Football Club Lausanne-Sport is a Swiss

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club based in

Lausanne Lausanne ( , ; ; ) is the capital and largest List of towns in Switzerland, city of the Swiss French-speaking Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Vaud, in Switzerland. It is a hilly city situated on the shores of Lake Geneva, about halfway bet ...

in the canton of

Vaud Vaud ( ; , ), more formally Canton of Vaud, is one of the Cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of Subdivisions of the canton of Vaud, ten districts; its capital city is Lausanne. Its coat ...

. Founded in 1896, Lausanne Sport compete in the top-tier

Swiss Super League The Super League (also known as the Credit Suisse Super League for sponsorship reasons) is a professional association football league in Switzerland and the highest level of the Swiss football league system. It has been played in its current fo ...

after being promoted in the 2022–23 Swiss Challenge League Season. They play their home games at the 12,544-capacity

Stade de la Tuilière Stade de la Tuilière is a football stadium in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is the current home of the football club FC Lausanne-Sport. The stadium has a capacity of 12,544. FC Lausanne-Sport planned the construction of the stadium in 2017. Their s ...

. Previously Lausanne Sport had played at the

Stade Olympique de la Pontaise Stade Olympique de la Pontaise is a multi-purpose stadium in Lausanne, Switzerland. The stadium holds 15,700 people and was opened in 1954. The stadium is used primarily for football matches. It is currently the home ground of FC Stade Lausann ...

, a 15,850 all-seater stadium used for the

1954 FIFA World Cup The 1954 FIFA World Cup was the 5th edition of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international Association football, football tournament for senior men's national teams of the nations affiliated to FIFA. It was held in Switzerland from 16 June ...

. They played in Swiss First Division between 1906-1931, 1932–2002, 2011–2014, 2016–2018, 2020–2022 and 2023–present. The team has won seven league titles and the

Swiss Cup The Swiss Cup (; ; ; ) is a football cup competition that has been organised annually since 1925–26 season by the Swiss Football Association. The Swiss Cup final is usually the most important game of the year with a high attendance. The co ...

nine times.

History

19th century

The club was founded in 1896 under the name of ''Montriond Lausanne''. However, the

Lausanne Football and Cricket Club The Lausanne Football and Cricket Club was a Swiss association football and cricket club. The club was founded in 1860 by English students, who had studied at private schools in the area of Lausanne. During the year of the foundation this club ...

was established in 1860, believed to be the oldest football club on the European continent by some historians.

20th century

The club took the name Lausanne-Sports FC in 1920 after the football section merged with the Club Hygiénique de Lausanne, a physical education club. The end of the 1950s and the whole of the 1960s were among the club's finest times. LS won the Swiss Cup twice (1962 and 1964), lost an additional Swiss Cup final to

Basel Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...

by forfeit, won the Swiss championship (1965) and was runner-up four times (1961, 1962, 1963), as well as in 1969. The year 1965 was the year of the 7th and last Swiss championship title. It was probably the most successful, earning its protagonists the nickname of "Lords of the Night", a reference to some enchanting evenings. Since the advent of the floodlights in the new stadium, the matches have mainly taken place in the evenings which was at the time a unique feature.

21st century

After the 2001–02 season, Lausanne-Sports were relegated because the club did not obtain a first level license for the 2002–03 season. Following the 2002–03 season in the second division, Lausanne-Sports FC were again relegated due to bankruptcy. They were reformed as FC Lausanne-Sport for the 2003–04 season and had to begin play at the fourth tier. The team was promoted in consecutive seasons from the fourth division after the 2003–04 season and the third division after the 2004–05 season. After an additional six years in the second tier of Swiss football, the club was promoted to the

Super League Super League (also known as the Betfred Super League for sponsorship reasons, and legally Super League Europe Ltd.) is a professional rugby league competition, and the highest level of the British rugby league system, which consists of twelve t ...

