Fussballclub Zürich, commonly abbreviated to FC Zürich or simply FCZ, is a Swiss
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
club based in
Zürich
Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...
. The club was founded in 1896 and has won the
Swiss Super League
The Swiss Super League (known as the Credit Suisse Super League for sponsorship reasons) is a Swiss professional league in the top tier of the Swiss football league system and has been played in its current format since the 2003–04 season ...
13 times and the
Swiss Cup
The Swiss Cup (; ; ; ) is a football cup tournament that has been organised annually since 1925–26 by the Swiss Football Association. Since 1999 the winner earns the chance to qualify for the UEFA Europa League or the UEFA Europa Conference L ...
10 times. The most recent titles are the 2022 Swiss Super League and the 2018 Swiss Cup. The club plays its home games at the Letzigrund, which reaches a capacity of 26,000 spectators for league games.
FC Zürich is the only Swiss team to have reached the semi-finals of the
European Cup
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
more than once. This happened in 1964 and 1977, when the competition was played in its original format.
The women's department features a 1st team playing in the Swiss Women's Super League, the only existing women's U21 team in Switzerland (competing in the top ranks of second tier Nationalliga B), and furthermore a U19, U17, U15 and U14 team. The U17, U15 and U14 teams compete in junior leagues against boys teams. The FC Zürich women's teams roots originate in the first Swiss women's football club DFC Zürich and it is with 22 championship titles and multiple Champions League participations the most successful of Switzerland.
History
1896–1924
The club was founded in summer 1896 by former members of the two local clubs FC Turicum and FC Excelsior. Later, the official founding date was set at 1 August 1896. One of the founding members was the later
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football.
Founded ...
founder,
Joan Gamper
Hans Max Gamper-Haessig (; 22 November 1877 – 30 July 1930), commonly known as Joan Gamper (), was a Swiss-born football executive and versatile athlete. He founded football clubs in Switzerland and Spain, most notably FC Barcelona and FC Zür ...
, coaching and playing for FC Excelsior and its successor from 1894 to 1897. The new club played its first game on 30 August 1896 on Velorennbahn Hardau in Zürich against FC Phönix St. Gallen with a 3:3 draw. In 1898, FC Excelsior completely merged with FC Zürich and local club FC Victoria joined shortly thereafter.
The debut game was in 1896 with the colors blue and white. The colors were changed to red and white; rivals Grasshopper Club Zürich had the same colors. When Grasshopper Club temporarily retired from the championship in 1909, FCZ returned to the colors blue and white which they continue to use. Zürich won its first title in the Swiss Serie A in 1901–02, but did not win it again until 1923–24.
Until the 1930s, the club's sporting remit included
rowing
Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically ...
,
boxing
Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...
,
athletics
Athletics may refer to:
Sports
* Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking
** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport
* Athletics (physical culture), competi ...
, and
handball
Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...
, but football would become the focus of the club.
1925–1960
From 1925 to 1960, Zürich struggled to overcome an unsuccessful record and was described as the "wilderness years". They were relegated in 1933–34, playing in the 1. Liga to the 1941 season. In 1940–41, they returned to the Nationalliga, where they stayed until their relegation in 1945–46. They were back in the Nationalliga A in 1947–48 and stayed in the top flight until relegated in 1956–57. They were promoted from the Nationalliga B to contest the 1958–59 Nationalliga A, finishing in third place.
1960–1981
This period was known as the " Golden Years" by the FCZ faithful. At this time, the club was run by the legendary President
Edwin Nägeli
The name Edwin means "rich friend". It comes from the Old English elements "ead" (rich, blessed) and "ƿine" (friend). The original Anglo-Saxon form is Eadƿine, which is also found for Anglo-Saxon figures.
People
* Edwin of Northumbria (die ...
and had players such as
Köbi Kuhn
Jakob "Köbi" Kuhn (12 October 1943 – 26 November 2019) was a Swiss football player and manager.
During his playing career he played primarily for FC Zürich and won 63 caps for Switzerland, one of which was at the 1966 FIFA World Cup in Engl ...
Ilija Katić
Ilija Katić (, born 20 July 1945) is a former professional football player and coach.
Club career
Katić began playing with his home-town club FK Mladost Hasići. In 1962 he joined FK Borac Šamac where he stayed two seasons. He joined NK Osije ...
1963
Events January
* January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cov ...
1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
,
1976
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...
and
1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...
. They also won the
Swiss Cup
The Swiss Cup (; ; ; ) is a football cup tournament that has been organised annually since 1925–26 by the Swiss Football Association. Since 1999 the winner earns the chance to qualify for the UEFA Europa League or the UEFA Europa Conference L ...
five times in 1966, 1970, 1972, 1973, and in 1976. FCZ also had much success internationally in reaching the semi-finals of the European Cup 1963–64, before losing to
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid.
Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
and also reaching the semi-finals in the European Cup 1976–77, where they lost to
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
1988
File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...
they were relegated to the Nationalliga B. Zürich returned to the top league in 1990. The club did make it to last 16 of the
UEFA Cup 1998–99
Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs fo ...
