Alain Sutter: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 15:06, 22 September 2005

Latest revision as of 13:18, 17 August 2025

(131 intermediate revisions by 89 users not shown)

Line 1:

{{short description|Swiss football former player (born 1968)}}

'''Alain Sutter''' (born [[January 22]], [[1968]] in [[Bern]]) was one of the most successful [[Switzerland|Swiss]] [[football (soccer)|football]] players during the 1990s.

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Alain Sutter

| image = 080603 sutter.jpg

| caption = Sutter in 2008

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|1|22|df=y}}

| birth_place = [[Bern]], Switzerland

| height = 1.78 m

| position = [[Midfielder]]

| youthyears1 = 1973–1985

| youthclubs1 = [[SC Bümpliz 78]]

| years1 = 1985–1993

| clubs1 = [[Grasshopper Club Zürich|Grasshoppers]]

| caps1 = 202

| goals1 = 36

| years2 = 1987–1988

| clubs2 = → [[BSC Young Boys|Young Boys]] (loan)

| caps2 = 28

| goals2 = 5

| years3 = 1993–1994

| clubs3 = [[1. FC Nürnberg]]

| caps3 = 29

| goals3 = 5

| years4 = 1994–1995

| clubs4 = [[FC Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich]]

| caps4 = 22

| goals4 = 1

| years5 = 1995–1997

| clubs5 = [[SC Freiburg]]

| caps5 = 45

| goals5 = 5

| years6 = 1997–1998

| clubs6 = [[Dallas Burn]]

| caps6 = 25

| goals6 = 2

| totalcaps = 351

| totalgoals = 54

| nationalyears1 = 1985–1996

| nationalteam1 = [[Switzerland national football team|Switzerland]]

| nationalcaps1 = 68

| nationalgoals1 = 5

}}

'''Alain Sutter''' (born 22 January 1968) is a Swiss former professional [[association football|footballer]] who played as a [[midfielder]]. He is currently the [[sporting director]] of [[Grasshopper Club Zurich]].

==Playing career==

Sutter began his career in [[1985]] with [[Grasshoppers Zurich]], one of Switzerland's most storied clubs. After spending the 1987-1988 season on loan to [[BSC Young Boys|Young Boys Bern]], he was ready to take his place in the Grasshoppers first team, where he remained until the 1993-1994 season, when he decided to move to [[Germany]] to play with [[1. FC Nürnberg|Nürnberg]].

Born in [[Bern]], Sutter played youth football for [[SC Bümpliz 78]],<ref>{{cite web |title=SC Bümpliz 78 - Seite 2 von 2 |url=https://www.zwoelf.ch/sc-buempliz-als-kleiner-zwischen-grossen/2/ |website=Fussballmagazin ZWÖLF |language=de-DE |date=30 October 2015}}</ref> before beginning his professional career in 1985 with [[Grasshopper Club Zürich|Grasshoppers]],<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.worldfootball.net/spieler_profil/alain-sutter/ | title = Alain Sutter | publisher = worldfootball.net | accessdate = 26 November 2012}}</ref> one of Switzerland's most storied clubs. After spending the 1987–88 season on loan at [[BSC Young Boys]], he was ready to take his place in the Grasshoppers first team, where he remained until the 1993–94 season, when he decided to move to Germany to play with [[1. FC Nürnberg]].<ref name="nagelsmann">{{cite news |last1=Wettstein |first1=Mischi |title=Alain Sutter war Nagelsmanns Lieblingsspieler bei Bayern München |url=https://www.nau.ch/sport/fussball-int/alain-sutter-war-nagelsmanns-lieblingsspieler-bei-bayern-munchen-65916648 |access-date=11 November 2021 |work=Nau |language=de}}</ref>

