FC Zürich
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| Full name | Fussballclub Zürich | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | FCZ/ Zürich | ||
| Founded | 1 August 1896 | ||
| Ground | Letzigrund, Zürich | ||
| Capacity | 26,105 | ||
| Chairman | Ancillo Canepa | ||
| Manager | André Breitenreiter | ||
| League | Super League | ||
| 2020–21 | Super League, 8th of 10 | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
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Fussballclub Zürich, commonly abbreviated to FC Zürich or simply FCZ, is a Swiss football club based in the city of Zürich, in the Canton of Zürich in the Super League, the top tier in its league. The club was founded in 1896 and has won the Swiss Super League 12 times and the Swiss Cup 10 times. The club won the 2009 Swiss Super League and last won the Swiss Cup in 2018. FC Zürich is the only Swiss team to have reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League twice. This happened in 1964 and 1977 when the competition was played in its original format. Home games are played at the Letzigrund which reaches a capacity of 26,000 spectators for league games.[1]
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[2] and it is with 22 titles and multiple Champions League participations also the most successful one.
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 founder, Joan Gamper, coaching and playing for FC Excelsior and its successor from 1894 to 1897.[3] 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.[4] 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.[5] 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.[6] 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, boxing, athletics, and handball, 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 , 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 and had players such as Köbi Kuhn, Fritz Künzli, Ilija Katić, René Botteron, and many more. Zürich won seven championships in the years 1963, 1966, 1968, 1974, 1975, 1976 and 1981. They also won the Swiss Cup 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 and also reaching the semi-finals in the European Cup 1976–77, where they lost to Liverpool.
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, but were beaten by Roma. The club won the Swiss Cup in 2000, beating Lausanne in the final and also in 2005 beating Luzern.
2006–2016[]
| Season | Rank | League | Ø Attendance[7][8] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 1/10 | SL | 10,008 |
| 2007 | 1/10 | SL | 10,870 |
| 2008 | 3/10 | SL | 12,186 |
| 2009 | 1/10 | SL | 9,829 |
| 2010 | 7/10 | SL | 10,700 |
| 2011 | 2/10 | SL | 11,750 |
| 2012 | 6/10 | SL | 10,511 |
| 2013 | 4/10 | SL | 10,741 |
| 2014 | 5/10 | SL | 9,564 |
| 2015 | 3/10 | SL | 9,389 |
| 2016 | 10/10 | SL | 8,701 |
| 2017 | 1/10 | CL | 9,702 |
| 2018 | 4/10 | SL | 10,726 |
| 2019 | 7/10 | SL | 10,660 |
| 2020 | 7/10 | SL | 6,422[9] |
| 2021 | 8/10 | SL | 91 |
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. The goal gave FCZ a 2 – 1 victory based on goal difference. 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 in the Swiss national league. FC Zürich Frauen is Swiss record champion and 2nd in the alltime table only behind FFC Bern.
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 to win the league title. In 2009, they made their debut play for the group-stage of the UEFA Champions League. 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. 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 and returned after one year to the Super League. In the 2017–2018 season they finished 4th. On 27 May 2018 they won the Swiss Cup for the tenth time, beating BSC Young Boys 2:1.
Honours[]
- Swiss Super League
- Swiss Cup
- Swiss League Cup
- Winners: 1980–81
- European Cup/UEFA Champions League
- Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy
- Fourth place: 1911
Rivalries[]
Grasshopper, also from Zürich, and FC Basel are the main rivals of FCZ. Due to the intense rivalry, these matches are so-called high-risk fixtures, with an increased police 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.[citation needed]
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 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, Basel. Alhassane Keita scored the match first goal, for Zürich. In the second half, Mladen Petrić 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. 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 2021, the club moves with the completion of their «Home of FCZ» also their Super League team and offices there in order to have the whole organsation under one roof.[10]
Players[]
Current squad[]
- As of 9 September 2021[11]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan[]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Reserve squad/Zürich U21[]
- As of 23 July 2021[12]
The Zürich II/U21 team plays in the Swiss Promotion League.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Notable former players[]
- As of 15 March 2016[13]
Players and managers admitted to the FC Zurich Hall of Fame
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Players for the Swiss national football team
Players with World Cup appearances for their national teams
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Player record[]
Players in bold are still part of the club.
