Originally uploaded to Medium on January 17th, 2025
FC Basel
Current position: 2nd
Summary: Could this be the year that Basel reclaim their position at the top of the Swiss game? With a strong second half of the season, I think so. It’s been a frustrating few years for the Rotblau, but Fabio Celestini seems to be getting the best out of an extremely exciting attack, spearheaded by the return of homegrown hero, Xherdan Shaqiri. I questioned their defensive capabilities earlier in the season, but things seem to be holding strong in that regard, having conceded the fewest goals in the league so far (19). Plus, if they keep scoring at their current rate (2.2 gpg), they can afford to concede a few more…
Key Player: Xherdan Shaqiri
Prediction: 1st
Grasshopper Club Zürich
Current Position: 11th
Summary: Not much to smile about on the Grasshopper side of Zürich. After narrowly avoiding relegation last season, nothing much has improved for GC, who sit just 2 points above Winterthur at the bottom of the table. Fans will point to some rotten luck over the last few months, which is fair, but Tomas Oral will have to start finding a way for Grasshopper to take their fate into their own hands. Yverdon are only 2 points away, and this season can only be about survival from now on. Losing a player like Giotto Morandi could prove fatal in that regard, so GC fans will have to hold their breath and cross their fingers through the transfer window.
Key Player: Giotto Morandi
Prediction: 10th
FC Lausanne-Sport
Current position: 3rd
Summary: What a season it’s been so far for Lausanne. While I predicted they’d be comfortable this year, I only ever imagined they would potentially sneak into the top 6, yet here they are at the half-way point, one point behind the league leaders. Ludovic Magnin’s side have been in incredible form lately, losing just one of their last eleven games, scoring 23 goals in the process. Whether they’ll be able to keep it up in the second half of the season is another question, and fans will be terrified of losing talents like Alvyn Sanches, but if they can keep hold of their best, don’t be surprised to see Lausanne in European competition next year.
Key Player: Alvyn Sanches
Prediction: 4th
FC Lugano
Current position: 1st
Summary: It’s a great time to be a Lugano fan: the club are flying under their talismanic coach, Mattia Croci-Torti, who has also led them to the knockout stages of a European competition for the first time since 1996. They have, arguably, the strongest squad in the division, and ended the first round of the season top of the table by a point. The plan, assumedly, is to push for the title, whilst balancing a quarter-final of the Swiss Cup (which should become a SF, considering their opponents), and the Conference League. Despite the strength and depth of Lugano’s squad, that’s still a lot of football. The question is, can the players remain consistent enough, especially considering MCT’s demanding style? I’m not sure…
Key Player: Renato Steffen
Prediction: 2nd
FC Luzern
Current Position: 4th
Summary: Perhaps it’s a testament to Luzern’s low-key resilience that I found myself surprised to find them in 4th place, just 2 points behind Lugano in 1st. Given that head coach, Mario Frick, was raging in a post-match interview in November, complaining about his side’s lack of commitment, you’d imagine Luzern to be struggling much more than they are. However, Central Switzerland’s biggest side lost just one more match after Frick’s rant, pulling themselves back into contention for the top spots. While they arguably lack a “star player”, Luzern boast a lot of talent, much of it homegrown: Lars Villiger, Luca Jaquez, Severin Ottiger and Pascal Loretz are all graduates of the Luzern academy. Thibault Klidje might not be from Luzern, but he has battled for recognition since arriving in 2022, and now seems to be hitting the kind of form necessary for a side seeking European football once again.
Key Player: Thibault Klidje
Prediction: 5th
Servette FC
Current Position: 5th
Summary: There’s a lot to like about the direction Servette are moving in, but there’s still a few things to fix if they want to be truly competitive. Last season’s Swiss Cup winners (their first since 2001) started the season well, but have become far too inconsistent in the league for a side that could be title-contenders and were dealt a huge cupset by FC Schaffhausen. True, they’re still only 2 points away from Lugano, but the gap feels more substantial than what we see on paper. That’s not to say that Servette couldn’t be in the mix, however: Dereck Kutesa is one of the stars of the Super League, and they have more than enough quality in their squad to be higher up the table. It’s just a matter of finding a level of consistency that has evaded them so far.
Key Player: Dereck Kutesa
Prediction: 3rd
FC Sion
Current Position: 7th
Summary: Sion made an incredible start to the season, considering they had only just returned to the top flight. Often chaotic off the field, there seemed to be a rare sense of tranquility at Tourbillon that translated onto the pitch, with Dider Tholot’s side right up at the top after a few games. Since then, however, things have levelled out in Valais, with Sion falling to a — more predictable — mid-table position. There’s no chance of relegation worries, as far as I’m concerned, and I still think Sion could make the top six if they can rediscover the kind of form they enjoyed earlier in the season, but they shouldn’t be disappointed with a comfortable return to the Super League, particularly after losing individuals like Joël Schmied to FC Köln.
