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 ...
club based in
Zürich
, neighboring_municipalities = Adliswil, Dübendorf, Fällanden, Kilchberg, Maur, Oberengstringen, Opfikon, Regensdorf, Rümlang, Schlieren, Stallikon, Uitikon, Urdorf, Wallisellen, Zollikon
, twintowns = Kunming, San Francisco
Z ...
. 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 seaso ...
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
is a stadium in Zürich, Switzerland, and the home of the athletics club LC Zürich, and the football clubs FC Zürich and Grasshopper Club Zürich. LC Zürich is a spin-off of FC Zürich whose members constructed the stadium in 1925. Grasshopp ...
, 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 Swiss Women's Super League is the highest-level league competition for women's football clubs in Switzerland. It was established in 1970 (formerly named Nationalliga A).
League winners qualify for the UEFA Women's Champions League. The team ...
, 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.
Found ...
founder,
Joan Gamper, 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
Grasshopper Club Zürich, commonly referred to as simply GC, GCZ, or Grasshoppers, is a multisports club based in Zürich, Switzerland. The oldest and best known department of the club is its football team. With 27 titles, Grasshopper holds t ...
had the same colors. When Grasshopper Club temporarily retired from the championship in
1909
Events
January–February
* January 4 – Explorer Aeneas Mackintosh of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition escaped death by fleeing across ice floes.
* January 7 – Colombia recognizes the independence of Panama.
* Jan ...
, 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 ...
, 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 and had players such as
Köbi Kuhn,
Fritz Künzli
Friedrich "Fritz" Künzli (8 January 1946 – 22 December 2019) was a Swiss football player. From 1961 to 1979 he played in 313 matches in the Nationalliga A scoring a record 201 goals. In 1978, he played part of one season in the North America ...
,
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 Osijek ...
,
René Botteron, and many more. Zürich won seven
championships
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
in the years
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 Co ...
,
1966
Events January
* January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko.
* January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo ...
,
1968
The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide.
Events January–February
* January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
* J ...
,
1974
Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...
,
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 and
1981. 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 status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
.
1981–2005
Following the club's
league title in 1981, the club went into a decline and in
1988 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 S ...
, beating
Lausanne
, neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR ...
in the final and also in
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 discover ...
beating
Luzern
Lucerne ( , ; High Alemannic: ''Lozärn'') or Luzern ()Other languages: gsw, Lozärn, label= Lucerne German; it, Lucerna ; rm, Lucerna . is a city in central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of the country. Lucerne is the capital o ...
.
2006–2016
On 13 May 2006, FCZ ended their 25 years effort to win Super League with a goal in the 93rd minute by
Iulian Filipescu 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 a ...
. 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 C ...
in the
Swiss national league. 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, reach ...
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 competi ...
. 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 and was relegated to the
Swiss Challenge League
The Challenge League is the second-highest tier of the Swiss football league system and lower of two professional leagues in the country. Ten teams play in the Challenge League; the winners of the league are promoted to the Super League, while th ...
. Four days after the final game of the season FCZ won the
Swiss Cup 2016 beating FC Lugano 1 to 0.
Recent years
In the
2016–17 season FC Zürich won the
Challenge League ahead of
Neuchâtel Xamax
, neighboring_municipalities= Auvernier, Boudry, Chabrey (VD), Colombier, Cressier, Cudrefin (VD), Delley-Portalban (FR), Enges, Fenin-Vilars-Saules, Hauterive, Saint-Blaise, Savagnier
, twintowns = Aarau (Switzerland), Besançon (Fra ...
and returned after one year to the
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 w ...
. 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
André Breitenreiter (born 2 October 1973) is a German professional football coach and former player who is the manager of German Bundesliga club 1899 Hoffenheim. In 2022, he won the Swiss title with Zürich.
Playing career
upright=0.6, left, ...
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 footb ...
side
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
Turn- und Sportgemeinschaft 1899 Hoffenheim e.V., or simply TSG 1899 Hoffenheim or just Hoffenheim () is a German professional football club based in Hoffenheim, a village of Sinsheim municipality, Baden-Württemberg.
Originally founded in 18 ...