, but were beaten by
Roma
Roma or ROMA may refer to:
Places Australia
* Roma, Queensland, a town
** Roma Airport
** Roma Courthouse
** Electoral district of Roma, defunct
** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council
*Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
. The club won the Swiss Cup in
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
On 13 May 2006, FCZ ended their 25 years effort to win Super League with a goal in the 93rd minute by
Iulian Filipescu
Iulian Sebastian Filipescu (born 29 March 1974) is a Romanian former professional footballer who played as a centre back. He debuted in Divizia A with Steaua București in 1993 and became part of a league championship winning team for seven sea ...
against
FC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel, FCB, or just Basel, is a Swiss football club based in Basel, in the Canton of Basel-Stadt. Formed in 1893, the club has been Swiss national champions 20 times, Swiss Cup winners 13 times, and ...
. The goal gave FCZ a 2 – 1 victory based on
goal difference
Goal difference, goal differential or points difference is a form of tiebreaker used to rank sport teams which finish on equal points in a league competition. Either "goal difference" or "points difference" is used, depending on whether matches ar ...
. They sustained the league title In 2006–07.
In 2008 the local women's team FFC Zürich Seebach was combined with FC Zürich and would play under the name
FC Zürich Frauen
FC Zürich Frauen is a women's association football club from Zürich, Switzerland. Its first team plays since the founding of the Swiss national league in 1970 in the first division. The team has won 23 national championships and has won the Cup ...
in the
Swiss national league
Swiss may refer to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
*Swiss people
Places
* Swiss, Missouri
*Swiss, North Carolina
*Swiss, West Virginia
*Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
*Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports
*Swiss International ...
. FC Zürich Frauen is Swiss record champion.
In the 2007–08 season, FCZ (men's team) finished in third place. In a 2008–09 season match, they edged pass
BSC Young Boys
BSC Young Boys (YB by short abbreviation ) are a Swiss sports club based in Bern, Switzerland. Its first team has won 15 Swiss league championships and six Swiss Cups. YB is one of the most successful Swiss football clubs internationally, reac ...
to win the league title. In 2009, they made their debut play for the group-stage of the
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
. In the 2010–11 season FCZ finished second. The following seasons they finished mostly in mid-table positions. FCZ won the Swiss Cup 2014 in extra time against FC Basel 2 to 0.
In the 2015–16 season the club finished last, one point behind
FC Lugano
FC Lugano is a Swiss football club based in Lugano. The club was refounded as AC Lugano in 2004 as a result of relegation and the financial situation of FC Lugano, which was founded in 1908. In 2008, the club reverted to its original name, FC Lu ...
and was relegated to the Swiss Challenge League. Four days after the final game of the season FCZ won the Swiss Cup 2016 beating FC Lugano 1 to 0.
Super League
The Super League (officially known as the Betfred Super League due to sponsorship from Betfred and legally known as Super League Europe), is the top-level of the British rugby league system. At present the league consists of twelve teams, of wh ...
. In the 2017–2018 season they finished 4th. On 27 May 2018 they won the
Swiss Cup
The Swiss Cup (; ; ; ) is a football cup tournament that has been organised annually since 1925–26 by the Swiss Football Association. Since 1999 the winner earns the chance to qualify for the UEFA Europa League or the UEFA Europa Conference L ...
for the tenth time, beating BSC Young Boys 2:1.
In the 2021–2022 season, FC Zürich won the Super League again after an interruption of 13 years. The club secured its 13th league title with a 2-0 away win over
FC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel, FCB, or just Basel, is a Swiss football club based in Basel, in the Canton of Basel-Stadt. Formed in 1893, the club has been Swiss national champions 20 times, Swiss Cup winners 13 times, and ...
, who finished second, on 1 May 2022 with five rounds to go. Despite this success, coach André Breitenreiter departed the club to join
Bundesliga
The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footba ...
side TSG 1899 Hoffenheim on 24 May 2022. On 8 June 2022, former Austrian national coach
Franco Foda
Franco Foda (born 23 April 1966) is a German football coach and former player who was most recently the manager of Swiss club FC Zürich.
Club career
Foda appeared in over 400 top-flight matches in (West) Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
F ...
was announced as the coach for the upcoming season.
Despite being able to guide Zürich into the
Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It ...
group stages, an abysmal start to the
domestic
Domestic may refer to:
In the home
* Anything relating to the human home or family
** A domestic animal, one that has undergone domestication
** A domestic appliance, or home appliance
** A domestic partnership
** Domestic science, sometimes c ...
campaign saw the side gain only two points out of a possible twenty-four in their title defence. The dreadful league form, combined with a shock cup defeat to Challenge League side
Swiss Cup
The Swiss Cup (; ; ; ) is a football cup tournament that has been organised annually since 1925–26 by the Swiss Football Association. Since 1999 the winner earns the chance to qualify for the UEFA Europa League or the UEFA Europa Conference L ...
Grasshopper
Grasshoppers are a group of insects belonging to the suborder Caelifera. They are among what is possibly the most ancient living group of chewing herbivorous insects, dating back to the early Triassic around 250 million years ago.
Grasshopp ...
