FC United Zürich
{{short description|Association football club in Switzerland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox football club
|clubname = United Zürich
|nickname =
|ground = Sportzentrum Buchlern
|capacity = 1,150
|season = 2020–21
|current =
|image = Logo of Swiss association football club FC United Zürich.png
|fullname = Fussballclub United Zürich
|founded = {{Start date and age|df=y|1985}}, as FC Fenerbahce Zürich.
{{Start date and age|df=y|2010}}, as FC United Zürich.
|owner =
|chairman = Ali Gibreil Musa
|chrtitle = President
|manager = Kustrim Dzaferi
|league = 2. Liga
|position =
|website =
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| pattern_b1 = _lightbluestripes
| pattern_ra1 = _blackborder
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FC United Zürich is a Swiss Association football club based in Zürich, Switzerland, that competes in the 3. Liga, the seventh tier of Swiss football. Founded in 1985, the club has never played higher than the Third tier.
History
On 1 July 1985, the club was founded by members of the Turkish community in Zürich as FC Fenerbahce Zürich, named after Fenerbahce SK.{{cite web |url=https://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/zuerich/aus-fenerbahce-wird-united-zuerich/story/18935157 |title=Fenerbahce becomes United Zurich |language=de |first=David |last=Schweizer |date=6 November 2009 |accessdate=28 January 2021}}
In 2008, while in a relegation battle in the eighth division, the club was brought by Orhan Yilmaz and Bernhard Fanger with the aim of rebuilding the club. And making it more multi-national.{{cite web |url=http://www.limmattalerzeitung.ch/sport/limmattal/es-ist-nicht-wahr-dass-bernhard-fanger-verhaftet-wurde-128705896 |title=It is not true that Bernhard Fanger was arrested |publisher=Limmattaler Zeitung |first=Raphael |last=Biermayr |date=4 January 2015 |accessdate=28 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518094405/http://www.limmattalerzeitung.ch/sport/limmattal/es-ist-nicht-wahr-dass-bernhard-fanger-verhaftet-wurde-128705896 |archive-date=18 May 2015 |language=de}} On 18 March 2010, as part of the rebranding, the club's name was changed from FC Fenerbahce Zürich to FC United Zürich.{{cite web |url=http://www.zwoelf.ch/zwlf-28_02/ |title=The Incomprehensible |work=Zwolf |first=Nik |last=Lütjens |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518085015/http://www.zwoelf.ch/zwlf-28_02/ |archive-date=18 May 2015 |accessdate=28 January 2021}} Domestically, the club's form improved with consecutive 1st place promotions taking them to the sixth tier. The club very nearly achieved triple promotion, finishing 2nd in their first season.
In 2012 the club achieved promotion to the fifth tier. The club started the 2015–16 season with a strong squad, including former professionals like Savvas Exouzidis and Thomas Weller at the end of the season the club was third and qualified for the promotion playoffs. They defeated FC Stade Lausanne Ouchy to reach the finals but lost 1–3 to FC La Chaux-de-Fonds. However, La Chaux went bankrupt and were unable to move up the division, so a single play-off match between Zürich and the other losing finalist, FC Baden, was announced. Zürich won 2–0 and so were promoted to the third tier, having risen 6 divisions in 7 years.{{cite news|title=Der nächste Aufstieg des FC United Zürich|url=https://www.regional-fussball.ch/spielberichte/item/2973-der-naechste-aufstieg-des-fc-united-zuerich|accessdate=30 January 2021|publisher=regional-fussball.ch|date=17 June 2016|language=German}} In the resulting mania, the club was linked with signing Ronaldo and Rivaldo. Neither of which materialized.{{cite news |url=https://www.20min.ch/story/ronaldo-und-rivaldo-zu-zuerich-united-369320847562 |title=Ronaldo and Rivaldo to Zurich United? (translation) |publisher=20min.ch |accessdate=30 January 2021}}
In December 2016, shortly after promotion, Piero Bauert became the club's president.{{Cite web |url=https://www.regional-fussball.ch/item/3344-eine-neue-fuehrung-fuer-united-zuerich |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161210045156/https://www.regional-fussball.ch/item/3344-eine-neue-fuehrung-fuer-united-zuerich |archive-date=10 December 2016 |title=New leader for Zurich United (translated) |language=de |website=Regional fussball.ch |accessdate=30 January 2021}} And made major changes to the team, replacing the coach and much of the squad, The team finished in the relegation zone for in their first season and were only saved by the withdrawal of FC Le Mont from the 4th division, removing the second demotion spot. Following this, Bauert resigned and players union SAFP took over.{{cite web |url=https://www.regional-fussball.ch/ligen/1liga/item/3703-united-zuerich-bleibt-in-der-promotion-league |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170817111309/https://www.regional-fussball.ch/ligen/1liga/item/3703-united-zuerich-bleibt-in-der-promotion-league |archive-date=17 August 2017 |title=United Zürich stay in the Promotion League |accessdate=30 January 2021}} It was a disaster, with double relegations seeing the club down to the 5th tier.{{cite web |url=https://www.el-pl.ch/fr/premiere-ligue/premiere-ligue-promotion/competition-premiere-ligue-promotion.aspx/oid-3/s-2018/ |title=Erste Liga |language=fr |website=el-pl.ch |accessdate=30 January 2021}} In 2019, another change of ownership saw Ali Gibreil Musa become the new owner, promising re-establishment. When the 2019–20 season was halted due to COVID, the club was sitting bottom of the 2. Liga Interregional but were saved from relegation by the abandonment of the season.
