Interim conclusion after ten rounds: Three U21 teams in trouble and one rising star

class=”sc-29f61514-0 icZBHN”>

The rising star from Carouge

After two teams were promoted to the Challenge League last season due to the mode adjustment in the Super League and a third team was allowed to compete for promotion in the Barrage, regular business operations are now in order. The winner of the 2023/24 Promotion League will be promoted to the second highest division at the end of the season. But this season too it will be a matter of licensing as to who actually qualifies for promotion. The current leader of the Promotion League can expect the necessary green light from the Swiss Football League. Étoile Carouge FC had already received the license in the spring, but then missed participation in the Barrage due to missing two points.

A new head coach, Romanian coach Adrian Ursea, took over at Étoile Carouge this summer. The 56-year-old last worked as a coach at OGC Nice between December 2020 and May 2021. However, he knows Switzerland very well; between 1991 and 2001 he played one season in Switzerland. After his time as a striker, he held various coaching positions in French-speaking Switzerland. Ursea can count on a team with an interesting mix in Geneva.

He also has a former CSSL veteran in Vincent Rüfli. This summer, two players from Lausanne, Nassim Zoukit and Florian Hysenaj, joined the team and already made their first appearances in the Swiss House of Lords. And regular goalkeeper Signori Antonio has also played for FC Lausanne-Sport and FC Basel. What really stands out from the leadership collective is centre-forward Usman Simbakoli. The striker from the Central African Republic has already scored eight goals in seven appearances. Recently, Simbakoli Carouge was missing from the three victories against SC Brühl SG, FC Lugano U21 and FC Biel-Bienne.

The challengers are already well behind

But who are the challengers to leader Étoile Carouge? The first pursuer is FC Paradiso. The Ticino team got off to a lightning start after being promoted from the 1st League Classic to the Promotion League. Paradiso’s matches are almost all competitive, only against FC Basel U21 the meeting ended 3-1 with a difference of two goals. However, a direct progression to the Challenge League would probably be too big a step for the development of the team.

Carouge has already taken seven points or more away from the other pursuers and then comes SC Cham, who decided not to apply for a license last spring. Closely followed by SC Brühl SG, SR Delémont and FC Breitenrain. However, Brühl also failed in the second instance with a license application last season, but had hardly any preparation time due to a surprisingly strong second half of the season. The demands would again be a tough nut to crack for Breitenrain; last season, the Bern district association decided not to appeal after a “no” at first instance.

By the way, it is Paradiso and Delémont who have inflicted the only defeats of the season on the leader so far. Other teams whose medium-term aim should be to return to the Challenge League find themselves even further back in the table. FC Biel-Bienne is directly behind the aforementioned trio with 15 points and is therefore already nine points behind the leader. FC Rapperswil-Jona, Barrage participant in the summer, and SC Kriens were even one win further back in 13th and 14th place. The gap between all pursuers and the top must only widen during the winter break, otherwise there is a risk of an early decision in the promotion race. Most importantly, the leader could start planning a season in the Challenge League with a solid foundation and further strengthen the squad over the winter break.

The U21 teams are three at the bottom of the table

When it comes to promotion, the U21 teams are certainly out of competition. However, FC Zurich’s U21s are fortunately involved in the top group as third in the rankings. The relegation battle is sportingly relevant for the youth teams and three U21 teams are in the middle of it. The two promoted teams Servette FC and FC Lugano, as well as the second team of FC Basel, did not get up to speed. However, this is not an unusual sight in the first phase of the season, as the U21 teams face a major change every summer due to their age. It is therefore normal that the teams need some time to find each other and practice their automatisms. A good example is FC Luzern’s U21 team, which confidently triumphed in the Promotion League this summer and now sits at the bottom of midfield with an almost equal balance.

So if the U21 teams struggle over the course of the season, the relegation battle could really come to a head. Before the aforementioned trio at the bottom of the table are FC Bulle and the two ambitious clubs from Kriens and Rapperswil-Jona. While there is currently little evidence of a merger at the top, this is exactly what could happen in the battle to stay in the league. When everything comes closer together around the winter break, the cards will be completely reshuffled in the spring.

Source : Blick