, also from Zürich, and
FC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel, FCB, or just Basel, is a Swiss football club based in Basel, in the Canton of Basel-Stadt. Formed in 1893, the club has been Swiss national champions 20 times, Swiss Cup winners 13 times, and ...
are the main rivals of FCZ. Due to the intense rivalry, these matches are so-called high-risk fixtures, with an increased
police
The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...
presence in and around the stadium.
Zürich
Since its inception, FCZ has always had a fiery relationship with neighbouring club Grasshopper over sporting supremacy in the city.
To date, 251 official derbies have been held, with Grasshopper leading with 121 wins to FC Zurich's 90, leaving 39 draws. However, since the reformation of the
Swiss Super League
The Swiss Super League (known as the Credit Suisse Super League for sponsorship reasons) is a Swiss professional league in the top tier of the Swiss football league system and has been played in its current format since the 2003–04 season ...
in 2003, FCZ has frequently gotten the better of their city rivals, winning 33 out of 68 games (GC won 20 and 15 draws).
Final vs. FC Basel, 13 May 2006
Before the last round of the 2005–06 Swiss Super League, Zürich were three points behind
FC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel, FCB, or just Basel, is a Swiss football club based in Basel, in the Canton of Basel-Stadt. Formed in 1893, the club has been Swiss national champions 20 times, Swiss Cup winners 13 times, and ...
in the league table. The last game of the season was contested by these two clubs vying for the league title at St. Jakob Park,
. Alhassane Keita scored the match first goal, for Zürich. In the second half,
Mladen Petrić
Mladen Petrić (; born 1 January 1981) is a retired Croatian professional footballer who played as a forward or striker. During his career, he played for Grasshopper, Basel, Borussia Dortmund, Hamburger SV, Fulham, West Ham United and Pana ...
equalised. FC Basel were seconds away from the title when in the 93rd minute, Florian Stahel passed the ball to
Iulian Filipescu
Iulian Sebastian Filipescu (born 29 March 1974) is a Romanian former professional footballer who played as a centre back. He debuted in Divizia A with Steaua București in 1993 and became part of a league championship winning team for seven sea ...
, who scored. Zürich's success at 2 – 1 was attributed to their superior
goal difference
Goal difference, goal differential or points difference is a form of tiebreaker used to rank sport teams which finish on equal points in a league competition. Either "goal difference" or "points difference" is used, depending on whether matches ar ...
. Following the final whistle, Basel supporters stormed the pitch and attacked players on both teams.
Infrastructure
In 2010, the youth and women's teams of the club moved their homebase to the Heerenschürli sport park in the city quarter of
Hirzenbach
Hirzenbach is a quarter in the district 12 of Zürich, located in the Glatt Valley (German: ''Glattal'').
It was part of Schwamendingen
Schwamendingen is a district in the Swiss city of Zürich. Formerly an independent community, it was in ...
where the academy and women's teams play also their home matches. In June 2022, the club moved with the opening of a newly built "House of FCZ" also their Super League team and offices there in order to have the whole organisation under one roof.
Urs Fischer
Urs Fischer (born 2 May 1973) is a Swiss-born contemporary visual artist living in New York City. Fischer’s practice includes sculpture, installation and photography.
Education and early career
Born to two doctors as the second of two children ...
Almen Abdi
Almen Abdi (born 21 October 1986) is a retired Swiss Association football, footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He has previously played for FC Zürich, Zürich, Le Mans Union Club 72, Le Mans, Udinese Calcio, Udinese, Watford F.C., ...
*
Lucien Favre
Lucien Favre (; born 2 November 1957) is a Swiss professional football manager and former player who currently manages club Nice. Favre was a playmaker for various Swiss and French clubs, the longest for Servette, with whom he also won the cha ...
*
Joan Gamper
Hans Max Gamper-Haessig (; 22 November 1877 – 30 July 1930), commonly known as Joan Gamper (), was a Swiss-born football executive and versatile athlete. He founded football clubs in Switzerland and Spain, most notably FC Barcelona and FC Zür ...
Daniel Gygax
Daniel Gygax (born 28 August 1981) is a Swiss former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Gygax earned 35 caps for the Swiss national team, playing at two European Championships and the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Career
Gygax was born ...
*
Daniel Jeandupeux
Daniel Jeandupeux (born 7 February 1949) is a Swiss football manager and retired football forward.
Career
Born in Saint-Imier, Jeandupeux began playing football for FC La Chaux-de-Fonds. In 1972, he joined FC Zürich, where he would win two Sw ...
Louis Maurer
Louis Maurer (February 21, 1832 – July 19, 1932) was a German-born American lithographer, and the father of the American painter Alfred Henry Maurer. He was the last surviving artist known to have been employed by Currier and Ives. Prior ...
*
Raimondo Ponte
Raimondo Ponte (born 4 April 1955) is a Swiss former professional footballer. At international level, he made 34 appearances for the Swiss national team scoring 2 goals.
Career
Ponte joined Nottingham Forest from Grasshopper Club Zürich for ...
*
Ike Shorunmu
Ike Ibrahim Shorunmu (born 16 October 1967) is a former Nigerian football goalkeeper.