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.
Fo ...
was announced as the coach for the upcoming season.
Despite being able to guide Zürich into the
Europa League group stages, an abysmal start to the
domestic 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
Lausanne
, neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR ...
on 18 September, proved the final straw and Foda was subsequently sacked on 21 September.
Honours
*
Super League/Nationalliga A
* Champions (13):
1901–02,
1923–24,
1962–63,
1965–66,
1967–68,
1973–74,
1974–75,
1975–76,
1980–81,
2005–06,
2006–07,
2008–09,
2021–22
*
Challenge League/Nationalliga B:
* Winner (4): 1940–41, 1946–47, 1957–58,
2016–17
*
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 ...
*Winners (10):
1965–66,
1969–70,
1971–72,
1972–73,
1975–76,
1999–2000,
2004–05,
2013–14,
2015–16,
2017–18
*
Swiss League Cup
The Swiss League Cup was a football tournament which took place as a summer pre-season tournament in 1972 and 1973, and during the Swiss football season from 1974–75 to 1981–82. The tournament was a knockout competition contested by clubs fro ...
*Winners: 1980–81
*
European Cup/UEFA Champions League
*Semi-finalists:
1963–64,
1976–77
Rivalries
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 Law enforcement organization, constituted body of Law enforcement officer, persons empowered by a State (polity), state, with the aim to law enforcement, enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citize ...
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 seaso ...
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
St. Jakob-Park () is a Swiss sports stadium in Basel. It is the largest football venue in Switzerland and home to FC Basel. "Joggeli", as the venue is nicknamed by the locals, was originally built with a capacity of 33,433 seats. The capacity ...
,
Basel
, french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese
, neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (B ...
.
Alhassane Keita
Alhassane Keita Otchico (born 26 June 1983), known as Keita, is a Guinean footballer who most recently played as a striker for American club Jacksonville Armada FC.
Club career
Keita was born in Conakry. After beginning his professional career ...
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 Panathi ...
equalised. FC Basel were seconds away from the title when in the 93rd minute,
Florian Stahel passed the ball to
Iulian Filipescu, 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 a ...
. 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 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.
Players
Current squad
Out on loan
Reserve squad/Zürich U21
The Zürich II/U21 team plays in the
Swiss Promotion League
The Promotion League, named the YAPEAL Promotion League for sponsorship reasons, is the third tier of the Swiss football league system. Eighteen clubs compete in the league, playing each other twice over the course of the season. The champions ar ...
.
Notable former players
Players and managers admitted to the FC Zurich Hall of Fame
*
Jakob Kuhn
*
Walter Bosshard
*
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 ...
*
Fritz Künzli
Friedrich "Fritz" Künzli (8 January 1946 – 22 December 2019) was a Swiss football player. From 1961 to 1979 he played in 313 matches in the Nationalliga A scoring a record 201 goals. In 1978, he played part of one season in the North America ...
*
Rosario Martinelli
*
Almen Abdi
*
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 ch ...
*
Joan Gamper
*
Karl Grob
*
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 S ...
*
Timo Konietzka
Friedhelm "Timo" Konietzka (2 August 1938 – 12 March 2012) was a German professional football player and manager who played as a striker. He earned his nickname "Timo" due to a supposed resemblance to the Soviet commander Semyon Timoshen ...
*
Werner Leimgruber
*
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 t ...
*
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
*
Hannu Tihinen
*
René Botteron
*
Frédéric Chassot
*
Josip Drmić
*
Blerim Džemaili
*
Iulian Filipescu
*
Jurica Jerković
*
Alhassane Keita
Alhassane Keita Otchico (born 26 June 1983), known as Keita, is a Guinean footballer who most recently played as a striker for American club Jacksonville Armada FC.
Club career
Keita was born in Conakry. After beginning his professional career ...
*
Shabani Nonda
*
Peter Risi
Peter Risi (16 May 1950 – 11 December 2010) was a Swiss footballer who played at both professional and international levels as a striker.
Career
Born in Buochs, Risi played club football for FC Winterthur, FC Zürich and FC Luzern, and was t ...
*
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 ...
