View source for FC Wil

{{Short description|Swiss football club}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox football club
| clubname = FC Wil
| image = FC Wil logo.svg
| image_size = 150px
| fullname = Fussball Club Wil 1900
| nickname = ''Die Schwarz-Weissen'' (The Black and White ones)
| founded = {{Start date and years ago|1900|df=y}}
| ground = [[Lidl Arena]]
| capacity = 6,048
| chairman = Maurice Weber
| manager = [[Marco Hämmerli]]
| league = [[Swiss Challenge League]]
| season = [[2023–24 Swiss Challenge League|2023–24]]
| position = Swiss Challenge League, 5th of 10
| current = 2023–24 FC Wil season
| website = {{URL|https://fcwil.ch}}
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'''FC Wil''' (''Fussball Club Wil 1900'') is a [[Association football|football]] club based in [[Wil]], [[Switzerland]]. They play in the ''Sportpark Bergholz'', which has a total capacity of 6,048. The club has consistently played in the [[Swiss Challenge League|Swiss second tier]] since regaining promotion in 1992, aside from two seasons in the [[Swiss Super League|Nationalliga A]] between 2002 and 2004. They won the [[Swiss Cup]] in 2004 their only major honour.

The club considers its primary purpose to be a stepping stone for young players and work closely together with [[FC St. Gallen]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://futurechamps.ch/mannschaften/|title=FCO – Mannschaften|website=futurechamps.ch|access-date=4 October 2019}}</ref> It has contributed to the development of several players that currently play in the [[Swiss Super League|Super League]], some of whom appeared in the [[Switzerland national football team|Swiss national team]], most notably [[Fabian Schär]].

[[File:Wil Performance Graph.png|260px|thumb|Chart of FC Wil table positions in the Swiss football league system]]

==History==

=== Early years ===
FC Wil was formed in 1900 in the east of Switzerland by two [[Gastarbeiter|workers]] from England. Initially, they were known as ''FC Stella''. In 1902 the club was renamed as ''FC Fors,'' before taking their hometown's name in 1907.

After ceasing operations in [[World War I]] and a revival in 1920, the club achieved promotion to the second division in 1922 before being forced to withdraw from the competition due to losing most of their players. Thanks to a particularly talented youth team, which won the Swiss youth competition in 1937, the club was able to build a base for a new team. They soon achieved several promotions in 1943, 1945, 1949, and 1952 to reach the [[National League B|Nationalliga B]], from where they were relegated in 1954 as their golden generation began to retire.

From there, the club spend several decades in the lower leagues until in 1988, where the club appointed [[Christian Gross]] as [[Player-manager|player manager]]. Gross managed the club between 1988 and 1993 and achieved two promotions to reach the [[National League B|NLB]] for the second time, before leaving for [[Grasshopper Club Zürich]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wilnet.ch/getAttachment.aspx?attaName=5fa2cd51-d131-4d91-b5e8-b822ce591c7e|title=FC Wil – Die Vereinsgeschichte|website=WilNET.ch|access-date=5 October 2019|archive-date=6 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306130339/http://www.wilnet.ch/getAttachment.aspx?attaName=5fa2cd51-d131-4d91-b5e8-b822ce591c7e|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Promotion to Nationalliga A ===
In [[2002/2003 football season in Switzerland|2002]] Wil were promoted to the [[Swiss Super League|top flight]] for the first time in history. They achieved a 4th place in their first season, earning themselves a place in the [[UEFA Intertoto Cup 2003|Intertoto Cup]]. The following season, they reached the third round in their European debut, losing to [[FC Nantes]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tagblatt.ch/altdaten/tagblatt-alt/tagblattheute/hb/sport/tb-sp/art780,2030385|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170815135504/http://www.tagblatt.ch/altdaten/tagblatt-alt/tagblattheute/hb/sport/tb-sp/art780,2030385|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 August 2017|title=45-minütiges Feuerwerk {{!}} St.Galler Tagblatt|date=15 August 2017|access-date=5 October 2019}}</ref> A week after a record-breaking 11–3 win against local rivals [[FC St. Gallen]], club president Andreas Hafen was discovered to have embezzled 51 million [[Swiss franc]]s (US$40&nbsp;million) from the [[UBS AG|UBS Bank]]. He was given a jail term of five years. Approximately 10 million Swiss francs was discovered to have ended up at the club, whose repayment UBS waived as the other board members knew nothing of it.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tagblatt.ch/altdaten/tagblatt-alt/tagblattheute/hb/hintergrund/tb-th/art141250,2206621|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180412145613/http://www.tagblatt.ch/altdaten/tagblatt-alt/tagblattheute/hb/hintergrund/tb-th/art141250,2206621|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 April 2018|title=Veruntreuung in Millionenhöhe? {{!}} Tb-th {{!}} St.Galler Tagblatt|date=12 April 2018|access-date=5 October 2019}}</ref>