After Sutter's impressive performances during the [[1994 FIFA World Cup]],<ref>{{Wccite news |title=Alain Sutter war an der WM 1994 trotz Handicap herausragend |url=https://www.suedostschweiz.ch/sport/fussball/2020-06-18/alain-sutter-war-an-der-wm-1994-trotz-handicap-herausragend |work=Südostschweiz |date=18 June 2020 |language=de}},</ref> Germany's most successful club, [[FC Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich]], quickly signed the midfielder where he played for one season,<ref name="nagelsmann" /> before moving again this time to [[SC Freiburg|Freiburg]].<ref Suttername="zwolf">{{cite finishedweb his|title=Ein careerbisschen zu weich |url=http://www.zwoelf.ch/alain-sutter/ |website=Fussballmagazin ZWÖLF |language=de-DE |date=13 September 2015}}</ref> In 1997, he transferred to [[Major League Soccer]] in 1998the afterUnited spendingStates, twowhere seasonshe withsigned for the Dallas Burn (now [[FC Dallas]]).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Landman |first1=Brian |title=Dallas' No. 66 finding his kicks |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1997/05/23/dallas-no-66-finding-his-kicks/ |work=Tampa Bay Times |date=1 October 2005 |language=en}}</ref> He played one season in Dallas but his tenure there was cut short when, during training in early 1998, he stepped awkwardly in a hole of the practice field (the Burn was using the facilities of a high school at that time) and the injury forced him to retire.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Loyola |first1=Kelvin |title=5 players that played in MLS that you might have missed |url=https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/5-players-that-played-in-mls-that-you-might-have-missed-20210305-0014.html |work=Bolavip US |date=6 March 2021 |language=en}}</ref> He ended his career with 68 [[cap (football)|caps]] and five goals for the [[Switzerland national football team|Swiss national team]].

==Retirement==

{{footybio-stub}}

Sutter was a football expert and commentator for Swiss television from 1998 to 2017.<ref>{{cite web |title=Alain Sutter verlässt SRF-Expertenteam |url=https://medien.srf.ch/-/alain-sutter-verlasst-srf-expertenteam |website=medien.srf.ch |access-date=11 November 2021 |language=de-DE}}</ref>

He became the [[sporting director]] of [[FC St. Gallen]] on 3 January 2018.<ref>{{cite web |title=FC St.Gallen 1879 {{!}} Sutter Alain |url=https://www.fcsg.ch/home/daten/kader/sutter-alain/ |website=fcsg.ch |access-date=11 November 2021 |language=de}}</ref>

[[Category:1968 births|Sutter, Alain]]

[[Category:Swiss footballers|Sutter, Alain]]

On 5 May 2025, he was appointed as sporting director of [[Grasshopper Club Zurich]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gcz.ch/news/artikel/1/alain-sutter-wird-neuer-sportchef-beim-gcz/|title=Alain Sutter wird neuer Sportchef beim GCZ|trans-title=Alain Sutter will be the new sporting director at GCZ|publisher=Grasshopper Club Zürich|date=5 May 2024|access-date=5 May 2024|language=de-ch}}</ref>

[[Category:Bayern Munich players|Sutter, Alain]]

==Controversies==

Sutter was the main force behind a controversy in 1995. Before an important match for the Swiss team, he unfolded a banner to protest against France testing the atom bomb.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.spiegel.de/sport/fussball/protest-gegen-chirac-wie-kann-ein-mensch-solch-eine-zerstoerung-anrichten-a-715178.html | title = Wie kann ein Mensch solch eine Zerstörung anrichten? | language = German | publisher = Spiegel Online | date = 22 September 2010 | accessdate = 26 November 2012}}</ref>

==Honours==

'''Grasshoppers'''

* [[Swiss Super League|Swiss Championship]]: [[1989–90 Nationalliga A|1989–90]], [[1990–91 Nationalliga A|1990–91]]

* [[Swiss Cup]]: 1988–89, 1989–90

* [[Swiss Super Cup]]: 1989<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesz/zwitsupcuphist.html | title=Switzerland Super Cup Finals |website=[[RSSSF]] |access-date=22 February 2022}}</ref>

