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With the promoted Yverdon everything is new except coach Marco Schällibaum (61) – not just the team. The new majority shareholder is American Jamie Welch. And the new president is Jeffrey Saunders, also an American.
An American duo for the small Vaud club. The pair met in New York four years ago when Saunders was working at an elite football talent academy that also produces MLS players. Saunders: “He is a passionate football fan. His desire to get into this industry was clear from the start. We have been planning to take over a club for a long time. We are constantly in exchange.”
The new boss lived in Paris and learned French
The new president of Yverdon still lives in a hotel, but will soon move into an apartment. And the New York owner is also in the process of moving to Switzerland. During the meeting with a view, he offers to speak in French: «I lived in Paris for a year a long time ago. I understand French, but the pronunciation is difficult for me. If I want to explain something in detail, English is better. But it is clear to me that I am working on it, because the language of the club is French.”
Schällibaum’s new boss recently worked in Portugal for four years. Saunders: “My work there was done. We stabilized the club in the first division and were very successful commercially. I learned a lot from running a club and now I wanted to apply this knowledge elsewhere.”
Estoril, a small club in Portugal, rose in 2021 and has remained at the top to date, with an average attendance of 2500 fans. A scenario that Saunders now also wants for Yverdon. “The main goal is to stabilize the club in the Super League. In a second step, we want to create a platform on which players can develop,” says the American.
Challenge for the established Super League clubs
The third dream step has it all. It is a challenge to halve the competition. “The third step is to make Yverdon one of the top five clubs in the league. But that’s a long-term goal.”
Why exactly Yverdon? The duo have long been eyeing Switzerland, especially the rise of Lugano under American owner Joe Mansueto. Contact was then made with Yverdon boss Mario Di Pietrantonio, who was willing to sell. The chemistry was so great that the previous owner continued to work for the club in marketing. Saunders: “We saw a double opportunity because the Swiss league is growing and because Yverdon has the opportunity to grow with the Super League.”
What does Saunders say to the voices that see Yverdon as the main relegation candidate? He says confidently: “The consequence of what we’re going to build is: we’ll stay in this class.”
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
