Young Boys turn to Petković

UEFA Cup second qualifying round hopefuls BSC Young Boys have announced Vladimir Petković as their new coach in place of Martin Andermatt who was sacked last month.

Bellinzona success
Petković, who turns 45 on 15 August, has signed for an initial two years with the option of extending his tenure at the Stade de Suisse. Last season's Swiss Super League runners-up will be hoping Petković can bring a similar level of success to that which he enjoyed last term with fellow UEFA Cup representatives AC Bellinzona, whom he guided to promotion from the Challenge League and to the final of the Swiss Cup where they lost 4-1 to FC Basel 1893. His first match in charge of the Berne club – who gained their first win of the domestic season at the fifth attempt on Sunday when they defeated Neuchâtel Xamax FC 2-1 – is at home to Hungary's Debreceni VSC in the UEFA Cup on Thursday.

Luzern vacancy 
Petković is not the only coaching change in the Swiss top-flight. Ciriaco Sforza has parted company with FC Luzern by mutual consent after their 1-0 loss to league leaders FC Aarau on Saturday left the club propping up the table with just one point from their first five matches. Sforza, who was capped 79 times by Switzerland, had extended his contract in May until summer 2009.