'''Bayern Munich'''

* [[UEFA Cup]]: [[1995–96 UEFA Cup|1995–96]]<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[UEFA]]|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/match/52188--bayern-vs-lokomotiv-moskva/|title=Bayern v Lokomotiv Moscow game report|accessdate=14 June 2021}}</ref>

'''Individual'''

* [[MLS All-Star Game|MLS All-Star]]: [[1997 MLS All-Star Game|1997]]<ref>[https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/all-star-game-flashback-1997-valderrama-named-mvp-again All-Star Game flashback, 1997] at MLSsoccer.com</ref>

===International===

'''International goals for Switzerland'''

:''Score and results list Switzerland's goal tally first.''<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/17003/Alain_Sutter.html | title = Alain Sutter (Player) | website = national-football-teams.com | access-date = 7 April 2023}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:100%"

|-

! # !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition

|-

| 1. || 21 September 1988 || [[Stade Josy Barthel]], [[Luxembourg (city)|Luxembourg]], Luxembourg || {{fb|LUX}} || {{center|1–0}} || {{center|4–1}} ||[[1990 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 7|1990 FIFA World Cup qualification]]

|-

| 2. || 14 November 1990 || [[Stadio Olimpico (San Marino)|Stadio Olimpico]], [[Serravalle (San Marino)|Serravalle]], San Marino || {{fb|SMR}} || {{center|1–0}} || {{center|4–0}} || [[UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying Group 2|UEFA Euro 1992 qualification]]

|-

| 3. || 25 March 1992 || [[Lansdowne Road]], [[Dublin]], Ireland || {{fb|IRL}} || {{center|1–0}} || {{center|1–2}} || [[Exhibition game|Friendly]]

|-

| 4. || 22 June 1994 || [[Pontiac Silverdome]], [[Detroit]], United States || {{fb|ROU}} || {{center|1–0}} || {{center|4–1}} || [[1994 FIFA World Cup Group A|1994 FIFA World Cup]]

|-

| 5. || 6 September 1994 || [[Stade de Tourbillon]], [[Sion, Switzerland|Sion]], Switzerland || {{fb|UAE}} || {{center|1–0}} || {{center|1–0}} || [[Exhibition game|Friendly]]

|}

==Published works==

* {{cite book |last1=Sutter |first1=Alain |title=Stressfrei glücklich sein |date=2015 |publisher=Giger Verlag |___location=Altendorf |isbn=978-3-905958-69-0}}

* {{cite book |last1=Sutter |first1=Alain |title=Herzensangelegenheit |date=2016 |publisher=Giger Verlag |___location=Altendorf |isbn=978-3-906872-00-1}}

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links==

* {{NFT player|17003}}

* {{FIFA player|58605}}

{{Switzerland squad 1994 FIFA World Cup}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sutter, Alain}}

[[Category:1968 births]]

[[Category:Living people]]

[[Category:Footballers from Bern]]

[[Category:Swiss men's footballers]]

[[Category:Men's association football midfielders]]

[[Category:Switzerland men's international footballers]]

[[Category:1994 FIFA World Cup players]]

[[Category:UEFA Europa League–winning players]]

[[Category:Major League Soccer All-Stars]]

[[Category:1. FC Nürnberg players]]

[[Category:FC Bayern Munich footballers]]

[[Category:SC Freiburg players]]

[[Category:FC Dallas players]]

[[Category:Grasshopper Club Zurich players]]

[[Category:BSC Young Boys players]]

[[Category:Swiss Super League players]]

[[Category:Bundesliga players]]

[[Category:Major League Soccer players]]

[[Category:Swiss expatriate men's footballers]]

[[Category:Swiss expatriate sportspeople in Germany]]

[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Germany]]

[[Category:Swiss expatriate sportspeople in the United States]]

[[Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States]]

[[Category:20th-century Swiss sportsmen]]

{{Switzerland-footy-midfielder-stub}}