Even after the change of coach, there is no sign of an upturn at Young Boys. They are the first Swiss club to remain without points in a European Cup campaign. Sporting director Steve von Bergen sorts things out.
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- YB sporting director Steve von Bergen sorts out Young Boys' performance in the Champions League.
- The 41-year-old talks about the lessons learned against the top teams, about why YB are currently unable to pull off a coup like they once did against Manchester United, and he reveals that there is likely to be movement on the transfer market soon.
- However, the man from Neuchâtel expresses his confidence in the often criticized attacking players.
Steve von Bergen, YB suffered their eighth defeat in their eighth Champions League match. Why was it not enough against Red Star Belgrade?
Because we put in an inadequate performance.
Last year, YB spent the winter in Europe for the first time after a Champions League group stage. Now it is in 36th and last place in the reformed competition with a goal difference of 3:24 and 0 points. What happened?
Even when we were doing well in the league, the Champions League was never easy. We might have managed a home win like we did against Manchester United or Juventus Turin. Now we're going through a difficult phase in the league and playing international matches against opponents who are in good form. That makes a big difference.
YB often seemed out of their depth in this league. Was it out of place?
No. We deserved to be in the Champions League because we put in two very good performances in the qualifiers against Galatasaray Istanbul. But we have our problems in the championship, and the gap to European teams is too big at the moment. We have to put the Champions League behind us now and concentrate on the important games in the league.
So are you happy that the triple burden is now over?
We're not happy to be out of the Champions League. When you qualify, you know that it's usually difficult to get into the knockout round, but it's always an honor to be there. That's why we can be proud. Of course the games were a big burden for us, but such experiences are very valuable for our players.
Did the Champions League come too soon for this team?
No, no. We know when the Champions League starts. If it had come too early, we wouldn't have been able to put in two performances like we did against Galatasaray. But with Aston Villa, Atalanta Bergamo and FC Barcelona, we've played against top teams that we can't compete with at the moment. That is our reality.
Would you do anything differently today based on what you learned from those eight games?
No. We have qualified. That's a great success for a Swiss club. Of course, there are things you could have done differently when you finish last in a competition. But the problem today is not just the Champions League, but above all the situation in the league table.

Can YB learn anything at all if it has no chance, as it did away in Barcelona or at home against Atalanta Bergamo?
Absolutely. The intensity and technical quality, how seriously these teams played over 90 minutes - that was impressive. There was a lot of criticism after the 5-0 defeat to Barcelona because we conceded five goals. But I don't think we're the only ones to have done that this year. We have to try to take something for ourselves and adapt to our level. But we also have to admit to ourselves that these games were simply a few levels too high for us.
Some media said that YB were even embarrassing Switzerland in Europe.
It's clear that there is criticism. We're not making light of the situation internally either. We're not proud of being eliminated with 0 points. We represented Switzerland and we were all happy after Galatasaray. Today we're standing there and have to say: it hurts.
In four games under new coach Giorgio Contini, YB have yet to score a goal. It's obvious where the biggest problem lies.
At the start of the season, we talked a lot about the defense. Today we're talking about the offense. Yes, we've still scored 0 goals with Giorgio. But our players have quality. I'm convinced of that, and they've already shown it. Now it's about finding that joy of playing forward again, creating scoring chances and putting our opponents under pressure. Just like we did in the home game against Winterthur. But unfortunately without scoring. It's our job to find the key to scoring goals again. I hope we find it this weekend against Lausanne.
Contini recently spoke out in favor of reinforcements in the offense. Will you be presenting a new striker soon?
We are in the transfer period. A few things will happen in the next few days, but, once again, we have players with quality in attack. Now we just have to prove it on the pitch.
And then suddenly appear in the Champions League again and polish up the Swiss image?
No. We don't have to talk about next season's Champions League. For us, it's about getting into the top 6 of the Super League as quickly as possible, finding the way to the goal, showing performances that give us a basis to be successful again.