Neuchâtel Xamax

Neuchâtel Xamax

Full name	Neuchâtel Xamax FC
Nickname(s)	Xamax
Founded	1970
Ground	Stade de la Maladière, Neuchâtel (Capacity: 12,000)
Chairman	Islam Satujev
Manager	Víctor Muñoz[1]
League	Swiss Super League
2010–11	Swiss Super League, 8th
Home colours Away colours

Neuchâtel Xamax Football Club is a Swiss football club, based in Neuchâtel. It was created in 1970 through a merger between FC Cantonal (1906) and FC Xamax (1912). The club plays in red shirts, black shorts and red socks and are currently in the Axpo Super League, the highest Swiss football league. They play their home matches at the Stade de la Maladière. The name Xamax comes from Swiss international 'Xam' Max Abegglen^[2][3], one of the founding members.

Honours

• Swiss Super League
  • Winners (2): 1987, 1988
• Swiss Cup
  • Runners-up (5): 1974, 1985, 1990, 2003, 2011
• Swiss League Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 1977

Current squad

As of 29 June 2011: Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 3 DF Mickaël Facchinetti 4 DF Stéphane Besle 5 DF Paíto 6 MF Abdou Rahman Dampha 7 MF Marcos Gelabert 10 MF Víctor Sánchez 11 MF Geoffrey Tréand 12 GK Jean-François Bedenik 13 DF Bastien Geiger 14 DF David Navarro 15 FW Javier Arizmendi (on loan from Getafe) 16 FW Kalu Uche

No. Position Player 17 MF Vullnet Basha 19 DF Vincent Bikana 20 MF Max Veloso 21 DF Thibaut De Coulon 22 MF Sébastien Wüthrich 23 DF Mike Gomes 24 GK Logan Bailly (on loan from Borussia Mönchengladbach) 27 FW Haris Seferović (on loan from Fiorentina) 28 DF Bigambo Rochat 30 GK Maxime Brenet 31 MF Irakli Chirikashvili

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 18 MF Gilles Binya (at Gaziantepspor) 35 DF Agonit Sallaj (at Biel-Bienne) -- GK Guillaume Faivre (at Wil) -- MF Shkëlzen Gashi (at Aarau)

Notable former players

See also Category:Neuchâtel Xamax players.

Ansi Agolli Claudio Borghi Joel Griffiths Trifon Ivanov Thimothée Atouba Joseph Ndo Hossam Hassan Hany Ramzy Niklas Tarvajärvi Gilbert Gress Horst Blankenburg Uli Stielike Auðun Helgason Don Givens

René van der Gijp Viorel Moldovan Hussein Sulaimani Henri Camara Papa Bouba Diop Kader Mangane Xavier Molist Alain Geiger Stéphane Henchoz Stephan Keller Xavier Margairaz Steve von Bergen

Coaching staff

• Head Coach: Víctor Muñoz
• Manager: Andrei Rudakov

Transfer dispute

In January 2006 the club was involved in a dispute with Leeds United Football Club after the sale of Australian midfielder Joel Griffiths.

Leeds approached football's governing body via the FA after Neuchatel Xamax refused to release international clearance for Griffiths despite having agreed to sell the midfielder to United for £28,000.

FIFA found in Leeds' favour and General Secretary Urs Linsi signed off the international transfer certificate that gave Joel the green light to begin his playing career at Elland Road.

Former coaches

See also Category:Neuchâtel Xamax managers.

• Nestor Clausen
• Roy Hodgson
• Gilbert Gress
• Miroslav Blažević
• Didier Ollé-Nicolle
• Joaquín Caparrós

References

1. ^ http://www.marca.com/2011/09/04/futbol/futbol_internacional/espanoles_mundo/1315127757.html
2. ^ Inglis, Simon (1990). The Football Grounds of Europe. London: Collins Willow. p. 243. ISBN 0-00-218305-6. 
3. ^ http://www.xamax.ch/historique

External links

• (French) (German) Neuchâtel Xamax official site
• (French) Neuchâtel Xamax unofficial website
• (English) Soccerway profile
• (English) JUST CANT BEAT THAT profile