The 1997–98 season was FC Aarau's 95th season in their existence, since their foundation in 1902. It was their sixteenth season in the top flight of Swiss football, following their promotion at the end of 1980–81 season. FCA played their home games in the Stadion Brügglifeld and the stadium is located on the southern outskirts of Aarau, in the territory of the neighboring municipality of Suhr. It is about one and a half kilometers from Aarau city center and the railway station.
Overview The local businessman and architect Ernst Lämmli was the club's chairman and patron at this time. He held this position since the AGM in 1989. Lämmli extended the contract with Martin Trümpler as head-coach and Trümpler continued into his third season in this position with the club..
The FCA first team competed in this season's domestic first-tier 1997–98 Nationalliga A with the clear intention of reaching the championship group and again to qualify for the European competitions. To achieve this would mean they would have to finish the qualifying stage under the top eight teams. The team also competed in the 1997–98 Swiss Cup. The FCA team had ended the previous season in fifth position and so had not qualified for the European competitions, but they did enter the 1997 UEFA Intertoto Cup.
Players The following is the list of the FCA first team squad this season. It also includes players that were in the squad the day the domestic league season started, on 5 July 1997, but subsequently left the club after that date.
Players who left the squad The following is the list of the FCZ first team players that left the squad during the previous season or in the off-season, before the new domestic season began.
Results Legend
Nationalliga A
Qualification phase The first stage of the NLA began on 5 July 1997 and was completed on 7 December. The top eight teams in the qualification phase would advance to the championship group and the last four teams would play against relegation.
Qualification table
Championship group The first eight teams of the qualification phase competed in the Championship round. The teams took half of the points (rounded up to complete units) gained in the qualification as bonus with them. The championship phase began on 1 March 1998 and was completed on 23 May.
Final league table
Grasshopper Club won the league championship and this was the 25th championship win for GC in the club's history.
Swiss Cup
The Cup competition began on 3, 6, 7 and 8 August 1997 with the first games of the first Round and ended on 1 June 1998 with the final, which was held at the former Wankdorf in Bern. The Cup winners earned a place in the qualifying round of the Cup Winners' Cup. The first-tier clubs from the 1997–98 Nationalliga A were granted byes for the first four rounds, they joined the competition in the fifth round. The first-tier teams were seeded and cound not be drawn against each other. The draw respected regionalities, when possible, and the lower classed team was granted home advantage.
At the end of the season Lausanne-Sport won the cup and this was the 8th cup title for LS to that date.
Intertoto Cup
The Intertoto Cup was played by 60 teams. The first stage was played as a group stage, there were twelve groups, with each five teams that played a single round robin. The group winners continued in a knock out stage, with six semi-finals and three finals. The three winners were qualified for the 1997–98 UEFA Cup.
Group 4 Aarau were assigned to group 4 and they were rested on matchday 4.
Group table
The 1997 UEFA Intertoto Cup finals were won by three French teams Lyon, Bastia, and Auxerre. All three teams advanced to the UEFA Cup.
References
Sources Switzerland 1997–98 at RSSSF FCA squad 1997–98 at arowa.ch