Grasshopper Club Zürich

Grasshopper Club Zurich (GCZ), commonly referred to as Grasshopper Club or simply just GC, is a professional multisports club based in Zurich, Switzerland. They are nicknamed the ''Grasshoppers'' or sometimes just ''Hoppers''. The oldest and best-known department of the club is its football team. With 27 league titles, the Grasshoppers hold the records for winning the most national championships and the Swiss Cups, with 19 trophies in the latter. The club is the oldest football team in Zurich and maintains a substantial rivalry with FC Zurich.

The origin of Grasshoppers name is unknown, although the most common explanation refers to its early players' energetic post-goal celebrations and that their style of play was nimble and energetic.

After a number of appearances in European Cups and the UEFA Champions League, the Grasshopper Club has become one of Switzerland's most recognizable football clubs. Today, in addition to its main football squad, the club has competitive professional and youth teams in rowing, ice hockey, handball, lawn tennis, court tennis, field hockey, curling, basketball, rugby, squash, floorball and beach soccer.

History

Grasshopper Club Zurich was founded on 1 September 1886 by Tom E. Griffith, an English student. In 1893, the Grasshopper Club became the first Swiss team to play in (what was then) Germany, defeating Strasbourg 1–0. The first Swiss championships (then called "Serie A") were held in 1897–98 and were won by the Grasshoppers, as was the first championship played using a league system in 1899–1900.

Their biggest European success to date came in the 1977–78 UEFA Cup where they reached the semi-final against French side Bastia. After a 3–2 win at home, they traveled to Corsica for the second leg but lost 0–1 and were eliminated due to the away goal rule.

In 1997, the Grasshopper Club was incorporated and as of May 2005, it is formally organized as Neue Grasshopper Fussball AG. In doing so, Grasshopper became the first Swiss sports club to go public.

Their to date last Swiss championship title was won in 2003. In 2013, the Grasshoppers ended a ten-year trophy drought with a penalty shoot-out victory over Basel in the Swiss Cup final. It would be the last trophy won for over a decade.

In 2019, the Grasshoppers were relegated to the second division for the first time in 68 years.

In April 2020, it was revealed that the Hong Kong–based Champion Union HK Holding Limited had acquired 90% of GC shares.

On 17 January 2024, a long-term partnership with MLS side Los Angeles FC was announced, with LAFC acquiring over 90% of the shares from the previous owners, Champion Union.

Stadium and grounds

Since September 2007, Grasshopper Club Zurich has played all of its home matches in the Letzigrund stadium which is the regular home ground of FC Zurich. After the completion of the new Stadion Zurich (currently in planning stage), both teams are expected to play there.

From 1929 to 2007, the Grasshopper Club had their own home ground in the Hardturm stadium, however, this was demolished in December 2008. Before 1929, home matches were played at various other venues.

Training facilities and their football academy are located in Niederhasli, where in 2005 the club opened a comprehensive facility including five practice pitches, apartments for youth players and offices.

Rivalries

FC Zurich

FC Zurich was founded ten years after GC in 1896. A year later, the first derby between the two Zurich clubs was held as part of the first Swiss championship, where GC defeated FC Zurich 7–2. As the two teams did not always play in the same league, it would take nearly 70 years until the 100th derby. To date, 251 official derbies have been held, with GC leading with 121 wins to FC Zurich's 90, leaving 39 draws.

The 2 October 2011 Swiss league match between the two teams is known by Swiss media as the "Disgrace of Zurich", due to rioting by FC Zurich fans. The violence followed Grasshopper supporters stealing FC Zurich fan banners and displaying them in their own section with a message mocking FC Zurich.

Basel

Basel has long been a rival to GC, owing largely to the rivalry between the two cities. As a result, games between FC Zurich and Basel are also often heated games, often leading to clashes between fans.

From the late 60s to the early 80s, both GC and Basel had numerous Swiss championship victories. However, in 1988, Basel was relegated to the Nationalliga B. The rivalry flared up at the beginning of the 21st century, when FCB's improved performance has made them a mainstay at the top the Swiss league. However, with FCB's rise came GC's downfall and the rivalry has become largely one-sided. The most recent notable meeting between the two teams was the Swiss Cup Final in 2013, where Grasshoppers were able to beat Basel in penalties, with a score of 1–1 after extra time.

