FC Luzern

Full name	Fussball Club Luzern
Nickname(s)	FCL
Founded	12 August 1901
Ground	Swissporarena (capacity: 17,800)
Chairman	Mike Hauser
Manager	Carlos Bernegger
League	Swiss Super League
2011–12	Swiss Super League, 2nd
Home colours Away colours

FC Luzern (French: FC Lucerne) is a Swiss football club, founded in 1901. The club colors are blue and white, derived from the Canton of Lucerne and the City of Lucerne coats of arms.

Contents 1 History 2 Fans and rivalries 3 Stadium 4 Honours 5 European appearances 6 Recent seasons 7 Current squad 7.1 Multiple nationalities 8 Former notable players 9 Head coaches 10 References 11 External links

History

FC Luzern was officially founded on 12 August 1901 in Lucerne. After two years, FCL joined the Swiss Football League and started its first championship season in the third division. During the following years, FC Luzern was playing in various leagues. After the introduction of a new league system in 1944 (consisting of Nationalliga A and Nationalliga B as the two top tiers) FCL was alloted into Nationalliga B. The club remained in the second division until it got promoted in 1953. In the following years, FCL mainly played in the Nationalliga A. In 2003, after several seasons with financial and sporting troubles, the club got relegated to the renamed Challenge League, the former Nationalliga B. In 2006, after three seasons in the second division, FC Luzern celebrated its return into the top division (Super League) of Swiss football. In 2012 the club finished second in the Super League, securing the best league position in 23 years.

FC Luzern's greatest success was winning the Swiss Championship in 1989. FCL have also won the Swiss Cup twice (1960 and 1992) and finished runners-up four times (1997, 2005, 2007, 2012).

Fans and rivalries

Although the club has only won three important national trophies, FC Luzern is one of the traditional football clubs in the country with a strong local supporter base. In the 2011/12 season, FCL had the third highest average attendance in the Swiss Super League.^[1] For English supporters and interested people, the English speaking supporter group Just can't beat that provide an English blog and a Facebook page.^[2]

There is also a number of rivalries between the FCL and other teams, especially between their Ultras. The local derby is played with SC Kriens, whose stadium is located less than one kilometer from FCL's facilities at Allmend. Due to the reduction of the Swiss football League in the past years, the two clubs are now separated by two leagues. Because of this fact, the rivalry isn't as big anymore as during the periods in the 1990s or after the year 2003, when both clubs were playing in the same league. A majority of the fans also count their rivals from FC Basel, FC St. Gallen, FC Sion and Grasshopper Club Zürich as big rivals. Numerous incidents and fan fights occurred around games between FC Luzern and these teams in the last decade.^[3][4][5]

Stadium

Between 1934 and 2009, FCL played their home games at the Stadion Allmend,^[6] which had a theoretical capacity of 25,000. For security reasons however, the Swiss Football Association did not allow more than 13,000 to attend. Until the a new stadium was completed, FC Luzern temporarily played their home games in the Gersag Stadion located in Emmenbrücke.

In August 2011, the club moved into the newly built Swissporarena which is located at the place of the old ground. The opening game ended with a 0-0 draw against FC Thun.^[7]

Honours

• Swiss Super League
  • Winners: 1988–89

• Swiss Cup
  • Winners: 1960, 1992
  • Runners Up: 1997, 2005, 2007, 2012

European appearances

Season	Competition	Round	Country	Club	1st leg	2nd leg	Aggregate score
1960–61	European Cup Winners' Cup	Quarter Final		ACF Fiorentina	0:3	2:6	2:9
1986–87	UEFA Cup	1		FC Spartak Moscow	0:0	0:1	0:1
1989–90	European Cup	1		PSV Eindhoven	0:3	0:2	0:5
1990–91	UEFA Cup	1		MTK Budapest	1:1	1:2	2:3
1990–91	UEFA Cup	2		VfB Admira Wacker Mödling	0:1	1:1	1:2
1992–93	European Cup Winners' Cup	1		PFC Levski Sofia	1:2	1:0	2:2
1992–93	European Cup Winners' Cup	2		Feyenoord[8]	1:0	1:4	2:4
1997–98	European Cup Winners' Cup	1		Slavia Prague	2:4	0:2	2:6
2010–11	UEFA Europa League	Q3		FC Utrecht	0:1	1:3	1:4
2012–13	UEFA Europa League	Playoff		KRC Genk	2:1	0:2	2:3

Recent seasons

• 2001/02

Swiss NLA, First Stage: 12th (of 12 Teams)

Swiss NLA/NLB, Second Stage, Relegation Pool: 7th of 8 Teams. Luzern theoretically would have been relegated. Due to financial problems three teams due to play in the NLA were not given the permission by the Swiss FA. Thus, Luzern miraculously was not relegated.

• 2002/03

Swiss NLA, First Stage: 9th (of 12 Teams, bottom four teams join relegation round)

Swiss NLA/NLB, Second Stage, Relegation Pool: 3rd of 7 Teams. Top 2 stayed in Super League, Lucerne relegated to Challenge League.

• 2003/04

Swiss Challenge League, 11th

• 2004/05

Swiss Challenge League, 5th

Swiss Cup, Lost Final 3–1 to FC Zürich

• 2005/06

Swiss Challenge League, 1st Promoted to Swiss Super League

• 2006/07

Swiss Super League, 8th

Swiss Cup, Lost final 1–0 to FC Basel

• 2007/08

Swiss Super League, 6th

• 2008/09

Swiss Super League, 9th (avoided relegation by beating FC Lugano 5 – 1 on aggregate in the barrage play offs.