for the 2011–12 season for a three-season stay before being relegated in 2014. After two seasons in the second tier the team was promoted for a two-season stay in the top division in 2016 and survived relegation in their first season before being relegated back to the second tier again in 2018. Now somewhat of a yo-yo club the team were promoted to the top tier again in 2020. Lausanne-Sport qualified for the

2010–11 UEFA Europa League The 2010–11 UEFA Europa League was the second season of the UEFA Europa League, Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 40th edition overall including its predecessor, the UEFA Cup. It began on 1 July 2010, with ...

after they reached the 2010 Swiss Cup final against Champions League-qualified

. In the 2010–11 Europa League, while still playing in the second tier Challenge League, they performed a shock getting to the group stages beating favourites

Lokomotiv Moscow FC Lokomotiv Moscow (, ) is a Russian professional association football, football club based in Moscow. Lokomotiv have won the Russian Premier League on three occasions; the Soviet Cup twice; and the Russian Cup (football), Russian Cup a record ...

on the way. Lausanne-Sport were relegated to the Swiss Challenge League at the end of the

2013–14 Swiss Super League The 2013–14 Swiss Super League was the 117th season of top-tier football in Switzerland. It began on 13 July 2013 and ended on 18 May 2014. Basel successfully defended their title for a record fifth time in a row. A total of 10 teams compete ...

season. Two years later, they finished first in the

2015–16 Swiss Challenge League The 2015-16 Swiss Challenge League, known for sponsorship reasons as the Brack.ch Challenge League, was the 13th season of the Swiss Challenge League, the second tier in the Swiss football pyramid. It began on 18 July 2015 and ended on 27 May 2016 ...

, which promoted them back to the top tier of Swiss football for the 2016–17 season. On 13 November 2017, the club was acquired by

Ineos Ineos Group Limited is a British multinational conglomerate headquartered and registered in London. it was the fourth largest chemical company in the world, with additional operations in fuel, packaging and food, construction, automotive, ph ...

, a Swiss-based British petrochemicals company owned by

Jim Ratcliffe Sir James Arthur Ratcliffe (born 18 October 1952) is a British billionaire, chemical engineer, and businessman. Ratcliffe is the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the INEOS chemicals group, which he founded in 1998. In May 2018, Rat ...

, the nation's wealthiest person. The first transfer under the new ownership was that of

Enzo Fernández Enzo Jeremías Fernández (born 17 January 2001) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Chelsea and the Argentina national team. Primarily a central midfielder, he is also capable of playing as a defensive ...

, son of

Zinedine Zidane Zinedine Yazid Zidane (; ; ''Zineddin Lyazid Zidan''; ; born 23 June 1972), popularly known as Zizou, is a French professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player who played as an attacking midfi ...

. However, the season ended with relegation. Ratcliffe's brother Bob became club president in March 2019. The club won promotion back to the top flight as champions of the

2019–20 Swiss Challenge League The 2019–20 Swiss Challenge League (referred to as the Brack.ch Challenge League for sponsoring reasons) was the 17th season of the Swiss Challenge League, the second tier of competitive football in Switzerland, under its current name. The seaso ...

. On 27 May 2023, Lausanne-Sport secure promotion to Super League from 2023 to 2024 after draw 2–2 against FC Aarau, finished in runner-up and return to top tier after one-year absence. They currently sit 10th place in the Swiss Super League after recently losing out 1-0 to Servette.

Stadium

Lausanne Sport play in new stadium at Stade de la Tuiliere previously stadium Stade Olympique Pontaise.

Honours

League

* Ligue Nationale A/Super League **Winners (7): 1912–13, 1931–32, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1943–44, 1950–51, 1964–65 **Runners-up (8): 1946–47, 1954–55, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1989–90, 1999–2000 * Ligue Nationale B/Challenge League **Winners (4): 1931–32,

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

, 2015–16, 2019–20 **Runners-up (1):

2022–23 The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen ...

1. Liga Promotion The Promotion League, named the Hoval Promotion League for sponsorship reasons, is the third tier of the Swiss football league system. Eighteen clubs compete in the league, playing each other twice over course of the season. The champions are prom ...

