Why are they called Young Boys? Team name of Swiss club in UEFA Champions League explained

BSC Young Boys are back in the Champions League, drawn in Group G alongside reigning champions Manchester City, RB Leipzig, and Red Star Belgrade.

The Swiss side come from the capital of Bern and have a notable history in UEFA competitions. They made their debut in UEFA tournaments back in 1957, following their title win in the 1956/57 Swiss League, which secured their spot in the prestigious European Cup.

The pinnacle of their history in Europe came in the 1958/59 European Cup, where they reached the semifinals. However, their remarkable run was ended by Reims, and they have never managed to emulate it since.

The dominant side in Switzerland in recent seasons, having won four of the past five Super League titles, Young Boys famously beat Manchester United 2-1 in the group stages of the Champions League in 2021 in a game that had Cristiano Ronaldo on the scoresheet.

Man City are likely to provide a sterner test, although Young Boys have proved that it's unwise to underestimate them. But how did they get their unusual team name? And is there an Old Boys, too?

 UEFA Champions League group stage standings, results, schedule, and fixtures

As one of the most prominent clubs in Swiss football, BSC Young Boys' name intrigues fans worldwide. They are one of the oldest teams in Switzerland and have won the Swiss Super League 16 times overall, including in five of the past six seasons.

The club's name dates back to the late 19th century when they were founded by four students: Max Schwab, Hermann Bauer, Franz Kehrli, and Oskar Schwab. Given their ages, they called themselves FC Young Boys.

They played their first match on June 17, 1898 against FC Viktoria. Initially competing as a student team of FC Bern, there was an acrimonious split