2025–26 FC Zürich season
| 2025–26 season | |
|---|---|
| Manager | Mitchell van der Gaag (until 23 October) |
| Stadium | Letzigrund |
| Swiss Super League | 9th |
| Swiss Cup | Second round |
The 2025–26 season is the 130th season in the history of FC Zürich, and the club's ninth-consecutive season in Swiss Super League. In addition to the domestic league, the team also participated in the Swiss Cup. They were eliminated in the second round.
It was Mitchell van der Gaag's first season as manager. He replaced Ricardo Moniz, who was sacked shortly after the end of the previous season.[1] Van der Gaag was sacked on 23 October, with Zürich in eighth position in the Swiss Super League.
Pre-season
New signings included defensive midfielder Nelson Palacio, on loan from Real Salt Lake, and Guadaloupe forward Matthias Phaëton, on loan from CSKA Sofia.[2] Outbound went Ifeanyi Mathew and Rodrigo Conceicao, (released), Nikola Katić (to Schalke), Labinot Bajrami (to Helmond), Ramon Guzzo (to Aarau), Fabian Gloor (to Schaffhausen), Daniel Afriyie (to Aarau), Joseph Sabobo (to Hapoel Be'er Sheva) and Daniel Denoon (on loan to Pisa).[2]
Results
On 30 May 2025, Zürich announced a pre-season friendly against SSV Ulm 1846 at the German club's Donaustadion. It was Zürich's final friendly prior to their first Super League fixture a week later.[3] On 4 June 2025, Zürich announced four friendlies preceding that with UIm: against Dietikon, Young Fellows Juventus, Rapperswil-Jona and Wil.[4]
| 21 June 2025 Friendly (45 minutes) | Zürich | 2–0 | Dietikon | Dietikon |
| 11:00 CEST | Report | Stadium: Sportanlange Dornau |
| 21 June 2025 Friendly (45 minutes) | Zürich | 4–1 | Young Fellows Juventus | Dietikon |
| 12:00 CEST | Report | Stadium: Sportanlange Dornau |
| 28 June 2025 Friendly | Rapperswil-Jona | 0–2 | Zurich | Rapperswil-Jona |
| 16:00 CEST | Report | Stadium: Grünfeld Stadium |
| 10 July 2025 Friendly | Magdeburg | 0–2 | Zurich | Mindelheim |
| 14:00 CEST | Report | Stadium: Julius-Strohmayer Stadion |
| 20 July 2025 Friendly | Ulm | 3–0 | Zürich | Ulm |
| 15:30 CEST | Report | Stadium: Donaustadion |
Season proper
July
On 25 July, Zürich began the season by hosting Sion at the Letzigrund. Despite going 2–0 ahead, the visitors fought back to win 3–2, in Mitchell van der Gaag's first competitive game in charge of Zürich. Steven Zuber and Damienus Reverson scored Zürich's goals.[5] Zürich sat in ninth place in the table after the first round of matches.
