FC Winterthur, that likeable antithesis in the modern football business, is relegated after four years in the Super League. It is doing so with style and decency, but also according to sporting logic.
13.05.2026, 11:48
13.05.2026, 12:03
SDA
It is fitting that Winterthur is relegated away from home against record champions GC of all teams. One round before the end, the 2:3 in Zurich sealed what had been looming for some time. The scenes that followed in the Letzigrund perfectly illustrate why many regret FCW's relegation from the Super League.
The well over 2,000 fans from Winterthur applaud their players, offer them consolation and even give them scarves as a token of their appreciation. How different the pictures were after GC's elimination in the Cup semi-final in Lausanne, when their own supporters rioted on the pitch and even attacked the team bus. For fear of further riots, none of the potential barrage participants Vaduz or Aarau wanted to have the second leg in their own stadium.
In a season in which the football romantics are celebrating the sensational championship title of promoted Thun, the other feel-good and nostalgic club at the other end of the table is once again leaving the elite of Swiss football. "You hear it again and again: the league will miss us," said an emotional head coach Patrick Rahmen in a TV interview with "Blue" after the game at the Letzigrund.
A disastrous season
In sporting terms, that's not true. The figures speak for themselves and are disastrous. The harsh reality is that Winterthur was simply not good enough for the Super League. The competition, namely cantonal rivals GC and FCZ, kept slipping up and opening the door for a Winterthur comeback. Unlike last season, however, they were unable to accept the offers. In 37 games, they scored a measly 44 goals, conceded 97 and only managed five wins. With a record like that, relegation is inevitable.
Tuesday night is yet another reflection of their shortcomings. Winterthur took a 2:0 lead in the first ten minutes, almost like the virgin to the child. With a win, they would have been within one point of GC going into the final round and could still have had hopes of a place in the barrage. The home team acted frighteningly helplessly, but then they were practically gifted three goals between the 60th and 70th minute in an amateurish manner. Winterthur have never conceded a goal this season.
Huge disappointment
"It's particularly annoying that we had the game under control at this stage," said Rahmen, who led the team to the championship round and almost to the European Cup two years ago and returned last fall as the supposed savior. "It's difficult to find words now," admits the 57-year-old Basel native. "The disappointment is huge. We had incredible support from the community and the fans. That's very close to everyone's heart."
In the end, however, the squad was simply not suitable for the Super League. The reduction in the budget could not be compensated for with enthusiasm and solidarity, after the team only managed to avoid relegation in extremis last season.
Re-promotion anything but easy
It won't necessarily be any easier in the Challenge League. It remains to be seen whether the fans will fill the Schützenwiese weekend after weekend against Etoile Carouge, Stade Nyonnais, Rapperswil-Jona, Kriens or Brühl St. Gallen. In sporting terms, the budget must be significantly reduced, and a quick return to promotion is anything but a matter of course against ambitious competition such as Yverdon or two of the trio of Aarau, Vaduz and GC.
In the end, football rarely writes fairytales like that of Thun or Winterthur in the season before last. More money usually scores more goals. Nostalgia and romanticism or not. Now reality has also caught up with FC Winterthur.