Key Player: Ylyas Chouaref
Prediction: 8th
FC St Gallen
Current Position: 8th
Summary: I’ve spoken a lot about St Gallen’s potential, and I thought that Enrico Maaßen’s appointment might have been the thing to help them reach it after their great start to the season, including qualification for the Conference League. However, since the 24th September, FCSG have only won two league games and finished 29th in the UECL table after just one win. It’s not as if this is a St Gallen side with no talent; there are plenty of good players in that group. What they seem to lack is a sense of solidity at either end of the field. Either they don’t score enough to win a game in which they defend well, or they concede too many to keep up with at the other end. As with Sion, I don’t have any concerns about St Gallen slipping too close to relegation, but unlike Sion, that shouldn’t be good enough for FCSG.
Key Player: Lukas Görtler
Prediction: 9th
FC Winterthur:
Current Position: 12th
Summary: Oh boy… it’s been a horrible season in Winterthur. Replacing Patrick Rahmen with young assistant coach, Ognjen Zaric, was a real gamble, and not one that paid off. Just 3 wins all season, only 16 goals scored in 18 games, and an eye-watering 40 conceded cost Zaric his job come the Winter break. Winti have moved quickly to replace him, turning to Neuchatel Xamax coach, Uli Forte, who brings far more experience to a club that seem to need a miracle to stay in the Super League. On paper, however, Winterthur are just 4 points away from safety, with Grasshopper and Yverdon ahead of them — both sides that have their own issues with form. If Forte can have the significant impact desired of him, Winti still have more than a chance of staying up. It’s going to take a serious amount of work, however…
Key Player: Matteo Di Giusto
Prediction: 11th
BSC Young Boys
Current Position: 9th
Summary: The season nobody expected — Young Boys were in complete chaos mode from the start, despite hiring what many thought was a safe, experienced coach in Patrick Rahmen. Very few predicted Young Boys not to defend their title, never mind be rock-bottom of the table early in the season. Things certainly improved under temporary replacement, Joel Magnin, but now the Swiss champs have turned to Giorgio Contini to turn their ship around. The former Grasshopper coach certainly has experience, and some success at Challenge League level, but whether he’ll be able to handle the pressures of the Young Boys job is still up for debate. Realistically, Young Boys should still have enough about them to make the top six this season: even with injuries and departures, they still have one of (if not the) strongest squads in the league, but it’s hard to predict where they will end up until we see what Contini’s approach will be.
Key Player: Filip Ugrinic
Prediction: 7th
Yverdon-Sport FC
Current Position: 10th
Summary: Like Winterthur (and Young Boys), Yverdon have made the call to replace their coach for the second half of the season. Alessandro Mangiarratti kept his side up last season, and had them just safe of the relegation spots come the Winter break, but clearly there wasn’t enough confidence in his ability to stay clear of both Grasshopper and Winterthur, leading to his replacement. Paolo Tramezzani comes in for yet another spell in Swiss football, having coached Lugano and Sion (about a hundred times) previously. While I understood Winterthur’s decision to replace Ognjen Zaric, I’m not as confident in Yverdon’s call, mainly because I’m not sure if Tramezzani will be able to get more out of this squad than Mangiarratti. Notably, I’m not sure where the goals are going to come from; Yverdon have only scored 16 so far, the same as Winti. After losing Kevin Carlos to Basel before the summer window closed, nobody seems able to replace him, but if Tremazzani tries to resolve this by bringing a more offensive approach, I worry about how many might go in at the other end. Paul Bernardoni is already over-worked in the Yverdon goal; I’m not sure how much more he can be expected to do.
Key Player: Boris Céspedes
Prediction: 12th
FC Zürich
Current Position: 6th
Summary: For a while, FCZ seemed to be a genuine contender for the title, but from November the wins started to dry up, leaving Zürich in 6th place by the Winter break. Realistically, FCZ could easily rediscover their form after the break, and certainly have enough quality to finish in the top six, but I worry about a few things. One, do they have enough depth to deal with any significant injuries? Who scores the goals if Juan Perea is injured, for example? Though Perea hasn’t scored since October… Two, is Ricardo Moniz the man to turn around this slump in form? Moniz is renowned for his, let’s say, emotional style, both on and off the field. His outburst against referee Luca Piccolo will likely earn him a ban when the league restarts, for example, and that isn’t the kind of situation that will benefit a side in need of points. Some January additions could make a huge difference, especially after losing Cheick Conde, but until that happens I’m not sure in which direction FCZ will go.
Key Player: Mounir Chouiar
Prediction: 6th
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