The following day, Colombian forward Juan Jose Perea and Serbian left-back Milan Rodic joined the club.[6][7] French forward Lisandru Tramoni followed on 27 July.[8]
August
On 2 August, Colombian defender Jorge Segura joined on a three-year contract.[9] The following day, Zürich drew 1–1 at Luzern, with Umeh Emmanuel equalising for the visitors. Zürich climbed to eighth place in the Super League table.[10]
Dutch defender Livano Comenencia and Senegalese forward Philippe Keny joined the club in early August.[11][12]
On 10 August, Zürich won 2–1 at Lausanne and climbed one place to seventh. Bledian Krasniqi and Jorge Segura scored the visitors' goals.[13]
Five days later, reached the second round of the Swiss Cup after a 2–0 victory at Wettswil-Bonstetten. Umeh Emmanuel scored both goals, bringing his tally for the season to three in four games.[14]
Zürich returned to league action on 23 August, losing 4–0 at home to newly promoted Thun. The hosts were placed seventh in the table after the match.[15]
A victory, 3–1 at nearby Winterthur on 30 August, kept Zürich in seventh place. Loanee Matthias Phaëton scored twice for the visitors, with Steven Zuber scoring the other goal.[16]
Zürich beat Servette 2–1 at the Letzigrund on 13 September, with both of the hosts' goals coming from Cheveyo Tsawa. Zürich finished the game with ten men, after the dismissals of Mohamed Bangoura and Ilan Sauter. They climbed to fourth with the three points.[17]
September
Stade Nyonnais knocked Zürich out of the Swiss Cup at the second-round stage on 21 September. The match at the Colovray Sports Centre finished 1–1, with Matthias Phaëton scoring for the visitors, but Stade Nyonnais won 3–1 on penalties.[18]
A third-consecutive victory in the Swiss Super League followed on 27 September, 3–1 at home to St Gallen. Steven Zuber, Philippe Keny (his first for the club) and Jahnoah Markelo scored Zürich's goals. They remained fourth in the table.[19]
October
The Zurich derby, on 4 October, ended with a 3–0 victory for Grasshoppers. Zürich dropped one place to fifth in the table.[20]
After a two-week international break, on 18 October, Zürich lost 1–0 at Lugano. The visitors slipped to eighth in the Super League.[21]
Manager Mitchell van der Gaag was sacked on 23 October, after club president Ancillo Canepa stated that he felt the team had "become stagnant".[22]
On 26 October, Zürich lost 3–2 at home to Young Boys.[23]
A loss followed on 29 October, 2–0 at Basel, leaving the club ninth in the Super League.
November
On 1 November, Zürich lost a fifth league game in a row, and their sixth in seven in all competitions, this time 2–1 at home to Lausanne. They dropped one place to tenth, fifteen points behind leaders Thun.[24]
Zürich came from two goals down to beat Luzern 3–2 at the Letzigrund on 8 November. The visitors were reduced to ten men in the second half. Zürich's goals, all in the second half, came from Jahnoah Markelo (penalty), Matthias Phaëton and Philippe Keny (penalty).[25]
Competitions
Swiss Super League
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation[a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Young Boys | 18 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 38 | 35 | +3 | 29 | |
| 6 | Sion | 18 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 27 | 23 | +4 | 27 | |
| 7 | Zürich | 18 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 26 | 31 | −5 | 24 | |
| 8 | Lausanne-Sport | 17 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 27 | 23 | +4 | 21 | |
| 9 | Servette | 17 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 29 | 35 | −6 | 19 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head goal difference; 5) Head-to-head goals scored 6) Away goals scored; 7) Draw.[26]
Notes:
- ^ Teams play each other three times (33 matches), before the league is split into two groups (the top six and the bottom six).
Results summary
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 13 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 19 | 25 | −6 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 16 | −3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 9 | −3 |
Last updated: 23 August 2025.
