Peter Zeidler is back in Switzerland after his brief, unsuccessful stint at VfL Bochum. At Lausanne-Sport, he wants to continue what his predecessor started.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- It's finally starting again. The Super League starts on Friday, July 25. The match between FC Zurich and FC Sion can be watched on free TV on blue Zoom from 8pm.
- After a brief Bundesliga adventure, Peter Zeidler takes over as coach of FC Lausanne-Sport.
- His experience and his love of Swiss football were decisive factors in the 62-year-old's decision to return to the Super League.
- With a young squad, Zeidler wants to play in Europe for as long as possible and do well in the championship again.
At the end of June 2024, Peter Zeidler left FC St.Gallen for the Bundesliga after six years. In Bochum, he should have led the mission to stay in the league. He should have, because after eight games, the new marriage was already on the rocks. A cup exit in the first round against a third division team and just one point in the first seven league games was the sobering result.
Just under a year later, Zeidler wants to relaunch his coaching career and dares to return to Switzerland. After leaving Bochum, he was linked with various clubs, including GC. In the end, the 62-year-old opted for FC Lausanne-Sport.
A decision that made sense for Zeidler: "I love Switzerland and French-speaking Switzerland," says Peter Zeidler to blue Sport. "I spent almost a year at FC Sion and six years at St. Gallen and fell in love with Swiss football."
These several years of experience in Swiss football were decisive for the commitment in western Switzerland: "He has experience at a high level in France, Germany and Austria. He has trained in Switzerland. It was important for me that he knows Swiss football, the mentality of the players and the game," says Stéphane Henchoz, Head of Sport at Lausanne-Sport, to blue Sport.
In addition, Zeidler has proven with his long tenure at FCSG that he is interested in longer-term projects and does not change clubs every year.
"Playing in Europe for as long as possible"
Linguistically, it will not be a challenge for the former French teacher. In sporting terms, he will follow in the big footsteps left by Ludovic Magnin after his departure to FC Basel. In two years, he led Lausanne from the Challenge League to Conference League qualification.
Zeidler is confident ahead of the start of the season: "We are convinced that we will once again have a team that wants to play up front. That the spectators will be able to identify with the club and enjoy the team, even if it loses."
The 62-year-old is taking over a very young team, which is anything but a disadvantage for Henchoz: "He started his career in education. He worked with young players in Salzburg. With us, we know that we have to integrate the youngsters. We have no choice."
For the sporting director, this is also a good thing, as it allows Lausanne to develop the young players from its own academy, with the aim of selling one or two players every transfer period.
According to Peter Zeidler, the goals for the 2025/2026 season are less concrete. The German wants to play in Europe for as long as possible and do well again in the championship. "Ideally, we'll be in the top six on match day 33 and then the rest will follow."
