Those in charge in Bern felt that Young Boys’ performances so far this season had been too inconsistent. On Friday, they pulled the plug and sacked coach Giorgio Contini. A successor was quickly found in Gerardo Seoane.
Giorgio Contini is no longer coach of BSC Young Boys. The coach was relieved of his duties on Friday with immediate effect. His successor is Gerardo Seoane, who was still coaching Borussia Mönchengladbach until mid-September. The 47-year-old, who won three Swiss championships and one cup title with the Bernese between 2018 and 2021 and also reached the Champions League, has been given a contract until summer 2028. Seoane was the ideal solution, says former Bundesliga pro Christoph Spycher (Eintracht Frankfurt), YB’s chief sports officer. “It is of great significance for us that we have succeeded in signing Gerry Seoane. With him, a new cycle begins, even though we do not expect miracles and are aware that we are in a delicate situation.”
After eleven rounds, YB is currently only in fifth place in the Super League, clearly lagging behind its own expectations.
The team’s large fluctuations in performance in recent weeks and months, as well as its lack of sporting development, proved to be Contini’s undoing on Friday morning. The 51-year-old, previously part of the Swiss national team’s coaching staff, took over the Bernese team in December 2024, led them to the Championship Group, and secured qualification for the Europa League.
His dismissal had been in the air for some time during the current season, and the wild 3-3 draw at Letzigrund on Thursday evening finally proved to be the last straw.
“Overall, we lacked consistency in our sporting performances,” explained Spycher. “After what we thought was a step forward, we were repeatedly thrown back and had to endure some heavy setbacks. For this reason, after Thursday’s game in Zurich against GC, we came to the conclusion that, in this constellation, there is no longer any belief in sustainable improvements.”
Seoane is now expected to provide new impetus. “He has a clear vision, is a competitive type and will drive forward the changes in our team,” Spycher is certain. The 47-year-old also emphasizes: “With Gerry as head coach, we are striving for the continuity that we have lacked in this position recently.” YB is pursuing “a long-term project” with Seoane.
Return triggers positive emotions for Seoane
Seoane himself is delighted to be returning to Bern: “YB is a very special club for me. After the very successful period between 2018 and 2021, I never lost touch with many people at the club. And when the opportunity arose to return to YB, it triggered positive emotions in me. A whole new task now awaits us, which will involve a lot of work above all.”
On Sunday, the Swiss player will play his first game with his new team. It will be no easy task against FC Basel.