Source: ESPN
Matches
Win Draw Loss Fixtures
| 25 July 2025 1 | Zürich | 2–3 | Sion | Zurich |
| Zuber 27' Reverson 55' |
Report | Nivokazi 81' Lukembila 87' Boteli 90+1' |
Stadium: Letzigrund Attendance: 12,374 Referee: S. Wolfensberger (Switzerland) |
| 3 August 2025 2 | Luzern | 1–1 | Zürich | Lucerne |
| Report | Stadium: Swissporarena |
| 10 August 2025 3 | Lausanne | 1–2 | Zürich | Lausanne |
| Report | Stadium: Stade de la Tuiliere Attendance: 12,544 |
| 23 August 2025 4 | Zürich | 0–4 | Thun | Zurich |
| Report | Stadium: Letzigrund Attendance: 13,581 |
| 30 August 2025 5 | Winterthur | 1–3 | Zürich | Winterthur |
| Report | Stadium: Stadion Schützenwiese Attendance: 8,700 |
| 13 September 2025 6 | Zürich | 2–1 | Servette | Zurich |
| Report | Stadium: Letzigrund |
| 27 September 2025 7 | Zürich | 3–1 | St Gallen | Zurich |
| Report | Stadium: Letzigrund Attendance: 13,949 |
| 4 October 2025 8 | Grasshopper | 3–0 | Zürich | Zurich |
|
Report | Stadium: Letzigrund Attendance: 17,329 Referee: Lionel Tschudi Assistant referees: Nico Gianforte (VAR) |
| 18 October 2025 9 | Lugano | 1–0 | Zürich | Lugano |
| Report | Stadium: Stadio di Cornaredo Attendance: 4,450 |
| 26 October 2025 10 | Zürich | 2–3 | Young Boys | Zurich |
| Report | Stadium: Letzigrund Attendance: 15,596 |
| 29 October 2025 11 | Basel | 2–0 | Zürich | Basel |
| Report | Stadium: St. Jakob-Park |
| 1 November 2025 12 | Zürich | 1–2 | Lausanne | Zurich |
| Report | Stadium: Letzigrund Attendance: 9,613 |
| 8 November 2025 13 | Zürich | 3–2 | Luzern | Zurich |
| Report | Stadium: Letzigrund Attendance: 13,762 |
Swiss Cup
Matches
Win Draw Loss Fixtures
| 15 August 2025 1 | Wettswil-Bonstetten | 0–2 | Zürich | Bonstetten |
| 14:00 | Report |
| 21 September 2025 2 | Stade Nyonnais | 1–1 (3–1 p) | Zürich | Nyon |
| Report | Stadium: Colovray Sports Centre |
References
- ^ "Mitchell van der Gaag wird neuer Cheftrainer des FC Zürich" (in Swiss High German). FC Zürich. 31 May 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ a b "Zurich transfers - Football, Switzerland". www.flashscore.com. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
- ^ "News". FC Zürich (in German). Retrieved 2025-05-31.
- ^ "News". FC Zürich (in German). Retrieved 2025-06-04.
- ^ "Zurich - Sion 2:3". www.flashscoreusa.com. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
- ^ "News". FC Zürich (in German). Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ "News". FC Zürich (in German). Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ "News". FC Zürich (in German). Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ "News". FC Zürich (in German). Retrieved 2025-08-03.
- ^ "Luzern - Zurich". www.flashscore.com. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
- ^ "FCZ signs winger from Juventus". blue News. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
- ^ "Senegalese striker for FCZ". blue News. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
- ^ "Lausanne - Zurich 1:2". www.flashscore.com. Retrieved 2025-08-10.
- ^ "Wettswil-Bonstetten - Zurich 0:2". www.flashscore.com. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
- ^ "FCZ humiliated by promoted team". blue News. Retrieved 2025-08-24.
- ^ "Winterthur - Zurich 1:3". www.flashscore.com. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
- ^ "Servette goalie Mall: "They don't know themselves how they won this game"". blue News. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
- ^ "Bega shoots Nyon to Cup surprise - and celebrates right in front of the FCZ fans". blue News. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
- ^ "Zurich - St. Gallen 3:1". www.flashscore.com. Retrieved 2025-09-29.
- ^ "Asp Jensen dismantles the FCZ". blue News. Retrieved 2025-10-15.
- ^ "Lugano - Zurich 1:0". www.flashscore.com. Retrieved 2025-10-23.
- ^ "News". FC Zürich (in German). Retrieved 2025-10-23.
- ^ "News". FC Zürich (in German). Retrieved 2025-10-29.
- ^ "Zurich - Lausanne 1:2". www.flashscore.com. Retrieved 2025-11-02.
- ^ "Zurich - Luzern 3:2". www.flashscore.com. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
- ^ "Reglement für den Spielbetrieb der SFL" (PDF) (in Swiss High German). Swiss Football League. 1 July 2025.