Neuchâtel Xamax FCS

Neuchâtel Xamax Football Club Serrières or Neuchâtel Xamax FCS (pronounced [nøʃɑtɛl ksamaks]) is a Swiss football club based in Neuchâtel. It was created in 1970 through a merger between FC Cantonal, founded in 1906 and Swiss champions of 1916, and FC Xamax founded in 1912. The name Xamax comes from legendary Swiss international player 'Xam' Max Abegglen, one of the founding members.[1] Xamax Neuchâtel FCS obtained its current name after a merger with FC Serrières, another side from Neuchâtel, in May 2013.[2]

Neuchâtel Xamax
Full nameNeuchâtel Xamax Football Club Serrières
Nickname(s)Xamax
Founded1912 (1912)
GroundStade de la Maladière,
Neuchâtel
Capacity12,000
ChairmanChristian Binggeli
ManagerJeff Saibene
LeagueSwiss Challenge League
2021–22Swiss Challenge League, 6th of 10
WebsiteClub website
Chart of the table positions of Neuchâtel Xamax FCS and its previous incarnations in the Swiss football league system
Stade de la Maladière
Gilbert Gress, championship winning coach of the 1980s.

History

Students at the Collège latin in Neuchâtel began playing organized football in 1910 soon after, in 1912, Neuchâtel Xamax was officially founded.[3]

They have been champions of Switzerland on two occasions, in successive years in 1987 and 1988.[4] The club has also made it to 5 Swiss Cup finals, the most recent in 2011, but have failed to win any of them.[4]

After many financial crises, the club declared bankruptcy on 26 January 2012 and was consequently excluded from Swiss Super League.[5] The club was reformed, but had to restart in the Swiss amateur leagues, entering the 2. Liga Interregional, the fifth tier of the Swiss football league system, for the 2012–13 season.[6] The club finished first in 2013 and was promoted to the 1. Liga Classic for 2013–14. Once again, Xamax finished first, winning the play-off to secure a second successive promotion. Xamax won 1. Liga Promotion, the third tier of Swiss league system and promoted to Challenge League after making third successive promotion in 2014–15 season.[4]

The club finally won promotion back to the Swiss Super League in 2018 after bankruptcy and six years in the lower leagues.[7]

Stadium

The club plays its home matches at the Stade de la Maladière, which began construction in 2004 and was opened in 2007. It has a capacity of 12,500 spectators.[8]

Current squad
As of 30 January 2023[9]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK France FRA Théo Guivarch
2 DF Switzerland SUI Till Estermann
3 DF France FRA Mathieu Gonçalves
4 DF Switzerland SUI Liridon Berisha
5 DF Sweden SWE Mirza Mujčić
6 MF Switzerland SUI Fabio Saiz
7 MF Slovenia SVN Kenan Fatkič
8 MF Switzerland SUI Alexandre Pasche
10 MF Italy ITA Danilo Del Toro
12 MF Switzerland SUI Max Veloso
14 FW Switzerland SUI Raphaël Nuzzolo
15 DF Switzerland SUI Yoan Epitaux
16 FW Switzerland SUI Altin Zymberi
17 FW Ivory Coast CIV Soumaila Bakayoko
19 DF Switzerland SUI Ashvin Balaruban
20 MF Kosovo KOS Endrit Morina
No. Pos. Nation Player
21 MF Switzerland SUI Mats Hammerich
23 DF Japan JPN Nikki Havenaar (on loan from Thun)
24 MF Switzerland SUI Nikolai Maurer
25 FW France FRA Ayoub Ouhafsa
26 GK Switzerland SUI Benjamin Roth
33 FW Switzerland SUI Ange Dakouri
34 MF Switzerland SUI Burak Alili
35 DF Ghana GHA Frank Amoabeng
39 DF Belgium BEL Luis Pedro Cavanda
44 GK Switzerland SUI Ysias Hummel
72 DF Switzerland SUI Adam Ouattara
80 MF Switzerland SUI Izer Aliu
99 FW Senegal SEN Amadou Dia N'Diaye
— MF Switzerland SUI Marvin Spielmann (on loan from Lausanne)
— FW Switzerland SUI Tician Tushi (on loan from Basel)

