Pascal Zuberbühler

Football player infobox
playername= Pascal Zuberbühler


fullname = Pascal Zuberbühler
height = height|m=1.98
weight = 98.5 kg
nickname = Zubi
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1971|1|8
cityofbirth = Frauenfeld
countryofbirth = Switzerland
currentclub = Fulham
clubnumber = 19
position = Goalkeeper
youthyears = 1983–1992
youthclubs = Frauenfeld
years = 1992–1999 1999–2006 2000 2000–2001 2006–2007
2007–2008 2008–
clubs = Grasshoppers FC Basel → FC Aarau (loan) → Bayer Leverkusen (loan) West Bromwich Albion Neuchâtel Xamax Fulham
caps(goals) = 187 (0) 178 (0) 002 (0) 013 (0) 015 (0) 051 (0) 000 (0)
nationalyears = 1994–2008
nationalteam = Switzerland
nationalcaps(goals) = 051 (0)
pcupdate = 11 June, 2008
ntupdate = 22 August, 2008

Pascal Zuberbühler (born January 8, 1971 in Frauenfeld) is a Swiss football goalkeeper who currently plays for Fulham in the Premier League in England.

Club career

Zuberbühler made 187 appearances for Grasshopper Zürich between 1991 and 1999, winning the Swiss Super League three times and the Swiss Cup once. He moved to FC Basel where he played 217 games, winning the Championship another three times & the Swiss Cup twice. He is famous for his saves in a 1–1 tie with Liverpool in a Champions League game. He also played 13 league games and five Champions League games for Bayer Leverkusen in 2000–01.

He signed a two-year contract for West Bromwich Albion on a free transfer from Basel on 14 July, 2006.cite news
title = West Brom sign keeper Zuberbuhler
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_bromwich_albion/5180086.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2006-07-14
accessdate = 2007-05-19] His first appearance in an Albion shirt was in a friendly against Motherwell, where he earned praise from his manager Bryan Robson. [cite news
title = Robson praise for debutant keeper
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_bromwich_albion/5210876.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2006-07-24
accessdate = 2007-06-12] He then kept a clean sheet on his competitive début as Albion beat Hull City 2–0 on 5 August 2006. [cite news
title = West Brom 2-0 Hull
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/5226766.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2006-08-05
accessdate = 2007-06-12] However, he was generally not a success with the Baggies and was dropped straight from the first team by new manager Tony Mowbray after starting 15 games, apparently due to the fans' poor reaction to Zuberbühler, who would boo and sarcastically applaud him when he played. Mowbray made the Swiss keeper available for loan in November. [cite news
title = Baggies pair available for loan
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_bromwich_albion/6166360.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2006-11-20
accessdate = 2007-06-12]

Zuberbühler returned to the first team after Russell Hoult was suspended, and responded by keeping a clean sheet in the 3–0 FA Cup win at rivals Wolves, but it proved to be his last game for the club. [cite news
title = Wolves 0-3 West Brom
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/6282191.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2007-01-28
accessdate = 2007-06-12] January transfer-window signing Dean Kiely immediately replaced Zuberbühler in the first team, and he felt this harmed his chances for Euro 2008, due to be held in his home country, Switzerland. In February 2007, he was told by West Brom that he was "surplus to requirements", and that they would not stand in his way should a club come in for him. He signed an 18-month contract at Swiss side Neuchâtel Xamax, moving there on a free transfer. [cite news
title = Zuberbuhler ends West Brom spell
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_bromwich_albion/6362911.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2007-02-14
accessdate = 2007-06-12]

In July 2008, Zuberbühler joined Fulham on trial. He first appearance for the club was against Korean side Busan I'Park. He appeared as a second half substitute for David Stockdale in the one-nil defeat. [cite news
title = Busan l'Park v Fulham
url = http://www.fulhamfc.com/MatchAndTeam/MatchCentre/Matches/0809/Friendlies/BusanAway.aspx
publisher = Fulham FC
date = 2008-07-23] On 6 August 2008 Fulham signed Zuberbuhler on a one year deal.

International career

Zuberbühler has been capped 51 times by Switzerland and was a member of the Swiss squad for Euro 2004 and also the squad for World Cup 2006. Despite having received criticism in the run-up to the 2006 tournament, particularly his handling of crosses, he did not concede a goal in nearly 400 minutes of football against hard shots from France, South Korea, and Togo as his team lost in the last 16 on penalties against Ukraine. Switzerland are the only team in the history of the tournament not to concede a goal in normal time. Zuberbühler holds the record for most successive matches at an international tournament without conceding (five games). On 11 June, he played his last game with the Swiss national team, during the 2–0 victory over Portugal in the UEFA 2008.

Honours

Swiss Championship Winner (Super League) 1995, 1996, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2005

Swiss 2nd Division Winner (Challenge League) 2007

Swiss Cup Winner 1994, 2002, 2003

Notes

External links

*soccerbase|id=16269|name=Pascal Zuberbühler
* [http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/fo/profiles/6692.html Yahoo! Sports profile]
* [http://www.leverkusen.com/whoiswho/whoiswho.php4?view=Zuberbue Leverkusen who's who]