The 1996–97 season was FC Aarau's 94th season in their existence, since their foundation in 1902. It was their fifteenth 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 had appointed Martin Trümpler as head-coach for the previous season and Trümpler continued in this position for this season.
The FCA first team competed in this season's domestic first-tier 1996–97 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 1996–97 Swiss Cup. The FCA team had ended the previous season in fourth position and because the Swiss Cup winners, Sion, had finished in second position in the league table, the fourth league position was a slot that qualified them to play in the 1996–97 UEFA Cup. Further, as title holders of the pre-season Sempione-Cup, FCA also entered this year's edition of this competition.
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 10 July 1996, 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 10 July 1996 and was completed on 1 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 group started on 2 March 1997 and was completed on 4 June.
Final league table
Sion won the league championship and this was their second championship win the club's history.
Swiss Cup
The first-tier clubs from the 1994–95 NLA were granted byes for the first two rounds, eight of these teams joined the competition in the third round. The four clubs that were competing in the UEFA European competitions, Grasshopper Club (1996–97 Champions League), Xamax, Aarau (both 1996–97 UEFA Cup) and Sion (1996–97 Cup Winners' Cup) were granted byes for the third round as well and entered the competition in the fourth round. The eight participating 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.
Sion won the cup and this was the club's ninth cup title to this date and their third cup win in succession. Because they had secured the league championship just a few days earlier, they had completed the domestic double for the first time in the club's history.
UEFA Cup
Qualifying round
First round
German side Schalke 04, who beat Internazionale of Italy on penalties after the two-legged final finished 1–1 on aggregate, became winners of the 26th UEFA Cup competition.
Sempione Cup
Aarau won the Sempione Cup for the third time in a row.
References
Sources Switzerland 1996–97 at RSSSF FCA squad 1996–97 at arowa.ch