Career
Shorunmu was born in Lagos. After a few years in Nigeria he moved to play in Switzerland, and made his mark there. He was bought by Turkish club B ...
*
Klaus Stürmer
Klaus Stürmer (9 August 1935 – 1 June 1971) was a German football player. He represented Germany national football team, Germany on two occasions, including a 1962 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland national football team, Nort ...
*
Hannu Tihinen
Hannu Tihinen (born 1 July 1976) is a Finnish former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He has worked since January 2014 as a sports director at the Football Association of Finland.
He has played for clubs in Finland, Norway, E ...
Frédéric Chassot
Frédéric Chassot (born 31 March 1969) is a Swiss former footballer who played as a striker during the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.
Club career
Born in Montagny, Fribourg, Chassot began playing professionally with Neuchâtel Xamax in 1987 and by ...
Blerim Džemaili
Blerim Džemaili ( sq, Blerim Xhemaili, ; mk, Блерим Џемаили; born 12 April 1986) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays for Super League club Zürich as a midfielder.
He began his career at FC Zürich, where he won the Swi ...
*
Iulian Filipescu
Iulian Sebastian Filipescu (born 29 March 1974) is a Romanian former professional footballer who played as a centre back. He debuted in Divizia A with Steaua București in 1993 and became part of a league championship winning team for seven sea ...
*
Jurica Jerković
Jurica "Jure" Jerković (25 February 1950 – 3 June 2019) was a Croatian footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. During his time with Hajduk Split in the 1970s, he was known for his amazing playmaker skills and for his romantic approac ...
Shabani Nonda
Shabani Christophe Nonda (born 6 March 1977) is a former professional footballer who played as a striker. Born in Burundi, he represented the DR Congo national team, earning 36 caps and scoring 20 goals. He was selected for DR Congo's squad fo ...
Wynton Rufer
Wynton Alan Whai Rufer (born 29 December 1962) is a New Zealand retired professional footballer who played as a striker. He spent more than a decade of his professional career in Switzerland and Germany, achieving his greatest success at Werd ...
Swiss national football team
The Switzerland national football team (german: Schweizer Fussballnationalmannschaft, it, Nazionale di calcio della Svizzera, french: Équipe nationale suisse de football, rm, Squadra naziunala da ballape da la Svizra) represents Switzerland ...
*
Almen Abdi
Almen Abdi (born 21 October 1986) is a retired Swiss Association football, footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He has previously played for FC Zürich, Zürich, Le Mans Union Club 72, Le Mans, Udinese Calcio, Udinese, Watford F.C., ...
*
Heinz Bäni
Heinz Bäni (18 November 1936 – 10 March 2014) is a Swiss football midfielder who played for Switzerland in the 1966 FIFA World Cup. He also played for Grasshopper Club Zürich, FC Zürich, and FC La Chaux-de-Fonds
FC La Chaux-de-Fonds is ...
René Brodmann
René Brodmann (25 October 1933 – 2000) was a Swiss football defender who played for Switzerland in the 1966 FIFA World Cup. He also played for Grasshopper Club Zürich, FC Zürich, and FC St. Gallen
Fussballclub St. Gallen 1879, comm ...
Frédéric Chassot
Frédéric Chassot (born 31 March 1969) is a Swiss former footballer who played as a striker during the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.
Club career
Born in Montagny, Fribourg, Chassot began playing professionally with Neuchâtel Xamax in 1987 and by ...
*
Davide Chiumiento
Davide Chiumiento (born 22 November 1984) is a Swiss former footballer who played as a midfielder.
Early life
Chiumiento was born in Switzerland but spent most of his childhood abroad. His father, Gerardo Chiumiento, was a power tool salesman ...
Francesco Di Jorio
Francesco Di Jorio or Franco Di Iorio (born 22 September 1973) is a former Swiss footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association foo ...
Blerim Džemaili
Blerim Džemaili ( sq, Blerim Xhemaili, ; mk, Блерим Џемаили; born 12 April 1986) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays for Super League club Zürich as a midfielder.
He began his career at FC Zürich, where he won the Swi ...
Nico Elvedi
Nico Elvedi (born 30 September 1996) is a Swiss professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Defender (association football)#Centre back, centre-back or right-back for Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach and the Switzerland ...
*
Urs Fischer
Urs Fischer (born 2 May 1973) is a Swiss-born contemporary visual artist living in New York City. Fischer’s practice includes sculpture, installation and photography.
Education and early career
Born to two doctors as the second of two children ...
*
Mario Gavranović
Mario Gavranović (; born 24 November 1989) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a forward for Süper Lig club Kayserispor and the Switzerland national team.
Club career Early career
Gavranović began his career with AS Vezia, befor ...
Marco Grassi
Marco Grassi (born 8 August 1968) is a Swiss former professional footballer, who played as a centre forward. He was part of the Switzerland national team squads at the 1994 World Cup and at the UEFA Euro 1996.
Club career
Grassi was born in Ch ...
Marc Hodel
Marc Hodel (born 6 November 1970) is a retired Swiss football defender
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
C ...
