Thun writes offseason script, leaps from relegation favorites to swiss super league leaders

FC Thun's meteoric rise from relegation contenders to Swiss Super League title leaders has left even the most optimistic fans in awe. With seven matches remaining, the modest club has all but secured their first-ever league championship, opening a 15-point gap over second-placed St Gallen.

A season of 'unbelievable' upsurges

When Thun earned promotion to the top flight in May, they were touted as the favorites to go down. 'A lot of pundits identified them as No 1 relegation candidates,' recalls Berner Zeitung journalist Adrian Horn. 'Expectations were very low, and fans thought that avoiding relegation would be a major success.' Instead, Thun has thrived, racking up 23 wins and 72 goals in 31 matches.

Under the guidance of head coach Mauro Lustrinelli, a 2005 Champions League veteran with the club, Thun has made the most of their newfound status. 'We had a magnificent game and were very close to getting a draw but Dennis Bergkamp made it 2-1 in injury time,' Lustrinelli reminisces about Thun's Champions League debut. 'Two weeks later, we scored late ourselves and beat Sparta Prague. Then I scored against Ajax, and missed a great chance to make it 3-2 at 90 minutes. They scored immediately on the counter and won. Those were amazing times.'

Now, Lustrinelli is leading Thun back to the Champions League, albeit this time as a league winner. President Andres Gerber, a 2005 squad member, has been instrumental in the club's resurgence, taking over as sporting director in 2020. 'We were well-prepared when we came up last season,' Gerber says. 'We had Italian coaches, I am not Claudio Ranieri, but I am a Swiss Italian, which helped.' With a contract until 2028, Gerber is poised to stay at Thun longer than Ranieri did with Leicester.