Michael Lang returns to Eastern Switzerland and becomes FC Wil sports director

They can keep secrets to themselves at FC Wil. Four years ago, Alex Frei suddenly sat at the table at a media conference in the Bergholz Stadium and was introduced as the new coach of the Challenge League club. Nobody had heard any rumors before. This time another former national and FC Basel player is taking part in the FC Wil media conference that was arranged at short notice: Michael Lang.

The 33-year-old from Eastern Switzerland, who has left a big mark on national and international football, will become head of sports. And this time too, no one expected this news. “I didn’t even tell my best colleagues about this,” says Jan Breitenmoser, the current sports director, who is stepping down from his position next summer because it is time for a new challenge and who will then be handed over to Lang.

The speculation that arose after the invitation to the media meeting and that matured into the idea that FC Wil could put its business back in the hands of an investor was quickly put to rest. Making Lang head of sport fits in with FC Wil’s long-term, regionally based strategy, says President Maurice Weber.

Fabian Schär knocked, Lang soon agreed

This regional strategy also includes Fabian Schär, the original Wiler, who defends at Newcastle and is on the board of directors of FC Wil. It was he who dialed full-back Lang’s phone number in August because the Egnacher had been chosen as the preferred candidate at the Challenge League club.

At that time, during the telephone conversation, it was still unclear to Lang whether his active football career would perhaps go a little further. After his last, difficult months at FC Basel, when he was treated more like an old hand than an important veteran, he was without a club in the summer, but was under discussion at other Super League clubs. Lang turned down offers, as he says. “I would have continued playing if something really attractive had come along,” he also thinks of an adventure abroad, for example. But he didn’t want to “choke” his career, as he says. Because in the best case scenario, a footballer chooses for himself whether he wants to quit.

And so the conversation with Schär initiated “a short decision-making process.” “I was enthusiastic about the idea because it was also right on an interpersonal level, as the following meetings showed.” Lang speaks of the same “values ​​compass,” the popular term in these situations. After years in Basel, the quiet environment seemed to draw him in.

Lang convincingly brings experience from the world of football. His start in professional football brought disappointment when he was relegated with FC St. Gallen in 2011. Via GC he went to FC Basel, where he experienced brilliant moments in the 2017/18 Champions League season with two winning goals against Manchester City and Manchester United. Three years followed in the Bundesliga, including for Mönchengladbach. The Swiss selection has made 31 appearances, four times at the 2014 and 2018 World Cups.

“I wouldn’t have taken over directly,” says Lang

Despite all these memories, he lacks experience as a sports director. “If it had been a question of joining straight away, I wouldn’t have said yes,” says Lang. But he will grow into the role of sports director alongside Breitenmoser by the end of June 2025. “There was a reason why I agreed,” says Lang. He sees himself as a learner here, but he already brings a lot with him: He knows the laws of football in the country. He knows what makes a good team. He brings with him a name and a good reputation that will help him in his work. And he “works very analytically,” as Weber adds. The Wiler president speaks of a “best case”.

A lot of things fit together for Lang on a personal level: the man from Egnach has moved the center of his life with his family and children to St. Gallen anyway. And he will quickly feel at home in the Wil area. Lang is on the field at FC St. Gallen with coach Marco Hämmerli and assistant Philipp Muntwiler.

Weber: “Maybe we can help St.Gallen win the title.”

Where Breitenmoser will go next summer remains to be seen. But he will probably remain loyal to football. He took his first steps at FC Wil after the club was abandoned by Turkish investor Mehmet Nazif Günal in 2017. In 2019 he became sports coordinator and in 2021 sports director.

With a modest Challenge League budget, he halves his efforts to keep FC Wil on track and even quickly lead them into the Super League in 2023. Kwadwo Duah and Filip Stojilkovic came through FC Wil under Breitenmoser. And loan players often helped out, like promoted goalie Philipp Köhn or those from FC Zurich like Fabian Rohner, Bledian Krasniqi or Silvan Wallner. This player lists President Weber to illustrate Breitenmoser’s services. Recently, the collaboration with FC St.Gallen has also become good, close and professional. (Weber emphasizes: The fact that this didn’t happen earlier has nothing to do with Breitenmoser, but rather with changes in FC St. Gallen.) It is precisely this cooperation that will also be carried out with the former FC St. Gallen Junior Lang further strengthened. «Zurich became champions in 2022 with many Wil players. “Maybe one day we can help FC St. Gallen become champions,” says Weber.