Reto Ziegler

Football player infobox
playername = Reto Ziegler


fullname = Reto Ziegler
height = height|m=1.83
dateofbirth = Birth date and age|1986|1|16|mf=y
cityofbirth = Geneva
countryofbirth = Switzerland
currentclub = Sampdoria
clubnumber = 3
position = Left Midfielder / Defender
youthyears = 1993–1995
1995–1997
1997–1998
1998–2000
2000–2002
youthclubs = FC Gland
Servette FC
US Terre Sainte
Servette FC
Grasshopper Club Zürich
years = 2002–2004
2004–2007
2005–2006
2006
2007
2007–
clubs = Grasshopper-Club Zürich
Tottenham Hotspur
→ Hamburger SV (loan)
→ Wigan Athletic (loan)
→ Sampdoria (loan)
Sampdoria
caps(goals) = 41 (0)
24 (1)
08 (0)
10 (0)
15 (1)
0? (?)
nationalyears = 2004–
2005–
nationalteam = Switzerland U-21
Switzerland
nationalcaps(goals) = 25 (2)
04 (0)
pcupdate = November 18, 2006
ntupdate = August 22, 2008

Reto Ziegler (born January 16 1986 in Geneva) is a Swiss footballer who plays for Sampdoria.

Club career

Early career

Ziegler began his football career with Servette FC, before signing with one of Switzerland's biggest clubs, Grasshopper-Club Zürich.

After two years in Zürich, Ziegler was in the summer of 2004 signed by Tottenham Hotspur to a contract initially meant to begin on 1 January 2005, when his contract with Grasshoppers expired. But the two clubs, reportedly by initiative of then-Tottenham sporting director Frank Arnesen, were able to agree to an immediate transfer, and Reto joined Tottenham in late August of that year.

Tottenham Hotspur

Despite being just 18 years old, he soon made his debut and became an important member of the team under both coach Jacques Santini, who left in October after just a few months in charge, and his successor, Martin Jol. He featured mostly at left midfield but also played a few games as left full-back, often switching position with Timothée Atouba, another versatile left-sided player with the team at the time.

He featured in 31 games in all competitions that season, including 23 in the Premier League. He showed great promise and improvement, and became popular with the fans for his attack-minded play on the left side and good passing ability. Some of his most memorable moments from that season came in the home loss to Arsenal, when near the end of the game he played a delicate chipped pass to Frédéric Kanouté, who scored to make it 4-5, and in the New Year's Day game against Everton, where he scored his first goal en route to a 5-2 Tottenham win. It had so far been the only goal of his professional career. At the end of the season, he was named the "JSM Young Player Of The Year", an award given to a young Tottenham player by its junior fan club.

In the summer of 2005, he was sent on loan to Hamburger SV of the German Bundesliga, where he featured in 11 games and three UEFA Cup games, but was criticised by manager Thomas Doll for a poor attitude and rarely played more than a few minutes per game. He was recalled from the loan by Tottenham in January 2006, only to be put back out on loan, this time at another Premiership team, Wigan Athletic. He played until the end of the 2005-06 season, getting five starts and five substitute appearances in the Premier League and one start in the FA Cup, performing well but not spectacularly.

Ziegler returned to Tottenham for the 2006-07 season and featured in four games, including starts in the Carling Cup and UEFA Cup. On 31 January 2007 he joined Sampdoria on loan until the end of the season.

On 18 February 2007, Ziegler played his first Serie A match for Sampdoria against Parma [ cite web|title=Tactical Formation|work=Football-Lineups.com
url=http://www.football-lineups.com/wiki/_match3877.php | accessdate=February 23 | accessyear=2007] and scored his first goal in his 10th Serie A appearance for the club against Messina on 21 April 2007. Ziegler signed for Sampdoria permanently on 3 July 2007. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/t/tottenham_hotspur/6265638.stm|title=Ziegler makes switch to Sampdoria|date=2007-07-03|accessdate=2007-07-03|publisher=BBC Sport]

International career

Ziegler began his football career on the Swiss Under-17, Under-19 and Under-21 national teams.

He made his full debut for Switzerland in a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification game against France on 26 March 2005, helping his team secure a point through a 0-0 draw at the Stade de France. He gained two more caps before drifting out of the frame, and was not named to Switzerland's squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He scored a late free kick against the Netherlands in September 2008 to send Switzerland through to the play-off round of the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship.

Trivia

*His brother Ronald Ziegler plays for Swiss side ES FC Malley.

References

External links

* [http://www.sampdoria.it/index.php?option=com_teammanager&Itemid=109&task=player&playerid=52 Ziegler's profile on Sampdoria's official website]
*soccerbase|id=39325|name=Reto Ziegler