After the Andreas Hafen saga, the club was taken over by [[Ukraine|Ukrainian]] footballer [[Ihor Belanov|Igor Belanov]] and his time in charge of the club was marked by a frequent changes of coaches. FC Wil won the final of the [[Swiss Cup]] against [[Grasshopper Club Zürich]] while at the same time being relegated to the second division, under the management of [[Aleksandr Zavarov]] (who, lacking the necessary [[UEFA Pro Licence|UEFA licence]] to be a coach, was officially given the position of [[director of football]]).

=== Recent history ===
In July 2015, FC Wil was taken over by Turkish investors ''[[Mapa Group|MNG group]]''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nzz.ch/sport/fussball/tuerkische-investoren-wollen-mit-wil-hoch-hinaus-1.18574355|title=FC Wil: Türkische Investoren wollen mit Wil hoch hinaus|work=Neue Zürcher Zeitung|access-date=2 March 2017|language=de}}</ref> After an 18-month involvement with the team they abruptly pulled out in January 2017, leaving the club to its own devices. A task-force has formed as a result to save the club from bankruptcy, with the mission of significantly reducing the exorbitant expenses introduced by the investors.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fcwil.ch/node/1444|title="Wir lassen den FC Wil 1900 nicht im Regen stehen"|last=fcwil|date=8 February 2017|website=www.fcwil.ch|language=de|access-date=2 March 2017}}</ref>

Roger Bigger returned as president to stabilize the club, after having resigned with the arrival of the investors. However, he definitively stepped down in November 2017, having led the club since 2003.<ref>{{cite web |title=Roger Bigger verlässt den FC Wil |url=https://www.srf.ch/news/regional/ostschweiz/rochade-im-verwaltungsrat-roger-bigger-verlaesst-den-fc-wil |website=SRF.ch |date=30 November 2017 |access-date=13 June 2018}}</ref> As a result, the club has elected a new board consisting of members based in the region. Contrary to the former investors' ambitions to play in the Europa League, it pledged to return to its roots as a team that focuses on developing and furthering the careers of younger players, settling securely in the Challenge League.<ref>{{cite web |title=Maurice Weber neuer Präsident |url=https://www.fcwil.ch/node/1723 |access-date=13 December 2017}}</ref>

== Honours ==

*'''[[Swiss Cup]]: 1'''

:: 2004

== Stadium ==
[[File:FC Wil - FC St. Gallen Testspiel 16. Januar 2015.JPG|thumb|FC Wil play FC St. Gallen at their home ground]]
Wil play in the [[Lidl Arena]] with a total capacity of 6,000. The [[stadium]] contains 700 seats and 5,300 standing places.

It is part of the eponymous sports facility, which also contains [[swimming pool]]s and an [[ice hockey rink]], that was newly built at the site of their old ground in 2013, for the cost of around 11 million [[Swiss francs]]. Between 2013 and 2020 it bore the name of its sponsor [[:de:IGP Pulvertechnik|IGP Pulvertechnik]],<ref>{{cite web|title=IGP sichert sich Naming-Right am Wiler Bergholz |url=http://www.fcwil.ch/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-15/10_read-1529/ |work=fcwil.ch |publisher=FC Wil 1900 AG |access-date=28 November 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203030818/http://www.fcwil.ch/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-15/10_read-1529/ |archive-date=3 December 2013 }}</ref> before reverting to its initial name.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fcwil.ch/sportpark-bergholz/|title=Sportpark Bergholz - FC Wil}}</ref>

==Players==
===Current squad===
{{updated|22 June 2025}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sfl.ch/challengeleague/klubs/fc-wil-1900/|title=FC Wil 1900|work=[[Swiss Football League]]|access-date=18 April 2017|archive-date=29 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150629004524/http://www.sfl.ch/challengeleague/klubs/fc-wil-1900/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