*
Albert Schnorf
*
Paul Sturzenegger
Paul (Paolo) Sturzenegger (7 June 1902 – 19 May 1970) was a Swiss association football player who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1924), officially the Games of the VIII ...
Players for the
Swiss national football team
*
Almen Abdi
*
Heinz Bäni
*
Heinz Barmettler
Heinz Barmettler Veloz (born 21 July 1987) is a retired professional footballer who played as a central defender. Born in Switzerland, he represented the Dominican Republic internationally.
Club career
Barmettler was born in Zurich, Switzerla ...
*
Loris Benito
*
Thomas Bickel
*
René Botteron
*
René Brodmann
*
Patrick Bühlmann
Patrick Bühlmann (born 16 August 1971) is a retired Swiss football midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case ...
*
Sandro Burki
Sandro Burki (born 16 September 1985) is a Swiss former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is the sporting director of FC Aarau.
Club career
Burki began his career with FC Zürich. Burki caught the attention of numerous c ...
*
Pierre-Albert Chapuisat
Pierre-Albert 'Gabet' Chapuisat (born 5 April 1948) is a Swiss retired football defender and manager.
Playing career
During his extensive professional career, Lausanne-born Chapuisat played mainly for hometown's FC Lausanne-Sport, having three ...
*
Frédéric Chassot
*
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 ...
*
Joël Corminbœuf
Joël Corminbœuf (born 16 March 1964) is a former association football player who played as a goalkeeper. He was born in Fribourg.
He played for Neuchâtel Xamax (1985-January 1991 and September 1991 – 1993 and 1994–2000) which won two Swi ...
*
Francesco Di Jorio
Francesco Di Jorio or Franco Di Iorio (born 22 September 1973) is a former Swiss footballer. He played over 300 games in Swiss Super League.
Honours
FC Zürich
*Swiss Cup
The Swiss Cup (; ; ; ) is a football cup tournament that has been o ...
*
Josip Drmić
*
Blerim Džemaili
*
Ruedi Elsener
*
Nico Elvedi
*
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 ...
*
Christoph Gilli
*
Marco Grassi
*
Karl Grob
*
René Hasler
*
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 ...
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Gökhan Inler
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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 S ...
*
Sébastien Jeanneret
*
Stephan Keller
*
Fritz Kehl
*
Jakob Kuhn
*
Fritz Künzli
Friedrich "Fritz" Künzli (8 January 1946 – 22 December 2019) was a Swiss football player. From 1961 to 1979 he played in 313 matches in the Nationalliga A scoring a record 201 goals. In 1978, he played part of one season in the North America ...
*
Adrian Kunz
*
August Lehmann
*
Werner Leimgruber
*
Johnny Leoni
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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
*
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, a ...
*
Xavier Margairaz
Xavier Margairaz (born 7 January 1984) is a Swiss former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
Club career
Margairaz was born in Rances. After beginning professionally with FC Lausanne-Sport and Neuchâtel Xamax, he was part of th ...
*
Peter Marti
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Giuseppe Mazzarelli
Giuseppe Mazzarelli (born 14 August 1972) is a former Swiss footballer who played as a defender.
During his career he played for FC Zürich, Manchester City F.C., Grasshopper Club Zürich, FC St. Gallen, A.S. Bari and FC Baden. He earned 12 ...
*
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 s ...
*
André Muff
*
Alain Nef
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Dimitri Oberlin
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Bećir Omeragić
Bećir Omeragić (born 20 January 2002) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a defender for Ligue 1 club Montpellier and the Switzerland national team.
Club career
Omeragić made his Swiss Super League debut for Zürich on 4 May 201 ...
*
Marco Pascolo
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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. ...
*
Peter Risi
Peter Risi (16 May 1950 – 11 December 2010) was a Swiss footballer who played at both professional and international levels as a striker.
Career
Born in Buochs, Risi played club football for FC Winterthur, FC Zürich and FC Luzern, and was t ...
*
Alain Rochat
*
Ricardo Rodríguez
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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.
H ...
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Marco Schönbächler
Marco Schönbächler (born 11 January 1990) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a right midfielder.
Career
Schönbächler was part of the 2006–07 and 2008–2009 Swiss Championship winning team.
