FC Luzern

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. In 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 allotted into Nationalliga B. The club remained in the second division until it was 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 was 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 its best league finish 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).

With a total of 17 'moves', FC Luzern has the highest number of promotions and relegations to and from the national first tier since the establishment of a single nationwide top division in 1933.

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. The club draws its support predominantly from Central Switzerland, leading the number of sold season tickets in the cantons of Lucerne, Obwalden, Nidwalden, Uri, Zug as well as in some parts of Aargau and Schwyz. Since moving to the new stadium in 2011, FCL has always ranked within the top four in terms of average attendance in the Swiss Super League with an average crowd of 11,000 to 14,000.

The local derby is played with SC Kriens, whose stadium is located about 1.3 kilometers from FC Luzern's facilities at Allmend. Due to the restructuring of the Swiss football league system in the past years, the two clubs are currently separated by two leagues and have not played each other in an official contest since 2006.

Although there are no traditional and deep rooted rivalries, periods of intensified sporting competition have sparked rivalries between FC Luzern and FC Basel in the mid-90s and with FC Sion in the mid-2000s. A majority of the fans, particularly Ultra groups, view FC St. Gallen as a major rival. Matches with FC Aarau are also by many considered as a local derby and attract big numbers of Luzern supporters, especially to away games.

Stadium

Between 1934 and 2009, the club played its home games at the Stadion Allmend, 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 in the final year of its existence in 2009. Until a new stadium was completed in 2011, FC Luzern temporarily played its 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.

Honours

The greatest success in the club's history was winning the championship in 1989 under the management of German head coach Friedel Rausch. Furthermore, the club played in six Swiss Cup finals, winning two by beating FC Grenchen 1–0 in 1960 and FC Lugano 3–1 (aet) in 1992. Most recently however, the club lost four finals in a row: In 1997 against FC Sion (4–5 pen), in 2005 against FC Zurich (1–3), and twice against FC Basel in 2007 (0–1) and 2012 (2–4 pen). Reaching the cup final in 2005 as a second-tier club, the promotion back to the Super League in 2006 and the achievement of reaching the cup finals again in 2007 and 2012 rank as the club's most recent successes.

All-time league table

FC Luzern is currently ranked 10th in the all-time league table.

European appearances

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Recent seasons

The season-by-season performance of the club over the last eight years:

Rank = Rank in the Swiss Super League; P = Played; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points; Cup = Swiss Cup; EL = UEFA Europa League.
in = Still in competition; — = Not attended; 1R = 1st round; 2R = 2nd round; R16 = Round of sixteen; QF = Quarterfinals; SF = Semifinals; 2Q = 2nd qualifying round; 3Q = 3rd qualifying round; PO = play-off round.
^*Avoided relegation by beating FC Lugano 5 – 1 on aggregate in the relegation play-offs.

First team squad

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

Out on loan

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

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Personnel

Current technical staff

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Head coaches since 2006

^* By the end of the 2014/15 Season

Head coaches until 2006

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Current board

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