FC Vaduz

Football club infobox
clubname = FC Vaduz


fullname = Fußball Club Vaduz
nickname = Residenzler
founded = 1932
ground = Rheinpark Stadion Vaduz, Liechtenstein
capacity = 6,127
chairman = Flagicon|Liechtenstein Hanspeter Negele
manager = Flagicon|Switzerland Heinz Hermann
league = Axpo Super League
season = 2007-08
position = Swiss Challenge League, 1st (Promoted) |
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socks3=000000 FC Vaduz is a Liechtensteiner football team that plays in Vaduz. The club plays at the relatively small Rheinpark Stadion, which has a capacity of 6,127. They currently play in the Swiss Super League. From the 2001-02 through 2007-08 seasons, Vaduz played in the Challenge League (formerly called Nationalliga B), the second tier of the Swiss league system. In recent years Vaduz were one of the best teams in the Challenge League and gave serious challenges towards promotion to the Axpo Super League, especially in 2004 and 2005, playing two-leg play-offs in both cases. In the 2007-08 season, Vaduz secured promotion on 12 May 2008 by winning the Challenge League on the final day of the season, giving Liechtenstein a representative at the highest level of Swiss football.

History

Fußball Club Vaduz was founded on February 14, 1932 in Vaduz, and the club's first chairman was Johann Walser. In its first training match, which Vaduz played in Balzers on April 24 of that year, the newly-born team emerged as 2-1 winners. The club played in Vorarlberger Football Association in Austria for the 1932-1933 season. In 1933, Vaduz began playing in Switzerland. Over the years Vaduz struggled through various tiers of Swiss football and won its first Liechtensteiner Cup in 1949. Vaduz enjoyed a lengthy stay in the Swiss 1.Liga from 1960 to 1973, which is the third tier of the Swiss football league system.

In 1992, Vaduz qualified for European football for the first time, entering the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup as Liechtenstein Cup winners but lost 1-12 on aggregate to FC Chornomorets Odesa of Ukraine. In 1996, Vaduz qualified for the next round with their first European victory, winning 5-3 on aggregate over FC Universitate Riga of Latvia, although Vaduz lost to Paris St-Germain of France 0-7 on aggregate in the first round proper.

After the Cup Winners' Cup was abolished, Vaduz have annually entered the UEFA Cup as a result of winning the Liechtenstein Cup 37 times, by virtue of being the only full-time professional football team in the country. However, they have never got past the qualifying rounds to date.

However, Vaduz did come within one second of reaching the first round proper of the UEFA Cup in 2002. With the scores tied level at 0-0 and with opponents Livingston scheduled to go through on away goals, Vaduz won a late corner. The ball was sent into the box, and Marius Zarn hit a goal-bound shot. However, the referee blew the whistle for full-time before the ball crossed over the line, and Livingston progressed through in controversial circumstances.

In 3 out of the last 4 years, FC Vaduz have reached the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup. The most recent second qualifying round appearance saw them lose to their near-neighbours Basel of the Swiss Super League on away goals, despite a 2-1 victory at home.

Vaduz used to have many players from Liechtenstein, many of whom played for the Liechtenstein national team, but nearly all these players have moved abroad, and now the majority of the first team squad are foreign players from different areas of the world.

In January 2008, Vaduz participated in Uruguay's international friendly tournament, Copa Ricard, together with Defensor Sporting (Uruguay), Peñarol (Uruguay), Nacional (Uruguay), Olimpia (Paraguay) and Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica).

Achievements

*Liechtenstein football Cup: 37:: 1949, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1980, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008

*Swiss Challenge League Champions: 1::2008

Vaduz in Europe

Current squad

"As of 18 July, 2008"Fs player|no=1|nat=SUI|pos=GK|name=Yann Sommer (on loan from FC Basel)

Reserves

Staff

"Head Coach"
* Heinz Hermann

"Assistant Coach"
* Vittorio Franco Caruso

"Sports Physiotherapist"
* Christa Biçer-Beck

"Team Doctor"
* Dr. Claudio Canova
* Dr. Thomas Lindenfeld
* Dr. Vilijam Zdravković

"Team Chef"
* Werner Gerber

"Physiotherapist"
* Manuel Nef
* Simon Storm

"Medicine Adviser"
* Dr. Edward van Frank

"Scout"
* Hanjo Weller

"Kit Manager"
* Rigobert Wolf

Former Players

* Alexandre
* Goran Antić
* Giuseppe Aquaro
* Sandro Burki
* Fabio D'Elia
* Maxi
* Pape Omar Faye
* Claude Gnakpa
* Steve Gohouri
* Jamie Harnwell
* Daniel Hasler
* Swen König
* Yoann Langlet
* Flagicon|Kosovo Sokol Maliqi
* Jussi Nuorela
* Goran Obradović
* Antti Pohja
* Anatoli Ponomarev
* Miguel Alfredo Portillo
* Raphael Rohrer
* Artim Šakiri
* Juan Sara
* Flagicon|Switzerland Martin Stocklasa
* Florian Sturm
* Antti Sumiala
* Martin Telser
* Gabriel Urdaneta
* Marius Zarn

External links

* [http://www.fcvaduz.li/ Official website] de icon
* [http://www.rheinwoelfe.li/ erster offizieller Fanclub 04] de icon
* [http://www.fcvforum.li/ FCV-Forum] de icon
* [http://www.vaduznord.li/ Vaduz Nord] de icon