{{Fs start}}
{{Fs player|no= 1|nat=SUI|name=Abdullah Laidani|pos=GK}}
{{Fs player|no= 3|nat=SUI|name=[[Ramon Guzzo]]|pos=DF|other={{small|on loan from [[FC Zürich|Zürich]]}}}}
{{Fs player|no= 4|nat=SUI|name=[[David Jacovic]]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no= 6|nat=SUI|name=Simon Geiger|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no= 7|nat=KOS|name=Behar Neziri|pos=MF|other={{small|on loan from [[FC St. Gallen|St. Gallen]]}}}}
{{Fs player|no= 8|nat=KOS|name=[[Mërgim Brahimi]]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no= 9|nat=SUI|name=Aaron Appiah|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=11|nat=SUI|name=[[Simone Rapp]]|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=12|nat=CAN|name=[[Ayo Akinola]]|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=13|nat=SUI|name=Kristijan Simovic|pos=GK}}
{{Fs player|no=15|nat=SUI|name=[[Yannick Schmid]]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=16|nat=SUI|name=Alexander Muci|pos=GK}}
{{Fs player|no=17|nat=SUI|name=[[Tim Staubli]]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs mid}}
{{Fs player|no=18|nat=SUI|name=Yannick Bujard|pos=GK}}
{{Fs player|no=19|nat=SUI|name=Michele Zinnà|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=20|nat=ALB|name=Kastrijot Ndau|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=21|nat=ESP|name=Umar Saho|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=22|nat=SUI|name=Jason Parente|pos=MF|other={{small|on loan from [[FC St. Gallen|St. Gallen]]}}}}
{{Fs player|no=24|nat=POR|name=Felipe Borges|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=25|nat=FRA|name=Marwane Hajij|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=29|nat=SUI|name=Mats Hanke|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=33|nat=MKD|name=Luan Abazi|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=38|nat=SUI|name=Leo Buljan|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=  |nat=SUI|name=[[Sadin Crnovršanin]]|pos=DF|other={{small|on loan from [[BSC Young Boys|Young Boys]]}}}}
{{Fs player|no=  |nat=SUI|name=[[Marvin Akahomen]]|pos=DF|other={{small|on loan from [[FC Basel|Basel]]}}}}
{{Fs end}}

===Out on loan===
{{Fs start}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=SUI|name=Kedus Haile-Selassie|pos=MF|other={{small|at [[FC Baden|Baden]] until 30 June 2025}}}}
{{Fs end}}

===Former players===
{{see also|Category:FC Wil players}}

==Coaching & Medical staff==
{{Fb cs header}}
{{Fb cs staff |bg=  |p=Manager |s= {{Flagicon|SUI}} [[Marco Hämmerli]] }}
{{Fb cs staff |bg=  |p=Assistant Manager |s= {{Flagicon|SUI}} Jannik Schulz }}
{{Fb cs staff |bg=  |p=Goalkeeping Coach |s= {{Flagicon|SUI}} Philipp Bowald }}
{{Fb cs staff |bg=  |p=Fitness Coach |s= {{Flagicon|SUI}} René Waldvogel }}
{{Fb cs staff |bg=  |p=Team Doctor |s= {{Flagicon|SUI}} Gernot Schneider }}
{{Fb cs staff |bg=  |p=Team Doctor |s= {{Flagicon|SUI}} Philipp Zwyssig }}
{{Fb cs staff |bg=  |p=Physiotherapist |s= {{Flagicon|SUI}} Selim Kaya }}
{{Fb cs staff |bg=  |p=Physiotherapist |s= {{Flagicon|SUI}} Manuel Härtel }}
{{Fb cs staff |bg=  |p=Masseur |s= {{Flagicon|SUI}} Tobias Baumgartner }}
{{Fb cs staff |bg=  |p=Masseur |s= {{Flagicon|SUI}} Uwe Göppel }}
{{Fb cs staff |bg=  |p=Team Manager |s= {{Flagicon|SUI}} Ernst Schuster }}
|}

==European Cup History==
{| class="wikitable"
! Season
! Competition
! Round
! Country
! Club
! Home
! Away
! Aggregate
|-
|[[2004–05 UEFA Cup|2004–05]]
|[[UEFA Cup]]
|[[2004–05 UEFA Cup#Second qualifying round|Q2]]
|{{flagicon|Slovakia}}
|[[Dukla Banská Bystrica]]
|1–3
|1–1
|2–4
|-
|}

==References==
<references />

==External links==
*{{official website|http://www.fcwil.ch/}} {{in lang|de}}
*[http://www.football.ch/sfl/777838/de/team.aspx football.ch profile] {{in lang|de|fr|it}}
*[https://int.soccerway.com/teams/switzerland/fc-wil-1900/ Soccerway.com profile] {{in lang|en}}

{{Football in Switzerland}}
{{Swiss Challenge League}}
{{Swiss Super League teamlist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wil 1900}}
[[Category:Football clubs in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Association football clubs established in 1900]]
[[Category:FC Wil 1900| ]]
[[Category:Wil]]
[[Category:1900 establishments in Switzerland]]