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Managers[]
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FC Zürich in European football[]
As of 2019.
| Competition | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Cup/UEFA Champions League | 48 | 16 | 4 | 28 | 50 | 77 |
| UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League | 78 | 25 | 18 | 35 | 92 | 125 |
| UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 24 | 16 |
| Inter-Cities Fairs Cup | 10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 12 | 12 |
| Total | 148 | 49 | 26 | 73 | 178 | 230 |
| Season | Competition | Round | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963–64 | European Cup | PR |  Dundalk
|
1–2 | 3–0 | 4–2 |
| 1R |  Galatasaray
|
2–0 | 0–2 | 2–2 | ||
| QF |  PSV Eindhoven
|
3–1 | 0–1 | 3–2 | ||
| SF |  Real Madrid
|
1–2 | 0–6 | 1–8 | ||
| 1966–67 | European Cup | 1R |  Celtic
|
0–3 | 0–2 | 0–5 |
| 1967–68 | Inter-Cities Fairs Cup | 1R | Barcelona
|
3–1 | 0–1 | 3–2 |
| 2R |  Nottingham Forest
|
1–0 | 1–2 | 2–2(a) | ||
| 3R |  Sporting CP
|
3–0 | 0–1 | 3–1 | ||
| QF | Dundee
|
0–1 | 0–1 | 0–2 | ||
| 1968–69 | European Cup | 1R |  AB
|
1–3 | 1–2 | 2–5 |
| 1969–70 | Inter-Cities Fairs Cup | 1R | Kilmarnock
|
3–2 | 1–3 | 4–5 |
| 1970–71 | European Cup Winners' Cup | 1R |  Knattspyrnufélag Akureyrar
|
7–0 | 7–1 | 14–1 |
| 2R |  Club Brugge
|
3–2 | 0–2 | 3–4 | ||
| 1972–73 | European Cup Winners' Cup | 1R |  Wrexham
|
1–1 | 1–2 | 2–3 |
| 1973–74 | European Cup Winners' Cup | 1R | Anderlecht
|
1–0 | 2–3 | 3–3(a) |
| 2R |  Malmö FF
|
0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1(a) | ||
| QF | Sporting CP
|
1–1 | 0–3 | 1–4 | ||
| 1974–75 | European Cup | 1R | Leeds United
|
2–1 | 1–4 | 3–5 |
| 1975–76 | European Cup | 1R |  Újpest
|
5–1 | 0–4 | 5–5(a) |
| 1976–77 | European Cup | 1R | Rangers
|
1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 |
| 2R |  Turun Palloseura
|
2–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 | ||
| QF |  Dynamo Dresden
|
2–1 | 2–3 | 4–4(a) | ||
| SF | Liverpool
|
1–3 | 0–3 | 1–6 | ||
| 1977–78 | UEFA Cup | 1R |  CSKA Sofia
|
1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 |
| 2R |  Eintracht Frankfurt
|
3–4 | 0–3 | 3–7 | ||
| 1979–80 | UEFA Cup | 1R | 1. FC Kaiserslautern
|
1–3 | 1–5 | 2–8 |
| 1981–82 | European Cup | 1R | Dynamo Berlin
|
3–1 | 0–2 | 3–3(a) |
| 1982–83 | UEFA Cup | 1R |  Pezoporikos Larnaca
|
1–0 | 2–2 | 3–2 |
| 2R | Ferencváros
|
1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | ||
| 3R | Benfica
|
1–1 | 0–4 | 1–5 | ||
| 1983–84 | UEFA Cup | 1R | Antwerp
|
2–4 | 1–4 | 3–8 |
| 1998–99 | UEFA Cup | 2QR |  Shakhtar Donetsk
|
4–0 | 2–3 | 6–3 |
| 1R | Anorthosis Famagusta
|
4–0 | 3–2 | 7–2 | ||
| 2R | Celtic
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4–2 | 1–1 | 5–3 | ||
| 3R |  Roma
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2–2 | 0–1 | 2–3 | ||
| 1999–00 | UEFA Cup | QR |  Sliema Wanderers
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1–0 | 3–0 | 4–0 |
| 1R | Lierse
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4–3 | 1–0 | 5–3 | ||
| 2R | Newcastle United
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1–2 | 1–3 | 2–5 | ||
| 2000–01 | UEFA Cup | 1R | Genk
|
1–2 | 0–2 | 1–4 |
| 2005–06 | UEFA Cup | 2QR |  Legia Warsaw
|
4–1 | 1–0 | 5–1 |
| 1R | Brøndby
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2–1 | 0–2 | 2–3 | ||
| 2006–07 | UEFA Champions League | 2QR |  Red Bull Salzburg
|
2–1 | 0–2 | 2–3 |
| 2007–08 | UEFA Champions League | 3QR | Beşiktaş
|
1–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 |
| UEFA Cup | 1R | Empoli
|
3–0 | 1–2 | 4–2 | |
| Group E |  Sparta Prague
|
N/A | 2–1 | 3rd | ||
