Aarau facing extinction threat

Swiss club FC Aarau have revealed they could fold on 19 December, 100 years after they were founded, unless €1,8m can be found.

Supporters told
Club president Michael Hunziker told supporters at a public meeting today that the club need to restructure and become a limited company to avoid going out of business. Aarau, bottom of the 12-team Nationalliga A, need to finance a move to a new home and clear debts by the floating of 'FC Aarau AG', as the company would be known.

Counting on others
"FC Aarau has put Aarau, the canton of Aargau and the adjacent regions on the sporting map of Switzerland," Hunziker said. "We hope we can count now on the solidarity of others. If we succeed FC Aarau will have a healthy core. It is in the interests of the whole of Swiss football that we remain a part of the Nationalliga."

Promoted this season
Aarau were promoted to the Nationalliga this season following the demotion of FC Lugano, FC Sion and Lausanne-Sports because of fears over their financial stability. But Aarau have struggled in their first season back in the top flight and prop up the table with only 12 points from their opening 18 games.