Grasshopper-Club Zürich

Football club infobox
clubname = Grasshopper-Club Zürich


fullname = Grasshopper-Club Zürich
nickname = GC, GCZ
founded = 1886
ground = Letzigrund, Zürich
capacity = 26,500
chairman = Roger Berbig
manager = Hanspeter Latour
league = Swiss Super League
season = 2007-08
position = Swiss Super League, 4th| pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=_bluehalf|pattern_ra1=
leftarm1=0000FF|body1=FFFFFF|rightarm1=FFFFFF|shorts1=FFFFFF|socks1=FFFFFF
pattern_la2=_blueshoulders|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=_blueshoulders
leftarm2=FFE500|body2=FFE500|rightarm2=FFE500|shorts2=0000FF|socks2=0000FF

Grasshopper-Club Zürich commonly referred to as simply GC, GCZ, or Grasshopper is a Swiss multisports club based in Zürich. The oldest and most well known section of Grasshopper-Club Zürich is its football team. With 27 titles, Grasshopper-Club Zürich holds the record for winning the most national championship titles and with 18 victories also the one for the most successes in the Swiss Cup tournament.

The origins of Grasshopper's name is unknown, although the most common explanation is rooted in its early players' energetic post-goal celebrations.

History

Grasshopper was founded on September 1, 1886 by Tom E. Griffith, an English student. With a 20 Swiss franc donation, the club was able to import an English football and blue and white colours. Its first match came in October that year against ETH and ended in a goalless draw. In 1893, Grasshopper became the first Swiss team to play in Germany, defeating RC Strasbourg 1-0.

1896 saw the formation of Fussballclub Zürich and the beginning of a storied rivalry. The following year, Grasshopper won the first Swiss Championship, beginning a collection of 27 league championships and 18 Swiss Cup wins. In 1909, Grasshopper withdrew from the football federation until the end of World War I in 1919.

In 1997, Grasshopper 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. [ [http://uk.builder.com/whitepapers/0,39026692,60047531p-39000909q,00.htm White Papers White Papers at ZDNet UK ] ]

After a number of high profile friendly and competitive Europe Cup and UEFA Champions League matches, Grasshopper has become Switzerland's most recognizable football club. Today, in addition to its marquee football squad, Grasshopper-Club Zürich maintains competitive professional and youth teams for rowing, ice hockey, handball, lawn tennis, court tennis, field hockey, curling, squash, and unihockey.

Stadium and grounds

*Sihlhölzli
*Stadion im Quartier Seefeld
*Stadion Hardau
*Stadion Hardturm

Grasshopper used to play its home matches at the Hardturm (Kreis 5 - Zürich). Starting on September 22nd 2007, Grasshopper-Club Zürich will play all of its home matches in the Letzigrund stadium, until the completion of Stadion ZürichTraining facilities are located in Niederhasli, where the club opened comprehensive facility including five practice pitches, apartments for youth players and offices in 2005.

Honours

* Swiss Super League
** Winners (27): 1898, 1900, 1901, 1905, 1921, 1927, 1928, 1931, 1937, 1939, 1942, 1943, 1945, 1952, 1956, 1971, 1978, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003

* Swiss Cup
** Winners (18):1926, 1927, 1932, 1934, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1946, 1952, 1956, 1983, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994

* Swiss League Cup
** Winners (2): 1973, 1975

* Swiss Super Cup
** Winners (1): 1989

* UEFA Intertoto Cup
** Winners (2): 2006, 2008

Affiliated clubs

*flagicon|England Manchester City F.C.
*flagicon|Australia Perth Glory
*flagicon|China Shanghai Shenhua
*flagicon|Russia FC Moscow
*flagicon|South Africa Thanda Royal Zulu FC
*flagicon|Thailand Chonburi FC

Current squad

(As of 3 July 2008) [ [http://www.football.ch/sfl/777822/de/Kaderliste.aspx?sort=1:a Swiss Football League] ] [ [http://www.uefa.com/footballeurope/club=50004/competition=16/index.html UEFA Intertoto Cup squad] ] [ [http://www.uefa.com/competitions/intertotocup/fixturesresults/round=15292/match=302869/index.html UEFA Intertoto Cup - Grasshoppers vs. Besa, 5 July 2008] ]

Out on loan

Famous players

Coaching staff

*Manager: flagicon|Switzerland Hanspeter Latour
*Assistant manager: flagicon|Sweden Mats Gren
*Assistant manager: flagicon|Switzerland Walter Grüter
*Goalkeeping coach: flagicon|Switzerland Stefan Huber
*Goalkeeping coach: flagicon|Switzerland Willi Weber

Managers since 1925

Famous supporters

*Maximilian Schell, Oscar winning actor
*Friedrich Dürrenmatt, author of German literature
*Michelle Hunziker, model and entertainer on Italian and German television

References

External links

Official

* [http://www.gcz.ch/ gcz.ch - Official website of GCZ in German]

Unofficial

* [http://www.gczforum.ch/ GCZForum - Bulletin Board (Forum) for Fans of GCZ (German)]
* [http://www.gc-zone.ch/ GCZone - Fansite of GCZ (German)]
* [http://www.zone-romande.com/ Zone Romande - Fansite of GCZ (French)]
* [http://www.grassmokers.ch/ Grassmokers - Oldest unofficial fanclub of GCZ (German)]
* [http://www.blue-side.ch/ Blue-Side - Unofficial fanclub of GCZ (German)]
* [http://www.grasshoppersonline.ch.vu/ Grasshoppers Online - Fansite of GCZ (German)]
* [http://www.gcfanclub-ostschweiz.ch/ GC Fanclub Ostschweiz - Official Fanclub of GCZ (German)]