On 17 August 2013, Schönbächler ...
*
Werner Schley
*
Walter Schneiter
*
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 ...
*
Simon Sohm
Simon Sohm (born 11 April 2001) is a Swiss footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Serie B club Parma and the Switzerland national team.
Club career Early career
Sohm spent his entire youth career with FC Zürich, playing with the U1 ...
*
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 ...
*
Pirmin Stierli
*
Xavier Stierli
*
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 ...
*
Scott Sutter
Scott Lee Sutter (born 13 May 1986) is a Swiss footballer who plays as a right-back. Previously he spent 14 years playing in the Swiss Super League for Grasshopper Zürich, FC Zurich and Young Boys and in Major League Soccer for Orlando City ...
*
Markus Tanner
Markus Tanner (born 15 January 1954) is a Swiss former footballer who played as a striker.
He began his career with FC Basel during the 1970s, and later signed for FC Lucerne in 1981, where he played until 1985. He was also a Swiss internatio ...
*
Sirio Vernati
*
Steve von Bergen
Steve von Bergen (born 10 June 1983) is a retired Swiss professional footballer who played as defender. He played for FC Zürich for two full seasons, winning the Swiss Super League in both campaigns and then moved to Hertha BSC, playing ther ...
*
Johan Vonlanthen
*
René Weiler
*
Adrian Winter
Adrian Winter (born 8 July 1986) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder. Winter has also been capped for Switzerland.
Career
In July 2015, it was announced that Winter was acquired by Major League Soccer team Or ...
*
Rolf Wüthrich
*
Gian-Pietro Zappa
*
Hans-Peter Zwicker
Hans-Peter Zwicker (born 7 April 1960) is a retired football striker.
During his club career, Zwicker played for SC Brühl, FC Zürich
Fussballclub Zürich, commonly abbreviated to FC Zürich or simply FCZ, is a Swiss football club based ...
Players with
World Cup appearances for their national teams
*
Borislav Mihaylov
Borislav Biserov Mihaylov ( bg, Борислав Биcepoв Михайлов; born 12 February 1963) is a Bulgarian former professional footballer, who played as a goalkeeper, and President of the Bulgarian Football Union (2005 – 2019; 2021 � ...
*
Jan Berger
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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 fou ...
*
Jean-Marc Ferreri
Jean-Marc Ferreri (born 26 December 1962) is a French former professional footballer who earned 37 caps and scored 3 goals for the France national team. He played in the UEFA Euro 1984, where France won the title, and the 1986 FIFA World Cup, w ...
*
Norbert Eder
*
Roberto Di Matteo
*
Kanga Akale
*
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 ...
*
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 ...
*
Rashidi Yekini
Rashidi Yekini (23 October 1963 – 4 May 2012) was a Nigerian professional footballer who played as a forward. He is all-time top goalscorer for his nation.
His professional career, which spanned more than two decades, was mainly associated wi ...
*
Iulian Filipescu
*
Adrian Ilie
*
Aleksandr Kerzhakov
Aleksandr Anatolyevich Kerzhakov (russian: Александр Анатольевич Кержаков ; born 27 November 1982) is a Russian football manager and former professional football player who played as a striker.
He is the most prolif ...
*
Shaun Bartlett
*
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, ...
*
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 ...
*
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 ...
*
Conny Torstensson
*
Francileudo Santos
*
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 ...
*
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 ...
*
Jurica Jerković
Player record
''Players in bold are still part of the club.''
Managers
*
József "Csiby" Winkler (1920–22)
*
Johann Studnicka (1922–25)
*
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 s ...
(1943–46)
*
Willy Iseli
Willy or Willie is a masculine, male given name, often a diminutive form of William or Wilhelm, and occasionally a nickname. It may refer to:
People Given name or nickname
* Willie Aames (born 1960), American actor, television director, and scre ...
(1946–48)
*
Theodor Lohrmann (1948–53)
*
Joksch Fridl (1953–55)
*
Ossi Müller Ossi may refer to:
Organizations
* Open Source Seed Initiative, dedicated to maintaining access to plant genetic resources
* Open Source Software Institute, promoter of open-source software solutions in the US Federal, state and municipal governm ...