Honours

National

League

* Swiss Championship
** Champions (27): 1897–98, 1899–1900, 1900–01, 1904–05, 1920–21, 1926–27, 1927–28, 1930–31, 1936–37, 1938–39, 1941–42, 1942–43, 1944–45, 1951–52, 1955–56, 1970–71, 1977–78, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1997–98, 2000–01, 2002–03 (record)
** Runner-up (21): 1925–16, 1928–29, 1929–30, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1937–38, 1953–54, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1967–68, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1993–94, 1998–99, 2001–02, 2012–13, 2013–14
* Nationalliga B/Challenge League
**Winners (2): 1950–51, 2020–21

Cups

* Swiss Cup
** Winners (19): 1925–26, 1926–27, 1931–32, 1933–34, 1936–37, 1937–38, 1939–40, 1940–41, 1941–42, 1942–43, 1945–46, 1951–52, 1955–56, 1982–83, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1993–94, 2012–13 (record)
** Runner-up (13): 1927–28, 1930–31, 1932–33, 1948–49, 1952–53, 1957–58, 1962–63, 1977–78, 1992–93, 1994–95, 1998–99, 2001–02, 2003–04
* Swiss League Cup
** Winners: 1973, 1975
** Runner-up: 1977–78, 1979–80
* Swiss Super Cup
** Winners: 1989
**Runner-up: 1988, 1990

European

* Champions League/European Cup
** Quarter-finalist: 1978–79
* Europa League/UEFA Cup
** Semi-finalist: 1977–78
* European Cup Winners' Cup
** Quarter-finalist: 1989–90

Players

Current squad

Academy players with first-team contracts

Out on loan

Women's team

The women's division was founded in 2009, when GC/Schwerzenbach (originally FFC Schwerzenbach) was absorbed into the club.

Notable former players

Players for the Swiss national football team

* Alfred "Fredy" Bickel
* Thomas Bickel
* Stéphane Chapuisat
* Patrick de Napoli
* Ricardo Cabanas
* Diego Benaglio
* Christoph Spycher
* Christian Gross
* Marcel Koller
* Stephan Lichtsteiner
* Patrick Müller
* Boris Smiljanić
* Roman Bürki
* Pajtim Kasami
* Ciriaco Sforza
* Alain Sutter
* Kubilay Türkyilmaz
* Johann Vogel
* Eldin Jakupović
* Blaise Nkufo
* Yann Sommer
* Hakan Yakin
* Murat Yakin
* Reto Ziegler
* Raimondo Ponte
* Claudio Sulser
* Stéphane Grichting
* Haris Seferovic
* Philippe Senderos
* Bernt Haas

Players with World Cup appearances for their national teams

* Kurt Jara
* Izet Hajrović
* Senad Lulić
* Günter Netzer
* Daniel Davari
* Vittorio Pozzo
* Wynton Rufer
* Efan Ekoku
* Femi Opabunmi
* Franco Navarro
* Tomasz Rząsa
* Viorel Moldovan
* Tosh McKinlay
* Papa Bouba Diop
* Henri Camara
* Ove Grahn
* Mats Gren
* Kim Källström

Coaching staff

Current coaching staff

Academy Coaches and Staff

List of coaches (since 1925)

Organisation

See also

* History of Grasshopper Club Zurich
* Grasshopper Club Zurich in European football
* Zurich Derby
* Hardturm and Letzigrund

References

External links

Fan sites
GCZForum – Bulletin Board (Forum) for Fans of GCZ

GCZone – Fansite of GCZ

Grassmokers – Oldest unofficial fanclub of GCZ
.
Main fan page with organisation for away games

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grasshopper Club Zurich

1886 establishments in Switzerland
Association football clubs established in 1886
Football clubs in Switzerland
Multi-sport clubs in Switzerland
Rowing clubs in Switzerland
Sport in Zurich
Curling clubs
Field hockey clubs in Switzerland