*
Josef Hügi
Josef Hügi (23 January 1930 – 16 April 1995) was a Swiss international footballer who played as a striker during the late 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s.
Career
Hügi was born in the town of Riehen on 23 January 1930 and played football fr ...
*
Gökhan Inler
Gökhan İnler (born 27 June 1984) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for club Adana Demirspor.
İnler began his professional career with FC Basel and later joined FC Aarau and FC Zürich, winning the Swiss Sup ...
*
Daniel Jeandupeux
Daniel Jeandupeux (born 7 February 1949) is a Swiss football manager and retired football forward.
Career
Born in Saint-Imier, Jeandupeux began playing football for FC La Chaux-de-Fonds. In 1972, he joined FC Zürich, where he would win two Sw ...
Stephan Keller
Stephan Keller (born 31 May 1979) is a Swiss football manager and a former player.
Club career
Europe
Keller is a defender, born in Zürich, who played 13 years youth career for Grasshopper Club Zürich. He made his debut in professional foo ...
*
Fritz Kehl
Friedrich "Fritz" Kehl (born 12 July 1937) is a Swiss football defender who played for Switzerland in the 1962 FIFA World Cup.Jakob Kuhn
* Fritz Künzli
*
Adrian Kunz
Adrian Kunz (born 7 July 1967) is a Swiss former footballer and an ex-manager of several Swiss clubs, most recently Swiss Challenge League side FC Wohlen in 2011–12. Kunz played as a forward in a playing career that included spells at domest ...
Heinz Lüdi
Heinz Lüdi (born 8 October 1958) is a retired football defender.
During his club career, Lüdi played for FC Grenchen, FC Zürich, Neuchâtel Xamax and FC Baden
FC Baden is a Swiss football club based in Baden, Canton Aargau, which is a ...
*
Erni Maissen
Ernst "Erni" Maissen (born 1 January 1958) is a Swiss former footballer who played as a midfielder or striker during the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s. He is best known for his three spells at FC Basel.
Career
Maissen played his youth footbal ...
*
Ludovic Magnin
Ludovic Magnin (; born 20 April 1979) is a Swiss football manager and a former player. He is the manager of Lausanne-Sport. He played as a left-back for the Switzerland national team, Yverdon Sport, FC Lugano, Werder Bremen, VfB Stuttgart, and ...
Admir Mehmedi
Admir Mehmedi (born 16 March 1991) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a second striker or centre forward for Süper Lig club Antalyaspor. He represented the Switzerland national team.
Early life
Mehmedi was born in Gostivar, North ...
*
Severino Minelli
Severino Minelli (6 September 1909 – 23 September 1994) was a Swiss footballer who played as a defender. He participated in the 1934 FIFA World Cup and the 1938 FIFA World Cup. He played a total of 80 matches for Switzerland.
He played as a ...
Dimitri Oberlin
Dimitri Oberlin (born 27 September 1997) is a professional association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for TFF First League club Adanaspor. Born in Cameroon, he represents the Switzerland national foot ...
Marco Pascolo
Marco Pascolo (; born 9 May 1966) is a Swiss former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He spent his best playing days at Servette FC and FC Zürich in the 1990s and early 2000s (decade). Between 1992 and 2001, he made 55 appeara ...
*
Yvan Quentin
Yvan Quentin (born 2 May 1970 in Collombey-Muraz) is a retired Swiss football defender.
He was capped 41 times for the Swiss national team between 1992 and 2002. He played four games at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, and was in the Euro 1996 squad. ...
Alain Rochat
Alain Rochat (born 1 February 1983) is a retired footballer who played as a defender. Born in Canada, he represented Switzerland internationally.
Club career
Switzerland
Rochat was born in Canada but his family moved to Switzerland when he wa ...
Ernst Rutschmann
Ernst Rutschmann (born 9 November 1948) is a former Swiss football player. During his career he played for FC Winterthur, FC Zürich, FC Gossau and FC Wettingen.
He made 8 appearances for the Switzerland national team between 1970 and 1975.
...
Werner Schley
Werner Schley (born 25 January 1935 – 30 May 2007) was a Swiss footballer who played as a goalkeeper during the 1950s and 1960s. Schley was born in Basel and he died whilst he was in Mallorca, Spain.
Football career Club career
Schley playe ...
David Sesa
David Sesa (born 10 July 1973) is a Swiss football manager and former player. He is the manager of Rapperswil-Jona. A midfielder or forward, he made 36 appearances for the Switzerland national team. He is the current manager of Bellinzona in ...
Adolf Stelzer
Adolf Stelzer (1 September 1908 – 30 April 1977) was a Swiss footballer who played for Switzerland in the 1938 FIFA World Cup.Jörg Stiel
Jörg Stiel (born 3 March 1968) is a Swiss former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Since June 2021, he has been working as goalkeeper coach of Grasshopper Club Zürich.
He appeared in 409 Swiss Super League games during 14 ...
Jürg Studer
Jürg Studer (born 8 September 1966) is a Swiss former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
He earned six caps for the Swiss national team and was in the Swiss squad at the 1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup was t ...
