Thun’s story provides a timely reminder that at football’s core are people, connection and emotion.
Lustrinelli knows this better than most. Months after scoring 20 goals in 30 league games during that historic 2004-05 campaign, he became a club legend by scoring twice as Thun defeated Sweden’s Malmo in the Champions League play-offs to reach the group stage.
“When I came back to Thun, the possibility to live one more time something special was in my head and my heart,” Lustrinelli said.
“My mission is to help this club, the players, to reach something special and historical. To go to the glory. But it’s not just a mission, it’s a joy.”
If he and his players finish the job, it would sit alongside the underdog triumphs of Kaiserslautern in 1997-98, Leicester in 2015-16 and Sweden’s Mjallby in 2025.
“History tells us sometimes crazy things happen in football,” added Lustrinelli.
“Some value is not with money. For the future it’s important that you can have something good without money.
“One of the most beautiful things we can do is show the world there are crazy moments, and for the kids in the stadium, so that they can hope to become footballers in the future and give emotions.”
The traditional title contenders can’t begrudge Thun their moment in the spotlight, either.
“That’s why we love football, because it has its own rules, and stories like this go around the world. All of Switzerland is happy for FC Thun,” said Young Boys and former Thun winger Christian Fassnacht.
It looks like football history is about to be written. But will the heroes on the pitch join their president in the lake?
“That’s the smallest thing we would do,” said captain Burki.
“I cannot speak for everyone, but I think they have no other choice.”