YB is restructuring quickly and radically – the flood of transfers is reminiscent of FC Basel

Anyone listing YB's personnel movements is at risk of losing track. So many have been replaced that a comparison with the personnel carousel at FC Basel is not far-fetched. It seems as if a "degenization" has taken place in Bern, named after David Degen, the club's chairman in Basel. Quick buying and selling of mostly young players, making money, creating momentum. Identification is secondary.

In the end, the fans celebrated their success anyway, says someone who works in transfers. YB like the trading company Basel? They don't want to hear that in Bern; they cover their ears.

YB's last season left its mark, even though its third-place finish stands out from Basel's historic collapse the previous year. That the Bernese decided to go for a complete overhaul is less surprising than its speed and radicalness. As if they had to quickly make up for what they had missed. Even deserving players are falling by the wayside.

YB doesn't shy away from tough decisions. Lewin Blum has been transferred to Belgium, and goalkeeper David von Ballmoos has been transferred to Lugano. Both on loan. If Sandro Lauper doesn't get more playing time, his departure is also foreseeable.

The trio originated from the club's own youth academy and have helped shape the club's championship-winning era. The 30-year-old from Ballmoos was described by the club as the "most successful player in the club's 127-year history" in his farewell speech. Right-back Blum was long considered a rising star.

Until the 2024/25 season, which brought about a lot of change. Leaders were missing. Players weren't developing into leaders. Others wanted to leave, but couldn't. Or weren't allowed to leave. Injuries were a factor. Nine sendings off were evidence of indiscipline. Hierarchical wrangling in the goalkeeper position, where Marvin Keller was ousted from Ballmoos. Three coaches, Patrick Rahmen, Joël Magnin, and Giorgio Contini, tried their hand at it. It was as if YB were FC Sion.

The team no longer bears much resemblance to the one that stumbled early a year ago. Many are gone: Ballmoos, Blum, Cedric Itten (Fortuna Düsseldorf), Kastriot Imeri (Thun), Cheikh Niasse (Hellas Verona), Zachary Athekame (AC Milan), Filip Ugrinic (Valencia), Mohamed Ali Camara (Maccabi Tel Aviv), and Meschack Elia (Alanyaspor). This list is not exhaustive.

Athekame, Ugrinic, and Niasse, in particular, significantly boosted YB's transfer balance into the millions, despite the club's unusually high investment volume. The most notable new signings are Christian Fassnacht and Chris Bedia, who joined in the winter. They are joined by Bosnian-Swedish midfielder Armin Gigovic and the Swiss players Edimilson Fernandes and Grégory Wüthrich.

The strongest signal, however, is the signing of 22-year-old Alvyn Sanches, who reportedly committed to YB two years ago. At the time, FC Lausanne-Sport was still opposed. Regarding the transfer fee, speculation ranges as high as CHF 4 million. Had it not been for injury, Sanches would undoubtedly have been transferred abroad; his cruciate ligament tear likely cost Lausanne around CHF 5 million. YB is making an investment in the future with him. The salary is expected to be substantial.

Club co-owner Christoph Spycher continues to set the sporting tone in Bern. Close associates say that Spycher suffered excessively and "like a dog" last season. He says today: "YB was spoiled by success. That intensifies the impact of the reactions. You fall from the top to the bottom and have to fight against resistance." And now? Is YB, like Basel, a constant hotbed with little identity? "Last season, it was said that YB was doing too little and that everything at YB was always the same," Spycher counters.

YB was struggling; Spycher and his colleagues had acted too carelessly and gullible in the summer of 2024 after six titles in seven years. Spycher took charge of the change. Spycher wanted to rebuild YB, says someone who knows him well. It was about "initiating a transformation, providing the team with fresh quality, and putting an end to past experiences," as Spycher puts it. Even experiences that are particularly painful for Spycher. He has been following Von Ballmoos for years. Now Spycher says: "Von Ballmoos didn't want to be number 2 with us. There's the reality of the market for that."

YB is raising more money than ever before. Nevertheless, Spycher dismisses the question of whether he has adjusted his principles. He speaks of the "new dynamics" that have been introduced. And of the "package," meaning that not only the club but also the players are striving for change. Sometimes, an attitude has crept in among the players: I really want to leave, but otherwise I'll just stay at YB. "That can't be it," says Spycher.

The changes don't just affect the players. There have also been changes in the staff, including athletics, video, and equipment. On the board of directors, the chairmanship passed from Hanspeter Kienberger, who served for many years, to Marcel Brülhart, a well-known mediator in Bern. Former footballer Christian Schneuwly has been appointed as the new "development coach" between the youth and senior teams, which is intended to improve communication and opportunities for internal promotion.

This can only be an advantage in times when players are fleeing. Spycher argues against this, pointing to 16-year-old Olivier Mambwa from Bern, who recently made his debut.

A significant change occurred in the position of sporting director. Steve von Bergen, also a former YB champion, left the club. Spycher moved closer to the team. According to player agents, Mathieu Béda, the former footballer and player agent who has since switched sides, has been described as a "tenacious dealmaker who expands his sphere of influence."

Béda was instrumental in the Sanches case and also has more influence in transfers than von Bergen before him. Béda knows the business and was involved as an advisor when YB sold Denis Zakaria to Mönchengladbach for €12 million in 2017. This is where the contact with Spycher stems from. Béda is another reason why YB has moved closer to FC Basel at the moment. David Degen was also a former player agent.