• 2009/10

Swiss Super League, 4th

• 2010/11

Swiss Super League, 6th

• 2011/12

Swiss Super League, 2nd

Swiss Cup, Lost final 4–2 on penalties to FC Basel

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK David Zibung 5 MF Michel Renggli 6 DF Tomislav Puljić 7 DF Claudio Lustenberger 8 MF Jahmir Hyka 9 FW Dimitar Rangelov 10 MF Pajtim Kasami (on loan from Fulham) 11 MF Daniel Gygax 13 DF Florian Stahel (captain) 14 DF Jérôme Thiesson 15 MF Philipp Muntwiler 17 FW Dario Lezcano 19 FW Adrian Winter

No. Position Player 20 MF Xavier Hochstrasser 22 FW Mouangue Otele (on loan from Wil) 23 DF Sally Sarr 24 MF Alain Wiss 25 FW Nico Siegrist 26 FW Dejan Sorgić 27 MF Stephan Andrist (on loan from Basel) 28 MF Sava Bento 29 DF Mario Bühler 30 GK Gabriel Wüthrich 33 GK Peter Jehle (on loan from Vaduz) 34 DF Luqmon 35 DF Marijan Urtic

Multiple nationalities

• Sally Sarr
• Jérôme Thiesson

Former notable players

See also Category:FC Luzern players.

Semir Tuce (1989–95) Otavio Braga (1996) Ratinho (2004–07) Petar Aleksandrov (1995–98) Lucien Mettomo (2006–07) Francisco Arrué (2002) John Eriksen (1989–91) David Fairclough (1984–85) [9] Gocha Jamarauli (2002) Ottmar Hitzfeld (1980–83) Ludwig Kögl (1996–99) Jürgen Mohr (1986–89) Sigurður Grétarsson (1985–90)

Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto (1994–95) Regillio Nooitmeer René van Eck (1990–98) Ike Shorunmu (2001–02) Cristian Ianu (2009–11) George Koumantarakis (1998–99) Mario Cantaluppi (2006–07) Davide Chiumiento (2007–10) Alexander Frei (1999–00) Andy Halter (1985–88) Ivan Knez (1994–99) Adrian Knup (1989–92)

Blaise Kufo (2000) Remo Meyer (1997–02) Franz Xaver Müller (1987–88) Christophe Ohrel (2000–01) Christian Schwegler (2003–05) Pirmin Schwegler (2003–05) Christoph Spycher (1999–01) Nestor Subiat (2001) Kubilay Türkyilmaz (1999–01) Stefan Wolf (1990–97) Agent Sawu (1994–98)

Head coaches

See also Category:FC Luzern managers.

Dionys Schönecker (1921–24) Franz Konya (July 1927–Dec 29) Otto Hamacek (Feb 1929–June 29) Albert Halter & Albert Mühleisen (1929) Dragan Nemes (1930–Sept 31) Horace Williams (Oct 1931–33) Josef Gerspach (1933–34) Carlos Heinlein (1934–Nov 35) Adolf Vögeli (Nov 1935–37) Josef Uridil (1937–38) Robert Lang (1938) Erwin Moser (1938–39) Wilhelm Szigmond (1939) Josef Winkler (May 1942–45) Gerhard Walter (Feb 1945–May 1946) Werner Schaer (1946–49) Fritz Hack (1949–51) Hermann Stennull (1951–55) Rudi Gutendorf (1955–Aug 61) Josef Brun & Josef Weber (Sept 1961–62)

Franz Linken (April 1962–64) Ernst Wechselberger (1964–69) Juan Schwanner (1970–Oct 70) Werner Schley & Josef Brun (Oct 1970–71) Robert Meyer (1971–Sept 71) Egon Midler & Josef Vogel (Sept 1971–Oct 1971) Josef Brun (Oct 1971–Nov 1971) Albert Sing (Nov 1971–74) Ilijas Pašić (1974–April 75) Paul Wolfisberg & Josef Vogel (April 1975–75) Otto Luttrop (1975–76) René Hüssy (1976) Albert Sing (Jan 1976–May 1978) Paul Wolfisberg & Josef Vogel (July 1978–June 1982) Milan Nikolić (1982–83) Bruno Rahmen (1983–85) Friedel Rausch (1985–June 92) Bertalan Bicskei (July 1992–Dec 1993) Timo Konietzka (Dec 1993–June 1994) Jean-Paul Brigger (1994–Feb 97)

Kurt Müller (March 1997–Oct 1997) Martin Müller (Nov 1997–Sept 1998) Egon Coordes (Sept 1998–Nov 1998) André Meyer (Nov 1998–Dec 1998) Andy Egli (Jan 1999–June 2001) Ryszard Komornicki (July 2001–Aug 2001) Raimondo Ponte (Aug 2001–June 2002) Bidu Zaugg (June 2002–June 2003) Urs Schönenberger (July 2003–Oct 2003) René van Eck (2003–June 6) Friedel Rausch (2004–06) Ciriaco Sforza (July 2006–July 2008) Jean-Daniel Gross (interim) (2008) Roberto Morinini (Aug 2008–Oct 2008) Rolf Fringer (Oct 2008–May 2011) Christian Brand (interim) (May 2011–June 2011) Murat Yakin (July 2011–Aug 2012) Ryszard Komornicki (Aug 2012–April 2013) Gerardo Seoane (interim) (April 2013) Carlos Bernegger (April 2013–)

References

External links

• FC Luzern Online (German)