At the 50th Swiss Women’s Cup final, Servette Chênois defeated BSC Young Boys 1:0. In front of 7587 enthusiastic spectators in Winterthur, Paula Serrano decided the match after fifty minutes. The large crowd clearly showed how much women’s football in Switzerland is gaining importance and appeal.
The roles of favourite and underdog were clearly defined in the decisive match on March 29. Servette currently leads the Women’s Super League table by a wide margin. In 17 games, the Geneva side has conceded only four goals while scoring 42. The Bernese team, in second place, is already 14 points behind. Moreover, YB had not won any of the last 20 encounters between the two sides, with their last victory against Geneva almost seven years ago.
Nevertheless, Servette did not dominate the match as expected. On the contrary, in the opening minutes, the team under Imke Wübbenhorst, driven by their many travelling fans, looked the stronger side. About a third of the crowd at the Schützenwiese wore black and yellow. With a club-organised special train, YB went to great lengths to bring their supporters to Eulach City, while only a small number of fans travelled from the Romandy region. Despite a determined performance, the Bernese were unable to find a way past Servette goalkeeper Salon Marcuello.
After a first half with few scoring chances, Servette struck immediately after the break and took control of the game. In the 50th minute, after a free kick by Daina Bourma, Serrano was left unmarked and scored from close range, guiding the ball into the net with her shoulder rather than her head to make it 1:0. Despite generally solid defensive work, YB could not prevent the goal. Only a few minutes later, Therese Simonsson came close to making it 2:0. Encouraged by the loud support from their fans, the Bernese increased the pressure once again and repeatedly pushed forward. Clear scoring opportunities, however, remained rare, as Cristian Toro’s team dropped deeper and calmly saw out the match, securing their third consecutive Cup title after their triumphs in 2023 and 2024.
Accordingly, the disappointment at YB was evident after the final whistle. “We deserved it more. The girls executed the game plan well and did exactly what we wanted, engaged in the duels, and kept the opponent on the outside,” Wübbenhorst said to SRF after the match.
Servette had already defeated YB in the Cup final in 2025 and taken the trophy home. Yet even though the Bernese once again came away empty-handed, this final carries significance from another perspective. Not least thanks to their commitment, more people than had been seen for a long time gathered at the Schützenwiese on this rainy Sunday. The fans turned what was at times a rather slow game into a lively event for all ages. Clubs like BSC YB play an important role in pushing women’s football forward in Switzerland. For the first time in Swiss women’s football, a special train was organised for a Cup final. “YB has set a statement with this,” said Bernese midfielder Noa Linn Münger to SRF, acknowledging her club’s efforts. Even though the attendance does not come close to the roughly 60’000 at this week’s Women’s Champions League clash between Barcelona and Real Madrid at Camp Nou, it is clear that enthusiasm for women’s football is also growing strongly in Switzerland.
The final in Winterthur showed that Swiss women’s football is gaining momentum both on and off the pitch. Even if the title once again goes to Geneva, part of this success belongs to the Bernese, whose commitment has sent a strong signal for the future.
