Swiss

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.”

ACTOR Orlando Bloom is dating a Swiss model 21 years his junior.

The Pirates of the Caribbean star, 49, started seeing Luisa Laemmel, 28, last year after his split from singer Katy Perry.

Last week the couple enjoyed a mini-reak in Switzerland, along with Orlando’s pet dog, and the Brit is believed to have met some of Luisa’s pals and family.

They stayed in a luxury suite at the Dolder Grand in Zurich, where rooms cost up to £13,700 per night, as dad-of-two Orlando took part in a promotional event for Porsche.

They then spent the weekend at the five-star Bürgenstock on Lake Lucerne.

A source said: “Orlando and Luisa have been quietly seeing each other for several months.

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“They’ve become a proper little family unit and Orlando even flew his teacup poodle Biggie Smalls over for the trip. He is based in Los Angeles while she’s in New York, so they don’t get to see each other all the time. But they’re constantly in touch and there’s a real spark.”

The couple were first linked last month when they were seen leaving the Super Bowl arm-in-arm at Santa Clara, California.

Luisa has a degree in psychology and has worked for Calvin Klein, Maybelline and YSL Beauty.

Orlando and US pop star Katy, 41, split last year after nine years, and have a daughter Daisy, five.

Orlando also has a son, Flynn, 15, from his marriage to Australian model Miranda Kerr, 42.

A spokesperson for Luisa declined to comment, while reps for Orlando did not respond