and everyday life will return to normal in the Bernese Oberland. Then it will be up to the players and coaches of FC Thun to show what is reality – and what was just euphoria.