Sirio Vernati
Sirio Vernati (12 May 1907 – 22 February 1993) was a Swiss footballer who played for Switzerland in the 1938 FIFA World Cup.Steve von Bergen
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Johan Vonlanthen
Johan Vonlanthen Benavídez (born 1 February 1986) is a Swiss former professional footballer who played as a winger.
Having made his Swiss Super League debut BSC Young Boys at the age of 16, he moved to PSV in 2003.
He initially announced t ...
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René Weiler
René Weiler (born 13 September 1973) is a Swiss football coach and former player.
Playing career
Weiler started his career 1990 with FC Winterthur, the club of his hometown, playing in the Challenge League. In 1992, he moved to FC Aarau who at ...
World Cup
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...
Peter Møller
Peter Møller Nielsen (born 23 March 1972) is a Danish former professional football player who became a sports journalist after ending his football career in December 2005. In 2018 he became sporting director of Dansk Boldspil Union. He won fo ...
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Jean-Marc Ferreri
Jean-Marc Ferreri (born 26 December 1962) is a French former professional Association football, footballer who earned 37 caps and scored 3 goals for the France national football team, France national team. He played in the UEFA Euro 1984, where ...
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Norbert Eder
Norbert Alban Eder (7 November 1955 – 2 November 2019) was a German footballer who played mainly as a defender.
In a 14-year professional career, he played in 433 games (33 goals) both major levels of German football combined (286/11 in th ...
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Roberto Di Matteo
Roberto Di Matteo (; born 29 May 1970) is an Italian professional football manager and former player.
During his playing career as a midfielder, he played for Swiss clubs Schaffhausen, Zürich and Aarau before joining Lazio of Italy and Chels ...
Wynton Rufer
Wynton Alan Whai Rufer (born 29 December 1962) is a New Zealand retired professional footballer who played as a striker. He spent more than a decade of his professional career in Switzerland and Germany, achieving his greatest success at Werd ...
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Ike Shorunmu
Ike Ibrahim Shorunmu (born 16 October 1967) is a former Nigerian football goalkeeper.
Career
Shorunmu was born in Lagos. After a few years in Nigeria he moved to play in Switzerland, and made his mark there. He was bought by Turkish club B ...
Iulian Filipescu
Iulian Sebastian Filipescu (born 29 March 1974) is a Romanian former professional footballer who played as a centre back. He debuted in Divizia A with Steaua București in 1993 and became part of a league championship winning team for seven sea ...
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Adrian Ilie
Bucurel Adrian “The Cobra” Ilie (born 20 April 1974) is a Romanian former professional footballer who played as a forward.
He represented the Romania national team in one World Cup and two European Championships.
Club career
Ilie began h ...
Shaun Bartlett
Shaun Bartlett (born 31 October 1972) is a South African professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player who is the manager of Cape Town Spurs F.C., Cape Town Spurs. During his playing career, h ...
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Tomas Brolin
Per Tomas Brolin (born 29 November 1969) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as a forward or as a midfielder.
At club level, he had a successful period with A.C. Parma during the early 1990s, winning the 1992 Coppa Italia, ...
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Roger Ljung
Roger Ingemar Ljung (born 8 January 1966) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as a left back. He played for clubs in Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Turkey, and Germany during a career that spanned between 1983 and 1995. He won ...
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Jonas Thern
Jonas Magnus Thern (born 20 March 1967) is a Swedish football manager who manages Allsvenskan club IFK Värnamo. He is also a former professional player who played as a midfielder. Starting off his career with Malmö FF in 1985, he went on to ...
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Conny Torstensson
Jan Conny Torstensson (born 28 August 1949) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder or forward. He represented Åtvidabergs FF, Bayern Munich, and FC Zürich during a career that spanned between 1967 and 1980. A f ...
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Francileudo Santos
Francileudo Silva dos Santos Lima ( ar, فرانسيلودو سيلفا دوس سانتوس ليما; born 20 March 1979) is a retired professional footballer who played as a forward.
In club football, he had his greatest successes at Sochaux ...
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Yassine Chikhaoui
Yassine Chikhaoui ( ar, ياسين الشيخاوي; born 21 September 1986) is a Tunisian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Tunisian club Étoile du Sahel.
Club career
Étoile du Sahel
Chikhaoui became captain of ...
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Mirsad Baljić
Mirsad "Žvaka" Baljić (born 4 March 1962) is a Bosnian former professional footballer who played as an offensive left-back.
He got his nickname ''Žvaka'' (chewing gum) for his constant use of chewing gum during matches.
Club career
Baljić m ...
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Jurica Jerković
Jurica "Jure" Jerković (25 February 1950 – 3 June 2019) was a Croatian footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. During his time with Hajduk Split in the 1970s, he was known for his amazing playmaker skills and for his romantic approac ...
Johann Studnicka
Johann "Jan" Studnicka (12 October 1883 – 18 October 1967) was an Austrian international footballer. He played for Wiener AC and on the Austria national team and managed several clubs. He was also competed at the 1912 Summer Olympics
The 1912 ...
(1922–25)
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Severino Minelli
Severino Minelli (6 September 1909 – 23 September 1994) was a Swiss footballer who played as a defender. He participated in the 1934 FIFA World Cup and the 1938 FIFA World Cup. He played a total of 80 matches for Switzerland.
