Swiss newcomers ready for Europe

UEFA Cup campaigns
AC Bellinzona not only returned to the top flight after 20 years away with a play-off win against FC St. Gallen at the end of last season, but also reached the Swiss Cup final. As victors FC Basel 1893 clinched the league title, the side from the Italian-speaking Ticino region will make their European debut against FC Ararat Yerevan in the UEFA Cup first qualifying round on 17 July. Meanwhile, last season's Challenge League winners FC Vaduz secured their eleventh straight Liechtenstein Cup in May and will again represent the principality against Bosnia-Herzegovina's NK Zrinjski as well as making their Swiss top-flight debut.

Vaduz rise
Vaduz have long been tipped to reach the top level of Swiss football, though the Liechtenstein Cup will remain their only route to UEFA competition. Coach Heinz Hermann, whose 117 caps is a Swiss record, masterminded their promotion with a team based on several former charges from his Basel youth side, notably Under-21 international goalkeeper Yann Sommer, who impressed in his loan from St. Jakob-Park and remains at Vaduz along with German striker Tim Grossklaus and Bosnian defender Damir Džombić. The star is Brazilian forward Gaspar, who scored a Challenge League-leading 31 goals in 34 games last season, although the tactically astute Hermann is circumspect, saying: "We still need one or two experienced players."

Ticino represented
Bellinzona are the first Ticino side in the Super League since FC Lugano's bankruptcy in 2002. In fact, it will be at the reformed AC Lugano's Cornaredo Stadium that Bellinzona will play their European matches, and they will be under a new coach after Vladimir Petković was unable to agree a new deal and former Swiss international Marco Schällibaum was appointed to his fifth different top-flight club. "I have come to realise that this team and its morale are intact," said Schällibaum, who nonetheless admits that avoiding relegation could be "very, very difficult".

Changes
Although the team is largely intact, two key attackers have left with Cameroonian striker Christian Pouga joining Sevilla FC and playmaker Ifet Taljevic now at league rivals Neuchâtel Xamax FC. Replacing them are experienced midfielder Gürkan Sermeter from FC Aarau and a 32-year-old striker Mauro Lustrinelli, who was part of Switzerland's 2006 FIFA World Cup squad and has played for FC Thun – competing in the UEFA Champions League – AC Sparta Praha and FC Luzern in the last three seasons having previously scored more than 100 goals in his first Bellinzona spell between 1994 and 2001. Despite those signings, Schällibaum added: "We still have to get some experience in the defence." His side start their league campaign a week late against Xamax on 24 July due to their UEFA Cup trip to Armenia.