**Winners: 2004–05 * 1. Liga Classic **Winners: 2003–04

Cups

**Winners (9): 1934–35, 1938–39, 1943–44, 1949–50, 1961–62, 1963–64, 1980–81, 1997–98, 1998–99 **Runners-up (8): 1936–37, 1945–46, 1946–47, 1956–57, 1966–67, 1983–84, 1999–2000, 2009–10 *

Swiss League Cup The Swiss League Cup was a football tournament which took place as a summer pre-season tournament in 1972 and 1973, and during the Swiss football season from 1974–75 to 1981–82. The tournament was a knockout competition contested by clubs fro ...

**Runners-up: 1980–81

Players

Current squad

Other players under contract

Out on loan

Former players

Coaching staff

Former coaches

* Billy Hunter (1922–23) *

Jimmy Hogan James Hogan (16 October 1882 – 30 January 1974) was an English football player and coach. He enjoyed some success as a footballer, reaching an FA Cup semi-final with Fulham in 1907–08, but his primary legacy is as a pioneer of the game ...

(1925) * Fred Spiksley (1928) * Robert Pache (1931–32) *

(1933–34) *

Alwin Riemke Alwin Riemke (2 February 1910 – November 1991) was a German football (soccer), footballer who played in the 1920s and 1930s. He played as Goalkeeper (football), goalkeeper. He was also trainer and manager in Switzerland and Germany in the late ...

(1934–35) * Friedrich Kerr (1939) * Frank Séchehaye (1942–43) *

Fritz Leonhardt Fritz Leonhardt (12 July 1909 – 30 December 1999) was a German structural engineer who made major contributions to 20th-century bridge engineering, especially in the development of cable-stayed bridges. His book ''Bridges: Aesthetics and Design' ...

and Georg Baumgartner (1943–45) *

Louis Maurer Louis Maurer (February 21, 1832 – July 19, 1932) was a German-born American lithographer, and the father of the American painter Alfred Henry Maurer. He was the last surviving artist known to have been employed by Currier and Ives. Prior to ...

(1945–50) * Béla Volentik (1950–51) * Jacques Spagnoli (1951–53) * Joseph Schaefer (1953–54) * Bram Appel (1954–55) * Fernand Jaccard (1955–57) *

Walter Presch Walter Presch (5 August 1910 – 13 March 1991) was an Austrian football player and manager. Playing career Presch spent his career in Austria, Switzerland and France. Managerial career Presch coached Aarau, B 1909, Angers, Viborg FF Lausanne ...

(1957–60) *

Albert Châtelain Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert Computers, Inc., a computer manufacturer in the 1980s * Albert Czech Republic, a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street mar ...

(1960–61) * Charles Marmier and Frank Séchehaye (1961–62) * Jean Luciano (1962–64) * Roger Reymond and Roger Bocquet (1964) * Roger Reymond (1964–65) * Kurt Linder (1965–66) *

Wilhelm Hahnemann Wilhelm 'Willi' Hahnemann (14 April 1914 – 23 August 1991) was an Austrian and German football player who started his career at Admira Vienna. Club career In the 1935-36 Austrian league season he netted 23 goals for his club to become the ...

(1966–67) * Roger Vonlanthen (1967–72) *

(1972–74) * Paul Garbani (1974–76) *

Miroslav Blažević Miroslav "Ćiro" Blažević (; 9 February 1935 – 8 February 2023) was a Bosnian-Croatian professional Association football, football Manager (association football), manager and Football player, player. A former right winger, his professional ...

(1976–79) * Charly Hertig (1979–82) *

Péter Pázmándy Péter Pázmándy (7 June 1938 – 23 March 2012) was a Hungarian football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualifie ...

(1982–84) *

Radu Nunweiller Radu Nunweiller (born 16 November 1944) is a former Romanian central midfield football player and manager. Club career File:Lică Nunweiller, Radu Nunweiller, Ion Nunweiller 1963.jpg, left, 270px, Radu Nunweiller was born in Bucharest on 16 No ...