(1955–57)
*
Fernando Molina and
Max Barras (1957–58)
*
Karl Rappan
Karl Rappan (26 September 1905 – 2 January 1996) was an Austrian footballer and coach. He played and managed mostly in Switzerland, where he won multiple titles. He had four tenures as coach of the Switzerland national team, which he managed i ...
(1958–59)
*
Max Barras (1959–60)
*
Georg Wurzer (1960–62)
*
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)
*
László Kubala (July 1966 – Feb 67)
*
René Brodmann (Feb 1967 – July 67)
*
Lev Mantula (1967–69)
*
Georg Gawliczek
Georg Gawliczek (2 February 1919 – 4 September 1999) was a German football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, Kick (football), kicking a Football (ball), ball to score a Goal (sport), goal. Unqualifie ...
(1 July 1969 – 31 December 1970)
*
Juan Schwanner (November 1970 – July 71)
*
Friedhelm Konietzka (1971–78)
*
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 his ...
(July 1978 – March 80)
*
Albert Sing and
R. Martinelli (29 Feb 1980 – 30 June 1980)
*
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 S ...
(1 July 1980 – March 83)
*
Heini Glättli (March 1983 – April 83)
*
Max Merkel (April 1983 – May 83)
*
Köbi Kuhn (May 1983 – July 83)
*
Hans Kodric
Hans may refer to:
__NOTOC__ People
* Hans (name), a masculine given name
* Hans Raj Hans, Indian singer and politician
** Navraj Hans, Indian singer, actor, entrepreneur, cricket player and performer, son of Hans Raj Hans
** Yuvraj Hans, Punjabi a ...
(July 1983 – November 83)
*
Köbi Kuhn (November 1983 – July 84)
*
Vaclav Jezek (1984–86)
*
Hermann Stessl (1 July 1986 – 1 November 1987)
*
Friedhelm Konietzka (Sept 1987 – July 88)
*
Hans Bongartz (1 July 1988 – 30 June 1989)
*
Walter Iselin (July 1989 – October 89)
*
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 Chiass ...
(October 1989 –1 October 1991)
*
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)
*
Bob Houghton (April 1994 – March 95)
*
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 t ...
(March 1995 – 16 April 2000)
*
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 RC St ...
(16 April 2000 – 30 June 2001)
*
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, an ...
(1 July 2001 – 27 March 2003)
*
Walter Grüter ''(interim)'' (27 March 2003 – 30 June 2003)
*
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 ch ...
(1 July 2003 – 30 June 2007)
*
Bernard Challandes (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)
*
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)
*
Urs Meier ''(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''. A ...
(1 July 2012 – 26 November 2012)
*
Urs Meier ''(interim)'' (26 November 2012 – 30 December 2012)
*
Urs Meier (1 Jan 2013 – 3 August 2015)
*
Massimo Rizzo ''(interim)'' (3 August 2015 – 31 August 2015)
*
Sami Hyypiä (31 August 2015 – 12 May 2016)
*
Uli Forte (13 May 2016 – 20 February 2018)
*
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, a ...
(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
André Breitenreiter (born 2 October 1973) is a German professional football coach and former player who is the manager of German Bundesliga club 1899 Hoffenheim. In 2022, he won the Swiss title with Zürich.
Playing career
upright=0.6, left, ...
(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.
Fo ...
(9 June 2022 – 21 September 2022)
*
Genesio Colatrella ''(interim)'' (22 September 2022 – 10 October 2022)
*
Bo Henriksen
Bo Henriksen (born 7 February 1975) is a Danish football coach and former player. He is the current head coach of Swiss Super League side FC Zürich.
Henriksen rose to prominence as a striker in both his home country, where he won the 1999� ...
(11 October 2022 – )
FC Zürich in European football
''As of 18 August 2022.''
References
External links
FC Zürich stats
Archive FC Zürich
Copa90: Zurich On Fire! - FC Zürich vs Grasshopper Club
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zurich
Sport in Zürich
Football clubs in Switzerland
Association football clubs established in 1896
1896 establishments in Switzerland