Young Boys have established themselves as the country's second-best side over the recent years and this was the third consecutive season which they ended in second. It was the most boring league campaign that the Berners have had in years, as it was obvious from very early on that they could not compete with Basel for the title, but they also built up a lead over the chasing pack relatively early and it was always obvious that they would finish second.
The most memorable feat of their season was knocking out Shakhtar Donetsk in a Champions League qualifiers tie, but they failed to reach the group stage of the competition after losing to Borussia Monchengladbach in the Play-off round. They went on to have a decent Europa League group stage campaign but failed to reach the knock-out despite finishing level on points with Olympiacos and having a superior goal-difference, as the Greek champions bettered them in their head-to-head clashes. The only truly big disappointment for the Berners this season was the manner in which they exited the Swiss Cup. They made a habit out of losing to inferior sides in the competition this season, with Winterthur knocking them out this time around.
Apart from the habitually excellent Guillaume Hoarau, players such as Miralem Sulejmani and Yoric Ravet have had excellent seasons, while the Berners' fans can be very excited about the emergence of Kevin Mbabu, as well as about winter signing Roger Assale, who had disciplinary problems since joining but has been excellent when available, with his movement and talent bringing comparisons with his Ivorian compatriot Seydou Doumbia, who also started his European career at Young Boys.
All in all, the Berners are definitely a well-run club and will look towards the upcoming season with optimism. Whether or not they can catch Basel, of course, is the big question.
