Servette FC
Encyclopedia
Servette FC is a Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

 football club, based in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...

 currently playing in the Swiss Super League
Swiss Super League
The Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...

. They were playing in the Swiss Challenge League, the second highest tier of Swiss football having been relegated from the Swiss Super League at the end of 2004/05 season. However, they earned promotion to the Super League after defeating Bellinzona in a relegation/promotion playoff at May 31, 2011 and have since then settled themselves once more in the Swiss Elite.

History

Founded in 1890, Servette was the leading club in French speaking Switzerland, having won 17 Swiss league championships and seven Swiss cups. Servette were also winners of the Torneo Internazionale Stampa Sportiva
Torneo Internazionale Stampa Sportiva
The Torneo Internazionale Stampa Sportiva was one of the very first international football competitions. Held in 1908, it predated the more famous Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy by a year...

, one of the very first international football competitions in the world, in 1908. In 1930 Servette organized Coupe des Nations
Coupe des Nations 1930
Coupe des Nations 1930 was a football tournament in the summer of 1930 in Geneva, Switzerland, organized by local club Servette FC. Servette had just won the Swiss championship, and organized this event as a counterpoint to the first World Cup held at the same time in Uruguay, to which only few...

, the predecessor of UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

.

Led by Umberto Barberis
Umberto Barberis
Umberto Barberis or simply Berto is a former Swiss-Italian footballer, last managing Dubai Club.-Playing career:...

 and Claude "Didi" Andrey
Claude Andrey
Claude "Didi" Andrey is a former Swiss footballer, currently managing Yverdon-Sport FC in the Challenge League.-External links:...

, in 1978-1979 the club won all the competitions it had entered - with the exception of the European Cup Winners' Cup where it was eliminated in quarter finals without losing by Fortuna Düsseldorf
Fortuna Düsseldorf
' is a German association football club based in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, currently playing in the second tier of German league football, the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga...

, that year's finalist. Barberis then became French champion in 1982 with AS Monaco
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...

.

Until its bankruptcy, Servette was the only club to have remained in the top league since its creation in 1890.

Bankruptcy

On 4 February 2005 the parent company of the club was declared bankrupt. It had run debts of over 10 million Swiss franc
Swiss franc
The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...

s, having not paid the players since the previous November, and consequently the club suffered an exodus of players looking for paying clubs. As a consequence of the bankruptcy Servette Under 21s took over the club name playing two divisions below the original Servette team in 1. Liga
Swiss 1. Liga (football)
1. Liga is the third tier of the Swiss Football League. The division is split into three groups of 16 teams, by geographical region.-Regional Format:...

, a fate already experienced by regional rivals Lausanne Sports in 2003, and continue to play at the Stade de Geneve in front of smaller crowds.

In the 2005-06 season, a rejuvenated Servette secured promotion to the Challenge League, the second highest division in Switzerland.

In the 2010-11 season, Servette finished 2nd in the Challenge League, thereby qualifying for a relegation/promotion play-off against Super League team AC Bellinzona
AC Bellinzona
AC Bellinzona is a Swiss football club based in Bellinzona. It was founded in 1904, and won the Swiss Super League in 1948.-History:Since Bellinzona is an Italian speaking region, many Italian Serie A clubs loan youth players to the club to get first team experience. AS Roma are a parent club to...

. Servette lost the initial match in Bellinzona 1-0, but won the return match 3-1 and winning the tie 3-2 on aggregate, securing promotion to the Swiss Super League.

Stadium

The home ground of Servette is the recently built Stade de Genève
Stade de Genève
Stade de Genève is a stadium in the greater Geneva, Switzerland area . It has a capacity of 30,084.-Overview:The stadium was completed in 2003 by Zschokke Construction S.A. after nearly three years of construction...

. It was inaugurated on March 16, 2003 after three years of construction. The opening match was played between Servette and Young Boys
BSC Young Boys
Berner Sport Club Young Boys 1898 is a Swiss sporting club based in the capital city of Bern. The name is often abbreviated to YB . Abroad, YB is often referred to as Young Boys Bern. The club's colors are yellow and black....

. With an all-seater capacity of 30,084, the Stade de Genève is the third largest stadium in Switzerland, and hosted three group matches in the 2008 European Football Championship.

Servette moved to the Stade de Genève from their old ground, the Stade des Charmilles
Charmilles Stadium
Charmilles Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Geneva, Switzerland. It was used mostly for football matches, and was the home venue for Servette FC. The stadium was able to hold 9,250 people and was built in 1930 for the Coupe des Nations 1930 tournament. During the 1954 FIFA World Cup the...

