FC Lausanne-Sports

Lausanne-Sport
Full nameFootball Club Lausanne-Sport
Nickname(s)Les bleu et blanc (The Blue and White)
Founded1896; 128 years ago (1896)
GroundStade de la Tuilière
Capacity12,544
OwnerINEOS
PresidentLeen Heemskerk
ManagerLudovic Magnin
LeagueSwiss Super League
2022–23Swiss Challenge League, 2nd of 10 (promoted)
WebsiteClub website
Current season

Football Club Lausanne-Sport is a Swiss football club based in Lausanne in the canton of Vaud. Founded in 1896, Lausanne Sport played in the Swiss Challenge League in their most recent 2022–23 season, the second tier of football in the country, but will play in the highest tier Swiss Super League in the 2023–24 after being promoted in the 2022–23 Swiss Challenge League Season.

They play their home games at the 12,544-capacity Stade de la Tuilière. Previously Lausanne Sport had played at the Stade Olympique de la Pontaise, a 15,850 all-seater stadium used for the 1954 FIFA World Cup. They played in Swiss First Division between 1906 and 1931, 1932–2002, 2011–2014, 2016–2018, 2020–2022 and 2023–present. The team has won seven league titles and the Swiss Cup nine times.

History

Chart of FC Lausanne-Sport table positions in the Swiss football league system

19th century

The club was founded in 1896 under the name of Montriond Lausanne. However, the Lausanne Football and Cricket Club was established in 1860, believed to be the oldest football club on the European continent by some historians.

20th century

The club took the name Lausanne-Sports FC in 1920 after the football section merged with the Club Hygiénique de Lausanne, a physical education club. The end of the 1950s and the whole of the 1960s were among the club's finest times. LS won the Swiss Cup twice (1962 and 1964), lost an additional Swiss Cup final to Basel by forfeit, won the Swiss championship (1965) and was runner-up four times (1961, 1962, 1963), as well as in 1969. The year 1965 was the year of the 7th and last Swiss championship title. It was probably the most successful, earning its protagonists the nickname of "Lords of the Night", a reference to some enchanting evenings. Since the advent of the floodlights in the new stadium, the matches have mainly taken place in the evenings which was at the time a unique feature.

21st century

After the 2001–02 season, Lausanne-Sports were relegated because the club did not obtain a first level license for the 2002–03 season. Following the 2002–03 season in the second division, Lausanne-Sports FC were again relegated due to bankruptcy. They were reformed as FC Lausanne-Sport for the 2003–04 season and had to begin play at the fourth tier. The team was promoted in consecutive seasons from the fourth division after the 2003–04 season and the third division after the 2004–05 season. After an additional six years in the second tier of Swiss football, the club was promoted to the Super League for the 2011–12 season for a three season stay before being relegated in 2014. After two seasons in the second tier the team was promoted for a two season stay in the top division in 2016 and survived relegation in their first season before being relegated back to the second tier again in 2018. Now somewhat of a yo-yo club the team were promoted to the top tier again in 2020.

Lausanne-Sport qualified for the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League after they reached the 2010 Swiss Cup final against Champions League-qualified Basel. In the 2010–11 Europa League, while still playing in the second tier Challenge League, they performed a shock getting to the group stages beating favourites Lokomotiv Moscow on the way.

Lausanne-Sport were relegated to the Swiss Challenge League at the end of the 2013–14 Swiss Super League season.[1] Two years later, they finished first in the 2015–16 Swiss Challenge League, which promoted them back to the top tier of Swiss football for the 2016–17 season.[2]

On 13 November 2017, the club was acquired by Ineos, a Swiss-based British petrochemicals company owned by Jim Ratcliffe, the nation's wealthiest person.[3] The first transfer under the new ownership was that of Enzo Fernández, son of Zinedine Zidane.[4] However, the season ended with relegation. Ratcliffe's brother Bob became club president in March 2019.[5] The club won promotion back to the top flight as champions of the 2019–20 Swiss Challenge League.[6] On 27 May 2023, Lausanne-Sport secure promotion to Super League from 2023–24 after draw 2–2 against FC Aarau, finished in runner-up and return to top tier after one year absence.[7]

Stadium

Lausanne Sport play in new stadium at Stade de la Tuiliere previously stadium Stade Olympique Pontaise.

Honours

League

Cups

Players

Current squad

As of 15 February 2024[8]

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

Other players under contract

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.

Former players

For a list of former players of the club, see Category:FC Lausanne-Sport players.

Coaching staff

Position Staff
Manager Switzerland Ludovic Magnin
Assistant Managers Switzerland Hervé Le Goff
First-Team Coach Switzerland Loïc Perrin
Goalkeeper Coach Switzerland Henri Chatellier

Former coaches

Recent seasons

Recent season-by-season performance of the club:[13][14]

Season Division Tier Position
2005–06 Challenge League II 3rd
2006–07 13th
2007–08 13th
2008–09 7th
2009–10 10th
2010–11 1st ↑
2011–12 Super League I 7th
2012–13 9th
2013–14 10th ↓
2014–15 Challenge League II 5th
2015–16 1st ↑
2016–17 Super League I 9th
2017–18 10th ↓
2018–19 Challenge League II 3rd
2019–20 1st
2020–21 Super League I 6th
2021–22 10th ↓
2022–23 Challenge League II 2nd ↑
2023–24 Super League I TBD
Key
↑ Promoted ↓ Relegated

Lausanne-Sports Rowing

Main article: Lausanne-Sports Aviron

Lausanne-Sports Aviron is the rowing club of Lausanne-Sport.

References

  1. ^ "Le FC Lausanne-Sport relégué" (in French). 4 May 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
  2. ^ "Lausanne accède à l'élite" (in French). 5 May 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
  3. ^ Wilson, Bill (13 November 2017). "Chemicals giant Ineos buys Swiss football team". Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  4. ^ "Enzo Zidane leaves Alaves for Lausanne revolution". FourFourTwo. 1 January 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  5. ^ "After buying Team Sky, Ineos makes change at Lausanne-Sport". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. 22 March 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  6. ^ "Bob Ratcliffe: "Tout le monde doit voir le LS comme une équipe de Super League"" [Bob Ratcliffe: "Everyone must see LS as a Super League team"] (in French). RTS. 3 August 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  7. ^ "Lausanne-Sport zittert sich ins Oberhaus" (in Swiss High German). SRF. 27 May 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  8. ^ "1ère équipe" [1st team] (in French). FC Lausanne-Sport. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  9. ^ "Le FC Lausanne-Sport limoge Simone et mise sur Celestini" (in French). 24 March 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
  10. ^ "Celestini prolonge trois ans au FC Lausanne-Sport" (in French). 21 May 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
  11. ^ "Giorgio Contini Neuer Cheftrainer Bei GC". Grasshopper Club Zürich. 9 June 2021.
  12. ^ "Borenovic nicht mehr Trainer in Lausanne". Swiss Football League. 4 February 2022.
  13. ^ "Archives des saisons – Challenge League" (in French). Retrieved 22 December 2016.
  14. ^ "Archives des saisons – Super League" (in French). Retrieved 22 December 2016.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to FC Lausanne-Sport.

46°32′36.9″N 6°37′19.3″E / 46.543583°N 6.622028°E / 46.543583; 6.622028