FC Lausanne-Sport

19th century

The club was founded in 1896 under the name of Montriond Lausanne. However, the Lausanne Football and Cricket Club was established in 1860, believed to be the oldest football club on the European continent by some historians.

20th century

The club took the name Lausanne-Sports FC in 1920 after the football section merged with the Club Hygiénique de Lausanne, a physical education club. The end of the 1950s and the whole of the 1960s were among the club's finest times. LS won the Swiss Cup twice (1962 and 1964), lost an additional Swiss Cup final to Basel by forfeit, won the Swiss championship (1965) and was runner-up four times (1961, 1962, 1963), as well as in 1969. The year 1965 was the year of the 7th and last Swiss championship title. It was probably the most successful, earning its protagonists the nickname of "Lords of the Night", a reference to some enchanting evenings. Since the advent of the floodlights in the new stadium, the matches have mainly taken place in the evenings which was at the time a unique feature.

21st century

After the 2001–02 season, Lausanne-Sports were relegated because the club did not obtain a first level license for the 2002–03 season. Following the 2002–03 season in the second division, Lausanne-Sports FC were again relegated due to bankruptcy. They were reformed as FC Lausanne-Sport for the 2003–04 season and had to begin play at the fourth tier. The team was promoted in consecutive seasons from the fourth division after the 2003–04 season and the third division after the 2004–05 season. After an additional six years in the second tier of Swiss football, the club was promoted to the Super League for the 2011–12 season for a three-season stay before being relegated in 2014. After two seasons in the second tier the team was promoted for a two-season stay in the top division in 2016 and survived relegation in their first season before being relegated back to the second tier again in 2018. Now somewhat of a yo-yo club the team were promoted to the top tier again in 2020.

Lausanne-Sport qualified for the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League after they reached the 2010 Swiss Cup final against Champions League-qualified Basel. In the 2010–11 Europa League, while still playing in the second tier Challenge League, they performed a shock getting to the group stages beating favourites Lokomotiv Moscow on the way.

Lausanne-Sport were relegated to the Swiss Challenge League at the end of the 2013–14 Swiss Super League season.^[1] Two years later, they finished first in the 2015–16 Swiss Challenge League, which promoted them back to the top tier of Swiss football for the 2016–17 season.^[2]

On 13 November 2017, the club was acquired by Ineos, a Swiss-based British petrochemicals company owned by Jim Ratcliffe, the nation's wealthiest person.^[3] The first transfer under the new ownership was that of Enzo Fernández, son of Zinedine Zidane.^[4] However, the season ended with relegation. Ratcliffe's brother Bob became club president in March 2019.^[5] The club won promotion back to the top flight as champions of the 2019–20 Swiss Challenge League.^[6] On 27 May 2023, Lausanne-Sport secure promotion to Super League from 2023 to 2024 after draw 2–2 against FC Aarau, finished in runner-up and return to top tier after one-year absence.^[7] They currently sit 10th place in the Swiss Super League after recently losing out 1-0 to Servette.

League

• Ligue Nationale A/Super League
  • Winners (7): 1912–13, 1931–32, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1943–44, 1950–51, 1964–65
  • Runners-up (8): 1946–47, 1954–55, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1989–90, 1999–2000
• Ligue Nationale B/Challenge League
  • Winners (4): 1931–32, 2010–11, 2015–16, 2019–20
  • Runners-up (1): 2022–23
• 1. Liga Promotion
  • Winners: 2004–05
• 1. Liga Classic
  • Winners: 2003–04

Cups

• Swiss Cup
  • Winners (9): 1934–35, 1938–39, 1943–44, 1949–50, 1961–62, 1963–64, 1980–81, 1997–98, 1998–99
  • Runners-up (8): 1936–37, 1945–46, 1946–47, 1956–57, 1966–67, 1983–84, 1999–2000, 2009–10
• Swiss League Cup
  • Runners-up: 1980–81

Current squad

As of 16 October 2024^[8]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

More information No., Pos. ...

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  SUI Thomas Castella (vice-captain) 5 MF  FRA Koba Koindredi (on loan from Sporting CP) 6 DF  BEL Noë Dussenne 7 FW  KOS Alban Ajdini 8 MF  SWE Jamie Roche 9 FW  SEN Mamadou Kaly Sène 10 MF  SUI Olivier Custodio (captain) 11 FW  MLI Fousseni Diabaté 14 DF  FRA Kévin Mouanga 17 FW  CIV Seydou Traoré 18 DF  CGO Morgan Poaty 20 DF  FRA Hamza Abdallah 21 MF  POR Diogo Carraco 23 FW  USA Konrad de la Fuente

No. Pos. Nation Player 24 MF  FRA Antoine Bernède 25 GK  CRO Karlo Letica 30 MF  ITA Simone Pafundi (on loan from Udinese) 34 DF  SUI Raoul Giger 39 FW  ARG Fabricio Oviedo (on loan from Rosario Central) 43 MF  AUT Manuel Polster 44 DF  SUI Dircssi Ngonzo 71 DF  SUI Karim Sow 80 MF  SUI Alvyn Sanches 92 FW  FRA Teddy Okou (on loan from Luzern) 93 DF  FRA Sekou Fofana 94 GK  SUI Tim Hottiger 99 MF  ENG Trae Coyle

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Other players under contract

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

More information No., Pos. ...

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  FRA Maxen Kapo

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Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

More information No., Pos. ...

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  FRA Melvin Mastil (at Nyon until 30 June 2025) — MF  SUI Amin Hajoubi (at Biel-Bienne until 30 June 2025) — MF  SUI Joël Mandaka (at Bavois until 30 June 2025)

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  SEN Souleymane N'Diaye (at Nyon until 30 June 2025) — MF  SUI Mayka Okuka (at Stade Lausanne until 30 June 2025) — FW  SUI Malko Sartoretti (at Biel-Bienne until 30 June 2025)

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