Swiss club football falters as Lugano and Basel lag behind youth usage

Youth players are finding it increasingly difficult to break into the Swiss Super League, with Lugano, FC Basel and Young Boys languishing at the bottom of the league’s Youth Trophy rankings, while Zurich clubs FC Zürich and Grasshopper Club claim a quarter of the theoretical minutes on offer.

Youth minutes distribution

The Youth Trophy measures how many minutes players born in 2004 could theoretically accumulate and how many clubs actually allocate to them. FC Zürich tops the chart with 26.7 percent of possible minutes and Grasshopper Club follows with 21.1 percent. By contrast, Basel, Young Boys and league leaders Lugano each sit below the one‑percent mark, meaning their youngsters are barely used.

Marinko Jurendic, Chief Sports Officer of the Swiss Football Association, warned: “Everyone in Swiss football must be aware of the mission we have – to give each player the best possible conditions to reach the professional level.” He added that the situation “will ultimately benefit Swiss club football” if addressed.

Even Lugano’s coach Mattia Croci‑Torti has been reluctant to trust youth; he allowed 19‑year‑old Gjan Ajdin only ten minutes of league action. The article notes “Kein mit Symbolkraft” – no picture with symbolic power – to underline the lack of exposure for young talent.

Looking abroad for solutions

Switzerland’s club football has slipped internationally, falling to 16th in the UEFA ranking, behind Cyprus and Denmark. After Sion and St Gallen failed in Conference League qualification, only Thun and Lugano now represent the Super League in European competition.

Jurendic suggested that the Swiss game could learn from Norway, which has overtaken Switzerland in the UEFA ranking. Norway’s two Champions League participants, Bodø Glimt and Viking Stavanger, rely almost entirely on home‑grown players.

“Grassroots football, women’s football and the whole development pathway line up with the A‑national teams. It starts with the youngest children and ends with Erling Haaland,” Jurendic said, highlighting the systemic approach that could inspire change in Switzerland.