FC Thun can prepare for the championship celebrations. This makes the announcement of the premature resignation of CEO and financial backer Beat Fahrni all the more surprising. The entrepreneur talks about his decision.
21.03.2026, 04:15
21.03.2026, 08:09
SDA
Just imagine: You save a football club from bankruptcy with a large sum of money. You see the club promoted to the Super League and take over the management of the club. In the top division, your club is already heading for the championship title in the first season after promotion and thus for the biggest sensation in Swiss football. And you? You are handing over the operational management before the end of the season and the upcoming celebrations.
Beat Fahrni has done just that. On Tuesday, FC Thun announced that the CEO wanted to "concentrate more on his entrepreneurial activities outside the club" from the end of March. Although Fahrni will remain on the Board of Directors for the time being, the timing nevertheless seems unusual.
The sports promoter sees it differently. "The decision has nothing to do with sport," he says. "My goal was to create structures at the club. And when it's up and running, you can let it go. Then I'm no longer needed."
But why did the announcement come two weeks before his departure, in the middle of the championship? "We talked about it internally back in February and thought it was a good time," explains Fahrni, who turned 59 on Wednesday. "We also didn't think it would generate so much media attention. After all, it was supposed to be about the sport, not about individuals. And if there is actually a championship celebration, that's all it should be about."
No interest in the cup photo
In view of these statements, one might be tempted to accuse Fahrni of a certain naivety. However, a look at his work at the club shows that this is not the case. And anyone who listens to the entrepreneur quickly realizes that this is not someone who is driven by the moment.
Because what is currently happening at FC Thun is anything but ordinary. Fahrni himself says it feels "surreal from time to time" when he thinks back to the beginning of 2024. Back then, the club was on the verge of bankruptcy; it lacked around CHF 800,000 in equity to even be able to participate in the upcoming season. And now the trophy for the Challenge League title could soon be joined by another.
It is telling how consistently Fahrni attributes sporting success to others: the coaching team, President Andres Gerber and Head of Sport Dominik Albrecht. "Never change a running system," he says about the sporting side. This attitude runs through the entire conversation. Fahrni consistently rejects personal praise. He "doesn't need them". Even when he was promoted, he didn't want to be in the cup photo. In his view, those with operational responsibility have "no business in the catacombs".
Some radical changes
While he kept a low profile in sporting matters, he had clear ideas in other areas and initiated several changes. His arrival not only brought money, but above all a new way of thinking: Processes, responsibilities, pace. Many things were questioned, some radically changed.
In the last two years, FC Thun has also experienced a high turnover of personnel, particularly in the management. Two CEOs came and went within the space of a few months before Fahrni himself took over. Other areas were also restructured. For Fahrni, it is clear that many processes remained unchanged for too long and the organization was too sluggish. He describes today's employees as "young and dynamic" - implicitly as an alternative to the past.
The big question after his retirement as CEO is whether this newly created foundation is already bearing fruit. President Gerber is taking over operational management on an interim basis, supported by the Board of Directors. Fahrni is cautiously confident: "You only know for sure in hindsight," he says. But: "Things are running smoothly, a lot has been worked out." The organization now has to be "let go", like children who are allowed to fall down once in a while.
Success brings new challenges
Precisely because the club is in a "wonderful starting position" (16 points ahead of the first runner-up with eight rounds to go), new structures are now needed: a more active Board of Directors, more exchange and external expertise in dealing with success. The next stage of development requires different skills than restructuring. In other words, the entrepreneur who has stabilized the club sees his task as complete.
The financial framework conditions appear more stable than two years ago. Long-term sponsorship contracts, a full stadium, new partners: Fahrni points to a number of positive developments. Nor does he want to fundamentally reduce his own involvement. His company will remain a platinum sponsor; however, additional funds could in future flow into infrastructure projects such as the planned "Sportcluster" in Thun-Süd, a project close to his heart.
He, who has rebuilt the club, now trusts that it will continue to function without him in operational responsibility. Why his decision was made public at a time when the club is on the brink of historic success is likely to remain unclear for some time to come.
