The cup exploit is followed by a bloodletting: FC Biel can reinvent itself

When does almost everything fall apart?

When an amateur club beats the country's best and creates sporting history. Before them, no club from the third-highest division had ever reached the cup final. They cause a stir, fill their small stadium for cup matches, and celebrate the final in the large Wankdorf Arena as a celebration, a self-affirmation for a city, a region—together with thousands of traveling fans.

The cup final was lost 4-1 to national champions FC Basel in early June. But that doesn't detract from the fairytale story, a story of harmony and unity. Unknown footballers are coming into focus. This is good for the small club, which usually operates far from the public eye. At the same time, however, it's foreseeable that much will fall apart because the footballers are suddenly no longer quite so unknown.

As happened with FC Biel, the Promotion League club that, with a bit of luck, eliminated FC Lugano in the cup quarterfinals and then Young Boys in the semifinals, before FC Basel's wall proved too much in the final. It was certainly a good (cup) season for the club's history.

But anyone who believes FC Biel can continue to develop on this personnel basis is making a romantic mistake. After all, French coach Samir Chaibeddra and his staff have stayed, as have captain Anthony De Freitas and players Freddy Mveng and Omer Dzonlagic. The three are over 30 years old, which is one reason for their loyalty.

But otherwise, those without whom the cup triumph would not have been possible are gone. Those players who lifted the team to a level of energy that was, given the circumstances, too high for Lugano and YB. This applies to French players who found their way to Seeland from their partner club in Clermont-Ferrand. Or Damian Kelvin (FC Lugano) and Brian Beyer, a desperado of Swiss club football.

After his first spell in Biel, the Frenchman was one of the heroes of 2023, when he and Yverdon achieved promotion to the Super League. Beyer played like a gladiator, and the fans carried him on their hands. He returned to Biel via Annecy and Osnabrück in early 2025 to help shape the cup's magic. After six months, Beyer's move continues in Winterthur. Due to a lack of prospects in Biel.

In the shadow of the cup final, FC Biel had to give way to Rapperswil-Jona at the top of the Promotion League in the fight for promotion to the Challenge League. The Seeland team's goal was the second-highest division, but they missed it by four points. This makes the task of convincing a French footballer in Clermont Biel to join them difficult. The lake, the Aare River, the hilltop sports center in Magglingen, and the bilingualism aren't enough arguments.

The second level of performance in Switzerland, perhaps, yes. As a stepping stone. But the third? It means even more anonymity, almost oblivion.

The rift within the Biel team is common in the industry. Nevertheless, it's surprising that the Bielers were unable to hold together. Core Sports Capital (CSC), led by Swiss football manager Ahmet Schaefer, holds a one-third stake in the club. The company owns Clermont Foot 63 in the French Ligue 2 and holds a 25 percent stake in Austria Lustenau (2. Bundesliga).

CSC lured French personnel to Biel, which helped the club reach the cup final. But those players are already gone again. This is partly due to financial reasons. Clubs in the Promotion League have to be resourceful when it comes to paying players. Brian Beyer may have received 3,000 Swiss francs a month, plus an apartment, a car, and other perks that are the stuff of legend and rumor in the league. Winterthur doesn't pay Beyer much either, but more than Biel.

The partner, CSC, is known for leveraging niche connections and exchanging expertise. Not for building castles in the air, though. Certainly not in Biel, even on a small scale. But regardless of whether a partner or not, where something blooms, the most beautiful petals are immediately plucked out in football.

And: The Swiss organization had a bright spot in Biel last season, but at the same time, there was a major construction site in Clermont and another in Lustenau. Only narrowly and nerve-wrackingly, the struggling clubs in France and Austria, after rapid rises, avoided a free fall from the top division straight into the third division.

Biel is making a fresh start. With over a dozen new players, with president Nik Liechti, who succeeds Dietmar Faes (who held the position for over nine years), and with a new managing director, sporting director Varujan Symonov, who came to Biel from Nyon. Oliver Zesiger, who works in the sports sector, also took advantage of the Biel showcase – and found a job in scouting at FC Lugano.

There aren't many of the wonderful Biel Cup petals left. New ones are growing, however fast and in whatever direction.