In a story that echoes Leicester City's fairy-tale Premier League triumph of 2016, Swiss football has a new and unexpected champion: FC Thun. The club from the small town of 43,000 people, nestled in the Bernese Oberland, has won its first-ever Swiss league title in 128 years of history—and they did it in dramatic fashion.
Thun's coronation came not from their own victory, but from second-place St. Gallen's 3-0 defeat at home to Sion on Sunday. This left Thun, coached by former Swiss international striker Mauro Lustrinelli, with an insurmountable 11-point lead and just three games remaining in the season.
What makes this achievement even more remarkable is that Thun only returned to the top flight this season after spending five years in the second division. The club, which has never even won the Swiss Cup, has defied all expectations in one of the most stunning underdog stories in recent European football.
The final step to glory was anything but smooth. Thun had two opportunities to seal the title themselves but stumbled both times: a 1-0 home loss to Lugano was followed by a 3-1 defeat at defending champions Basel, a match that saw them finish with nine men after two red cards. Yet, as the football gods would have it, St. Gallen's slip-up handed them the trophy anyway.
This isn't Thun's first brush with European glory. They famously reached the Champions League group stage in 2005 after finishing as Swiss runners-up, a run that captured the imagination of neutrals everywhere. Now, they'll return to Europe's premier competition, entering the second qualifying round in July—just two days after the World Cup final. To reach the group stage, they'll need to overcome three opponents.
While Thun is unlikely to have many World Cup representatives, keep an eye on 20-year-old midfielder Ethan Meichtry. The Switzerland Under-21 international is already turning heads and could be the next star to emerge from this remarkable club. For now, though, the people of Thun are celebrating a title that proves, once again, that in football, anything is possible.