Swiss title winner Thun sells top prospect to Genoa before Champions League qualifiers

GENOA, Italy — Surprise Swiss champion Thun already saw its coach leave for Germany and on Wednesday sold its top prospect to Genoa ahead of playing in Champions League qualifying rounds.

Genoa said it signed Switzerland Under-21 midfielder Ethan Meichtry to a multi-year contract.

Neither the Serie A club nor Thun revealed the transfer fee which was reportedly an initial 4 million euros ($4.6 million). Thun said in a statement the deal was confirmation of its philosophy to develop young talent.

Meichtry, who turns 21 next week, scored eight goals in the Swiss league last season as newly promoted Thun shockingly eased to its first title in the club’s 128-year history.

Coach Mauro Lustrinelli then left to join Union Berlin in the Bundesliga, and was replaced by Gian-Luca Privitelli, who previously coached Meichtry in the Swiss Under-20 team.

Thun starts in the Champions League second qualifying round against Dinamo Zagreb on July 21 or 22. The first leg is at home and the return is in Croatia one week later.

Unheralded teams which qualified for the next Champions League have found it tough to retain the people who got them there.

French league runner-up Lens saw coach Pierre Sage leave for Crystal Palace, the Conference League winner. Scotland's Heart of Midlothian lost the title in a dramatic last-game defeat at Celtic then saw coach Derek McInnes and captain Lawrence Shankland both join Rangers.