(1984–87) *

Umberto Barberis Umberto Barberis or simply Berto (born 5 June 1952) is a former Switzerland, Swiss-Italy, Italian Association football, footballer, last managing Dubai Club. Playing career Barberis started his career in Switzerland, playing for FC Sion in hi ...

(1 August 1987 – 20 June 1993) *

Marc Duvillard Marc Duvillard (born 22 November 1952) is a retired Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Sw ...

(1993–94) *

Martin Trümpler Martin Trümpler (born 13 August 1948) is a retired Swiss football defender In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scorin ...

(1 July 1994 – 30 June 1995) *

Georges Bregy Georges Bregy (born 17 January 1958) is a retired Swiss football striker and midfielder. He was capped 54 times and scored 12 goals for the Swiss national team between 1984 and 1994. He played four games at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, and scored a ...

(1 July 1995 – 30 September 1997) *

and Pierre-André Schürmann (1998) * Pierre-André Schürmann (24 October 1998 – 11 December 2000) *

Victor Zvunka Victor Zvunka (; born 15 November 1951) is a French former association football, football Defender (association football), defender and football manager most recently in charge of Sporting Club Toulon. Zvunka was born in Le Ban-Saint-Martin. Ho ...

(1 July 2000 – 30 June 2001) *

(1 July 2001 – 5 December 2001) *

(20 February 2002 – 8 May 2002) * Pablo Iglesias (2002–03) * Gabriel Calderón (1 January 2003 – 30 June 2003) * Jochen Dries (2003–04) * Gérard Castella (1 July 2005 – 24 May 2006) * Alain Geiger (1 June 2006 – 21 November 2006) * Paul Garbani and P. Isabella ''(interim)'' (24 November 2006 – 11 December 2006) * Stéphane Hunziker and

Patrick Isabella Patrick Isabella (born 25 January 1971) is a retired Swiss football midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensi ...

(17 February 2007 – 30 May 2007) *

(1 July 2007 – 17 December 2007) *

Thierry Cotting Thierry Cotting (born 13 September 1963) is a Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wi ...

(15 December 2007 – 30 June 2009) * John Dragani (1 July 2008 – 30 June 2010) * Árpád Soós (19 March 2010 – 30 June 2010) *

Martin Rueda Martin Rueda (born 9 January 1963) is a Swiss former professional footballer and manager who played as a defender. His parents are Spanish, coming from Málaga. His last managing appointment was as interim head coach of Neuchâtel Xamax i ...

(1 July 2010 – 30 June 2012) * Laurent Roussey (1 July 2012 – 21 October 2013) * Alexandre Comisetti (22 October 2013 – 7 November 2013) * Henri Atamaniuk (8 November 2013 – 20 June 2014) * Francesco Gabriele (1 July 2014 – 9 October 2014) *

Marco Simone Marco Simone (; born 7 January 1969) is an Italian professional football manager and former player. As a player, he was a striker and winger. He most prominently played for Milan, with whom he won four Serie A championships and two UEFA Ch ...

(13 October 2014 – 24 March 2015) *

Fabio Celestini Fabio Celestini (born 31 October 1975) is a Swiss football manager and former player who was most recently the manager of Swiss Super League club FC Basel. A defensive midfielder, he started and finished his 15-year professional career with Laus ...

(24 March 2015 – 2018) * Giorgio Contini (2018 - 9 June 2021) * Ilija Borenović (10 June 2021 - 4 February 2022)

Recent seasons

Recent season-by-season performance of the club: ;Key

Lausanne-Sports Rowing

Lausanne-Sports Aviron is the

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically a ...

club of Lausanne-Sport.

References

External links

Football department

Athletics department

Roller hockey department
(archived 2 April 2002)
Rowing department
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lausanne-Sport Sport in Lausanne Multi-sport clubs in Switzerland Football clubs in Switzerland Association football clubs established in 1896 1896 establishments in Switzerland