He played as a ...
Louis Maurer
Louis Maurer (February 21, 1832 – July 19, 1932) was a German-born American lithographer, and the father of the American painter Alfred Henry Maurer. He was the last surviving artist known to have been employed by Currier and Ives. Prior ...
(1962–66)
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László Kubala
László Kubala ( sk, Ladislav Kubala, es, Ladislao Kubala, 10 June 1927 – 17 May 2002) was a Hungarian-Slovak professional footballer who also had Spanish citizenship. He played as a forward for Ferencváros, Slovan Bratislava, Barcelona, ...
(July 1966 – Feb 67)
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René Brodmann
René Brodmann (25 October 1933 – 2000) was a Swiss football defender who played for Switzerland in the 1966 FIFA World Cup. He also played for Grasshopper Club Zürich, FC Zürich, and FC St. Gallen
Fussballclub St. Gallen 1879, comm ...
(Feb 1967 – July 67)
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Lev Mantula
Lav Mantula (8 December 1928 – 1 December 2008) was a footballer who represented Yugoslavia at the 1954 FIFA World Cup.
Club career
He played club football in Yugoslavia with FK Sarajevo, Dinamo Zagreb and NK Zagreb and in Switzerland with Ser ...
(1967–69)
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Georg Gawliczek
Georg Gawliczek (2 February 1919 – 4 September 1999) was a German football manager and former player.
References
*
1919 births
1999 deaths
People from Opava District
German footballers
Association football wingers
MSV Dui ...
(1 July 1969 – 31 December 1970)
* Juan Schwanner (November 1970 – July 71)
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Friedhelm Konietzka
Friedhelm "Timo" Konietzka (2 August 1938 – 12 March 2012) was a German professional association football, football player and manager who played as a striker (association football), striker. He earned his nickname "Timo" due to a suppose ...
(1971–78)
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Zlatko Čajkovski
Zlatko "Čik" Čajkovski (24 November 1923 – 27 July 1998) was a Croatian and Yugoslavian football player and coach. His brother, Željko Čajkovski, was a footballer as well. Normally a defensive midfielder, Čajkovski was renowned for hi ...
(July 1978 – March 80)
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Albert Sing
Albert Sing (7 April 1917 – 31 August 2008) was a German footballer and football manager.
He played for 1. FC Eislingen, Stuttgarter Kickers, VfR Mannheim and TSG Ulm 1846 and capped twice for Germany
Germany,, officially the Fe ...
Daniel Jeandupeux
Daniel Jeandupeux (born 7 February 1949) is a Swiss football manager and retired football forward.
Career
Born in Saint-Imier, Jeandupeux began playing football for FC La Chaux-de-Fonds. In 1972, he joined FC Zürich, where he would win two Sw ...
(1 July 1980 – March 83)
* Heini Glättli (March 1983 – April 83)
*
Max Merkel
Max Merkel (7 December 1918 – 28 November 2006) was an Austrian footballer who played international football for both Germany and Austria as a defender. At club level, he played for Rapid Wien, Wiener SC, and Luftwaffen SV Markersdorf.
Manag ...
(April 1983 – May 83)
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Köbi Kuhn
Jakob "Köbi" Kuhn (12 October 1943 – 26 November 2019) was a Swiss football player and manager.
During his playing career he played primarily for FC Zürich and won 63 caps for Switzerland, one of which was at the 1966 FIFA World Cup in Engl ...
(May 1983 – July 83)
* Hans Kodric (July 1983 – November 83)
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Köbi Kuhn
Jakob "Köbi" Kuhn (12 October 1943 – 26 November 2019) was a Swiss football player and manager.
During his playing career he played primarily for FC Zürich and won 63 caps for Switzerland, one of which was at the 1966 FIFA World Cup in Engl ...
Friedhelm Konietzka
Friedhelm "Timo" Konietzka (2 August 1938 – 12 March 2012) was a German professional association football, football player and manager who played as a striker (association football), striker. He earned his nickname "Timo" due to a suppose ...
(Sept 1987 – July 88)
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Hans Bongartz
Hans ("Hannes") Bongartz (born 3 October 1951) is a German football coach and former player.
Club career
Bongartz was born in Bonn. He began his footballing career at SG Wattenscheid 09 and became a central midfielder to be reckoned with even ...
(1 July 1988 – 30 June 1989)
* Walter Iselin (July 1989 – October 89)
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Herbert Neumann
Herbert Neumann (born 14 November 1953) is a German former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
Club career
Neumann was born in Cologne. He played for 1. FC Köln, Udinese Calcio, Bologna, Olympiacos Piraeus, and FC Chiasso. ...
(October 1989 –1 October 1991)
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Kurt Jara
Kurt Jara (born 14 October 1950) is an Austrian football manager and former player who played as a midfielder.
Playing career
Club career
Born in Innsbruck, Jara started his professional career with local side FC Wacker Innsbruck before moving ...
