Small but mighty: FC Biel makes sports history and advances to the cup final thanks to a 1-0 win against YB

Swiss club football has never offered anything like this. Because of this, the lower-league team had to endure and tremble in this memorable cup semifinal. Until the 120th minute, no, even until the 125th. At the end of extra time, the inevitable happened: YB equalized at 1-1 and gave in to excessive collective celebration.

But it wouldn't be this historic April 26, 2025, if the match, in front of 6,000 people in the Biel Stadium (a record crowd), didn't take another turn. It did, because the ball hit YB player Felix Tsimba's hand before he shot on goal. The video referee intervened, and the equalizer was disallowed.

Seconds later, the emotional dams break. FC Biel, the top club in the third-tier Promotion League, pulls off a small Seeland miracle with fighting spirit and a stroke of luck, joining forces to deny YB a place in the cup final, depriving them of the chance to salvage a somewhat disastrous season. FC Biel is at its best. They eliminated FC Lugano in the quarterfinals, and now YB. Never before has a club from this level reached a Swiss cup final.

This is a highlight in Biel's club history, alongside the distant 1947 championship title and the first appearance in the cup final in 1961. After the match, club president Dietmar Faes stands on the pitch, giving interview after interview, his voice growing increasingly hoarse. At this moment, he thinks "of the club, the city, the region, and Seeland," adding: "We fought – and were also lucky."

Naturally, the lower-league team relied on their luck, as they did at the same venue in the quarterfinals. Thanks to the video referee, a YB goal in the first half was disallowed for offside. In the 77th minute, YB player Kastriot Imeri was sent off for a foul. Significantly, this was YB's ninth sending-off this season.

Shortly before the end of extra time, Lukasz Lakomy hit the crossbar, and Chris Bedia missed the goal by centimeters. Then, as the culmination of the condensed YB mishap, came the scene involving Tsimba's hand.

Everything was going Biel's way, including the penalty that led to a 1-0 lead in the 99th minute. YB goalkeeper David von Ballmoos rushed out of the goal, hesitated, and slowed down, causing the onrushing Loïc Socka Bongué to take off and fly through the air. The referee later justified his actions by stating that he had a good view and "perceived and heard" contact.

Two things came together: the insecurity of David von Ballmoos, who has been demoted to second-choice goalie this season. And Bongué's aerial prowess and instinct. Malko Sartoretti converted the winning penalty.

In any case, Young Boys are confronted with fundamental issues after the biggest cup embarrassment in their history. The semifinal failure is another symbol of a season in which much has been lost. For example, the confidence and self-confidence of earlier days.

Afterwards, coach Giorgio Contini confronts the media with the obvious: that YB has been catapulted back into the realm of many questions. Missing the cup final in Biel? Impossible, really. But these days, it's not out of the question. Biel becomes a reminder of YB's unsatisfactory year.

To get to this point, FC Biel has to push itself to the limit. And that's exactly what it does. Frenchman Brian Beyer, now in Biel and one of the heroes of FC Yverdon-Sport's promotion in 2023, is substituted with leg cramps. Abdoulaye Coulibaly, the Frenchman whose sprint was at the root of YB's red card, grabs his thigh midway through extra time and is also taken off. As is the aerial artist Bongué a little later.

Biel's physical form is so fried at times that they seem to have one player less. And not YB. But as a team, they're staying in the game.

It's easy to see that the French help is elevating the team to a level that makes the cup final possible. In addition to the emotional powerhouse Beyer, this includes the players provided by partner club Clermont Foot 63: Coulibaly, Bongué, and especially midfielder Yann Massombo. The French network also includes the 35-year-old coach Samir Chaibeddra.

Like Clermont and Lustenau, Biel is owned by Core Sports Capital, a company run by Swiss football manager Ahmet Schaefer . While Schaefer's problems are piling up in Clermont-Ferrand and Lustenau, Biel offers a contrast, representing a unique highlight that will be talked about in the region for a long time to come.

The example of Biel impressively demonstrates what's possible in a niche market. Not with millions of dollars, but with some financial support that allows for a little extra cash. YB had a turnover of approximately CHF 80 million in 2024, while Biel had around CHF 1 million. Such comparisons should be treated with caution, because FC Biel actually has a larger budget.

The imaginatively cobbled-together wages of seasoned football professionals at the Promotion League level are a well-known practice. FC Biel is also partially funded directly by Core Sports Capital.

So, on Saturday, fairytales come true. "Bieu isch ä Cupmannschaft" (Biel is a cup team) is written in large letters in front of the Biel fan base. And at the start, the slogan is "Chline Verein, grossi Tröim" (Little club, big dreams). A trailer from the Swiss Football Association speaks of the "magic of the Swiss Cup," of the little teams putting the big teams under pressure. Often enough, it's the other way around. "Highway to Hell" blares from the stadium loudspeakers. At the end, as FC Biel celebrates until they're hoarse, the inevitable "We Are the Champions" follows. It's not that far yet.

For Core Sports Capital, the most important thing is that Biel be promoted to the Challenge League and become more attractive for players (and transfers). Schaefer hinted at this. When President Faes and Sporting Director Oliver Zesiger were asked about this late Saturday evening amidst Biel's celebratory celebrations, they responded in unison: "He's right."

The cup final isn't bad either—a lucrative PR coup. But it absorbs energy and doesn't make the promotion effort any easier.