Notable players
Africa
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Egypt
Ivory Coast
Nigeria
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Asia
Philippines
Saudi Arabia
Europe
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Hungary
Germany (West Germany)
Ireland
Liechtenstein
Spain
Switzerland

Honours
Leagues
Cups

Former coaches

European record
Season Competition Round Opponents Home Away Aggregate
1981–82 UEFA Cup 1R Czechoslovakia Sparta Prague 4–0 2–3 6–3
2R Sweden Malmö 1–0 1–0 2–0
3R Portugal Sporting CP 1–0 0–0 1–0
QF West Germany Hamburg 0–0 2–3 2–3
1984–85 UEFA Cup 1R Greece Olympiacos 2–2 0–1 2–3
1985–86 UEFA Cup 1R Romania Sportul Studențesc 3–0 4–4 7–4
2R Bulgaria Lokomotiv Sofia 0–0 1–1 1–1 (a)
3R Scotland Dundee United 3–1 1–2 4–3
QF Spain Real Madrid 2–0 0–3 2–3
1986–87 UEFA Cup 1R Denmark Lyngby 2–0 3–1 5–1
2R Netherlands Groningen 1–1 0–0 1–1 (a)
1987–88 European Cup 1R Finland Kuusysi 5–0 1–2 6–2
2R Germany Bayern Munich 2–1 0–2 2–3
1988–89 European Cup 1R Greece Larissa 2–1 1–2 3–3 (3–0 PSO)
2R Turkey Galatasaray 3–0 0–5 3–5
1990–91 European Cup Winners' Cup 1R Portugal Estrela de Amadora 1–1 1–1 2–2 (3–4 PSO)
1991–92 UEFA Cup 1R Malta Floriana 2–0 0–0 2–0
2R Scotland Celtic 5–1 0–1 5–2
3R Spain Real Madrid 1–0 0–4 1–4
1992–93 UEFA Cup 1R Denmark BK Frem 2–2 1–4 3–6
1995–96 UEFA Cup QR Serbia and Montenegro Red Star Belgrade 0–0 1–0 1–0
1R Italy Roma 1–1 0–4 1–4
1996–97 UEFA Cup QR Cyprus Anorthosis Famagusta 4–0 2–1 6–1
1R Ukraine Dynamo Kyiv 2–1 0–0 2–1
2R Sweden Helsingborg 1–1 0–2 1–3
1997–98 UEFA Cup Q1 Moldova Tiligul-Tiras Tiraspol 7–0 3–1 10–1
Q2 Norway Viking 3–0 1–2 4–2
1R Italy Inter Milan 0–2 0–2 0–4
2003–04 UEFA Cup QR Malta Valletta 2–0 2–0 4–0
1R France Auxerre 0–1 0–1 0–2

References
  1. "Historique : La Genèse | NEUCHÂTEL XAMAX" (in French). Xamax.ch. Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
  2. "Le Neuchâtel Xamax FCS est né" (in French). RTS Sport. 29 April 2013. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  3. "La Genèse" (in French). Neuchâtel Xamax. Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  4. "Un palmarès plus que respectable" (in French). Neuchâtel Xamax. Archived from the original on 29 January 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  5. "Swiss club Xamax bankrupt, Chechen owner arrested - - SI.com". Sportsillustrated.cnn.com. Archived from the original on 12 April 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
  6. Meisterschaft 2. Liga interregional Archived 15 January 2013 at archive.today accessed: 21 July 2012
  7. "Switzerland side Neuchatel Xamax return to top division six years after bankruptcy, collapse". ESPN. 22 April 2018. Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  8. "LA MALADIÈRE – HISTORIQUE" (in French). Neuchâtel Xamax. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  9. "1ère Equipe – Neuchâtel Xamax 1912". Archived from the original on 10 February 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.