 Toulouse
|
2–0 | N/A | ||||
 Spartak Moscow
|
N/A | 0–1 | ||||
| Bayer Leverkusen
|
0–5 | N/A | ||||
| R32 | Hamburger SV
|
1–3 | 0–0 | 1–3 | ||
| 2008–09 | UEFA Cup | 2QR | Sturm Graz
|
1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 (4–2 p) |
| 1R | Milan
|
0–1 | 1–3 | 1–4 | ||
| 2009–10 | UEFA Champions League | 3QR |  Maribor
|
2–3 | 3–0 | 5–3 |
| PO |  Ventspils
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2–1 | 3–0 | 5–1 | ||
| Group C | Real Madrid
|
2–5 | 0–1 | 4th | ||
| Milan
|
1–1 | 1–0 | ||||
| Marseille
|
0–1 | 1–6 | ||||
| 2011–12 | UEFA Champions League | 3QR | Standard Liège
|
1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 |
| PO | Bayern Munich
|
0–1 | 0–2 | 0–3 | ||
| UEFA Europa League | Group D | Sporting CP
|
0–2 | 0–2 | 4th | |
 Vaslui
|
2–0 | 2–2 | ||||
| Lazio
|
1–1 | 0–1 | ||||
| 2013–14 | UEFA Europa League | 3QR | Slovan Liberec
|
1–2 | 1–2 | 2–4 |
| 2014–15 | UEFA Europa League | PO |  Spartak Trnava
|
1–1 | 3–1 | 4–2 |
| Group A | Apollon Limassol
|
3–1 | 2–3 | 3rd | ||
| Borussia Mönchengladbach
|
1–1 | 0–3 | ||||
| Villarreal
|
3–2 | 1–4 | ||||
| 2015–16 | UEFA Europa League | 3QR |  Dinamo Minsk
|
0–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 |
| 2016–17 | UEFA Europa League | Group L | Villarreal
|
1–1 | 1–2 | 3rd |
| FCSB
|
0–0 | 1–1 | ||||
| Osmanlıspor
|
2–1 | 0–2 | ||||
| 2018–19 | UEFA Europa League | Group A | Bayer Leverkusen
|
3–2 | 0–1 | 2nd |
| Ludogorets Razgrad
|
1–0 | 1–1 | ||||
| AEK Larnaca
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1–2 | 1–0 | ||||
| R32 | Napoli
|
1–3 | 0–2 | 1–5 |
References[]
- ^ "Das Stadion Letzigrund in Zahlen und Fakten". stadionletzigrund.ch. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
- ^ Saro Pepe. "Football for all – but only for the last 50 years". nationalmuseum.ch. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
- ^ "Biography on fcwinterthur1896.com". fcwinterthur1896.com. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
- ^ "Erinnerung an unser erstes Matsch". fcz.ch. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
- ^ "Erinnerung an unser erstes Matsch". fcz.ch. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
- ^ Lütscher, Michael (2010). Eine Stadt, ein Verein, eine Geschichte. Verlag Neue Zürcher Zeitung. p. 47. ISBN 9783038236436.
- ^ "Schweiz " Super League " Zuschauer". weltfussball.at. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
- ^ "Zuschauerzahlen Super League". sfl.ch. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
- ^ "COVID-19 outbreak: Swiss Super League to admit 1,000 fans". coliseum-online.com. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
- ^ "FCZ-Trainingszentrum: Holzbau schreitet voran". fcz.ch. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
- ^ "Squad". FC Zürich. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
- ^ "U21". FC Zürich. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
- ^ "dbFCZ : Die Spiele des FC Zürich" [dbFCZ : The games of FC Zurich]. dbFCZ (in German). Retrieved 15 March 2016.
- ^ "Top 10 Einsätze für den FCZ" [Top 10 appearances for the FCZ]. dbFCZ (in German). Retrieved 15 May 2017.
- ^ "Top 10 Tore für den FCZ" [Top 10 goals for the FCZ]. dbFCZ (in German). Retrieved 15 May 2017.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to FC Zürich. |
- FC Zürich stats (in German)
- Archive FC Zürich (in German)
- Copa90: Zurich On Fire! - FC Zürich vs Grasshopper Club
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- FC Zürich
- Sport in Zürich
- Football clubs in Switzerland
- Association football clubs established in 1896
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