Honours
- 4. Liga
::Winners: 2008–09
- 3. Liga
::Winners: 2009–10
::Winners: 2011–12
::Winners: 2014–15
Season to season
| valign="top" width=0%|
{| class="wikitable" |
| style="background:#f0f6fa;"
!Season !Tier !Division !Place |
| style="background:#77DD77;"|2007–08
|style="background:#77DD77;"|8 |style="background:#77DD77;"|4. Liga |style="background:#77DD77;"|9th |
| style="background:#77DD77;"|2008–09
|style="background:#77DD77;"|8 |style="background:#77DD77;"|4. Liga |style="background:#77DD77;"|1st |
| style="background:#25A8F9;"|2009–10
|style="background:#25A8F9;"|7 |style="background:#25A8F9;"|3. Liga |style="background:#25A8F9;"|1st |
| style="background:#CECE1B;"|2010–11
|style="background:#CECE1B;"|6 |style="background:#CECE1B;"|2. Liga |style="background:#CECE1B;"|2nd |
| style="background:#CECE1B;"|2011–12
|style="background:#CECE1B;"|6 |style="background:#CECE1B;"|2. Liga |style="background:#CECE1B;"|1st |
| style="background:#FF7F00;"|2012–13
|style="background:#FF7F00;"|5 |style="background:#FF7F00;"|2. Liga Interregional |style="background:#FF7F00;"|5th |
| style="background:#FF7F00;"|2013–14
|style="background:#FF7F00;"|5 |style="background:#FF7F00;"|2. Liga Interregional |style="background:#FF7F00;"|6th |
| style="background:#FF7F00;"|2014–15
|style="background:#FF7F00;"|5 |style="background:#FF7F00;"|2. Liga Interregional |style="background:#FF7F00;"|1st |
| style="background:#BF8D5B;"|2015–16
|style="background:#BF8D5B;"|4 |style="background:#BF8D5B;"|1. Liga |style="background:#BF8D5B;"|3rd |
| style="background:#EBC79E;"|2016–17
|style="background:#EBC79E;"|3 |style="background:#EBC79E;"|Promotion League |style="background:#EBC79E;"|15th |
| style="background:#EBC79E;"|2017–18
|style="background:#EBC79E;"|3 |style="background:#EBC79E;"|Promotion League |style="background:#EBC79E;"|16th |
| style="background:#BF8D5B;"|2018–19
|style="background:#BF8D5B;"|4 |style="background:#BF8D5B;"|1. Liga |style="background:#BF8D5B;"|14th |
| style="background:#FF7F00;"|2019–20
|style="background:#FF7F00;"|5 |style="background:#FF7F00;"|2. Liga Interregional |style="background:#FF7F00;"|14th |
| style="background:#FF7F00;"|2020–21
|style="background:#FF7F00;"|5 |style="background:#FF7F00;"|2. Liga Interregional |style="background:#FF7F00;"|13th |
| style="background:#CECE1B;"|2021–22
|style="background:#CECE1B;"|6 |style="background:#CECE1B;"|2. Liga |style="background:#CECE1B;"|13th |
| style="background:#25A8F9;"|2022–23
|style="background:#25A8F9;"|7 |style="background:#25A8F9;"|3. Liga |style="background:#25A8F9;"|10th |
| style="background:#25A8F9;"|2023–24
|style="background:#25A8F9;"|7 |style="background:#25A8F9;"|3. Liga |style="background:#25A8F9;"| |
|}
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:United Zurich}}
Category:Football clubs in Switzerland
Category:Association football clubs established in 1985