(1 October 1991 – 1 April 1994)
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Bob Houghton
Robert Douglas Houghton (born 30 October 1947) is an English football manager and former player. His career has spanned over 30 years and 10 countries. He is most famous for taking Swedish club Malmö FF to the 1979 European Cup Final, where th ...
(April 1994 – March 95)
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Raimondo Ponte
Raimondo Ponte (born 4 April 1955) is a Swiss former professional footballer. At international level, he made 34 appearances for the Swiss national team scoring 2 goals.
Career
Ponte joined Nottingham Forest from Grasshopper Club Zürich for ...
(March 1995 – 16 April 2000)
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Gilbert Gress
Gilbert Gress (born 17 December 1941) is a French football coach and a former player. He was the mentor of Arsène Wenger.
Club career
Gress was born in Strasbourg. He began his professional football career in the city of his birth with R ...
(16 April 2000 – 30 June 2001)
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Georges Bregy
Georges Bregy (born 17 January 1958, in Raron) is a retired Swiss football striker and midfielder.
He was capped 54 times and scored 12 goals for the Swiss national team between 1984 and 1994. He played four games at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, a ...
(1 July 2001 – 27 March 2003)
* Walter Grüter ''(interim)'' (27 March 2003 – 30 June 2003)
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Lucien Favre
Lucien Favre (; born 2 November 1957) is a Swiss professional football manager and former player who currently manages club Nice. Favre was a playmaker for various Swiss and French clubs, the longest for Servette, with whom he also won the cha ...
(1 July 2003 – 30 June 2007)
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Bernard Challandes
Bernard Challandes (born 26 July 1951) is a Swiss professional football coach and former player who last managed Kosovo.
Coaching career Clubs
Challandes became coach of Saint-Imier in 1978. Subsequently, he has been the coach of many other tea ...
(1 July 2007 – 19 April 2010)
*
Urs Fischer
Urs Fischer (born 2 May 1973) is a Swiss-born contemporary visual artist living in New York City. Fischer’s practice includes sculpture, installation and photography.
Education and early career
Born to two doctors as the second of two children ...
''(interim)'' (19 April 2010 – 30 June 2010)
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Urs Fischer
Urs Fischer (born 2 May 1973) is a Swiss-born contemporary visual artist living in New York City. Fischer’s practice includes sculpture, installation and photography.
Education and early career
Born to two doctors as the second of two children ...
(1 July 2010 – 12 March 2012)
* Harald Gämperle ''(interim)'' (13 March 2012 – 8 June 2012)
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Urs Meier
Urs Meier (born January 22, 1959, in Zurich) is a retired Swiss football referee. He officiated at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, taking charge of the semi-final between South Korea and Germany in 2002. He also refereed the 2002 UEFA Champi ...
''(interim)'' (14 April 2012 – 24 May 2012)
*
Rolf Fringer Rolf is a male given name and a surname. It originates in the Germanic name ''Hrolf'', itself a contraction of ''Hrodwulf'' ( Rudolf), a conjunction of the stem words ''hrod'' ("renown") + ''wulf'' ("wolf"). The Old Norse cognate is ''Hrólfr''. ...
(1 July 2012 – 26 November 2012)
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Urs Meier
Urs Meier (born January 22, 1959, in Zurich) is a retired Swiss football referee. He officiated at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, taking charge of the semi-final between South Korea and Germany in 2002. He also refereed the 2002 UEFA Champi ...
''(interim)'' (26 November 2012 – 30 December 2012)
*
Urs Meier
Urs Meier (born January 22, 1959, in Zurich) is a retired Swiss football referee. He officiated at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, taking charge of the semi-final between South Korea and Germany in 2002. He also refereed the 2002 UEFA Champi ...
(1 Jan 2013 – 3 August 2015)
* Massimo Rizzo ''(interim)'' (3 August 2015 – 31 August 2015)
*
Sami Hyypiä
Sami Tuomas Hyypiä (; born 7 October 1973) is a Finnish football manager and former defender.
Hyypiä began his playing career with Ykkönen side Kumu and soon moved to Veikkausliiga outfit MyPa. He spent four years at the club, helping t ...
(31 August 2015 – 12 May 2016)
* Uli Forte (13 May 2016 – 20 February 2018)
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Ludovic Magnin
Ludovic Magnin (; born 20 April 1979) is a Swiss football manager and a former player. He is the manager of Lausanne-Sport. He played as a left-back for the Switzerland national team, Yverdon Sport, FC Lugano, Werder Bremen, VfB Stuttgart, and ...
(20 February 2018 – 5 October 2020)
* Massimo Rizzo ''(interim)'' (5 October 2020 – 23 December 2020)
* Massimo Rizzo (24 December 2020 – 30 June 2021)
* André Breitenreiter (1 July 2021 – 24 May 2022)
*
Franco Foda
Franco Foda (born 23 April 1966) is a German football coach and former player who was most recently the manager of Swiss club FC Zürich.
Club career
Foda appeared in over 400 top-flight matches in (West) Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
F ...
(9 June 2022 – 21 September 2022)
* Genesio Colatrella ''(interim)'' (22 September 2022 – 10 October 2022)
* Bo Henriksen (11 October 2022 – )