, in 2003. The Charmilles was inaugurated on June 28, 1930, with the first game drawing a crowd of 14,000 on the first match of the Coupe des Nations
Coupe des Nations 1930
Coupe des Nations 1930 was a football tournament in the summer of 1930 in Geneva, Switzerland, organized by local club Servette FC. Servette had just won the Swiss championship, and organized this event as a counterpoint to the first World Cup held at the same time in Uruguay, to which only few...

. The official capacity peaked at 30,000, but a record 40,000 spectators managed to squeeze in for the international game between Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...

 and France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...

 on October 14, 1951. Flood lights were installed in 1977 and the stands were entirely covered in 1983. The capacity gradually diminished from the 1980s onward, first to 20,000 in 1985 and then to 9,250 in 1998 when the stadium became an all-seater.

Plans for a new stadium were first launched in 1984, in response to the Charmilles becoming increasingly outdated and run down. A project committee was established in 1992, which proposed to either rebuild the stadium over the course of four years or construct a new stadium elsewhere in Geneva. Meanwhile, with more substantial plans failing to materialize, the poor state of the old stadium became apparent when the main stand, the Tribune A, was declared unsafe in 1995 and closed off. A renovation project began the following year, which saw the main stand re-opened and seats eventually being installed throughout the stadium. Servette would secure another Swiss Championship and a Cup trophy while playing at the Charmilles, before construction on the new Stade de Genève finally commenced in 2000. The last match was played on December 8, 2002 in front of a capacity crowd.

Current squad

Staff

Sports Director
  • Costinha
    Costinha
    Francisco José Rodrigues da Costa, OIH , aka Costinha , is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a defensive midfielder....



Head Coach
  • João Carlos Pereira
    João Carlos Pereira
    João Carlos Pereira is a Portuguese football manager, currently in charge of Servette FC.-Football career:...



Assistant Coach
  • Oscar Londono


Goalkeeper Coach
  • Pascal Marguerat


Advisor
  • Eugène Chappuis


Masseur
  • Thierry Nykiel


Physio
  • Denis Onkelinx


Doctor
  • Finn Mahler

Notable players

See also .


Harutyun Vardanyan
Harutyun Vardanyan
Harutyun Vardanyan is a former Armenian football defender. He spent most of his club career in the Swiss Super League, playing for Lausanne, Young Boys, Servette, and Aarau. Vardanyan was also a key defender for the Armenia national team, having played 62 international matches...

 Michel Renquin
Michel Renquin
Michel Renquin is a former football player and current coach. He won 55 caps for the Belgium national football team.He coached mostly in Switzerland.-Playing career:*Before 1974: JFC Wibrin*1974-1981: Standard de Liège...

 Sonny Anderson
Sonny Anderson
Anderson da Silva Nilmar , known as Sonny or Anderson, is a retired Brazilian footballer who played as a striker....

 Martin Petrov
Martin Petrov
Martin Petyov Petrov is a Bulgarian footballer, currently playing for Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League.-Club career:Petrov began his career for Botev Vratsa...

 Jean Beausejour
Jean Beausejour
Jean André Emanuel Beausejour Coliqueo , nicknamed Palmatoria or Francés, is a Chilean footballer who plays for English club Birmingham City...

 Jorge Valdivia
Jorge Valdivia
Jorge Luis Valdivia Toro is a Chilean professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for the Brazilian Série A club Palmeiras and the Chilean national team....

 John Eriksen
John Eriksen
John Hartmann Eriksen was a Danish footballer. During his career he played for Svendborg FB and Odense BK in his native Denmark, Roda JC and Feyenoord in Holland, FC Mulhouse in France and Servette FC and FC Luzern in Switzerland.He won 17 caps and scored six goals for Denmark, and played in the...

 Martin Chivers
Martin Chivers
Martin Harcourt Chivers is a retired English professional footballer from the 1960s and 1970s.-Southampton:...

   Christian Karembeu
Christian Karembeu
Christian Karembeu is a retired French international footballer and current scout for Arsenal Football Club...

 Oliver Neuville
Oliver Neuville
Oliver Patric Neuville is a retired German footballer who played as a striker.During an 18-year professional career, he played mainly for Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Mönchengladbach , amassing Bundesliga totals of 334 games and 91 goals.Neuville gained almost 70 caps for the German national...

 Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
Karl-Heinz "Kalle" Rummenigge is a German former football player.He had his greatest career success with German club Bayern Munich, where he won the Intercontinental Cup, the European Cup, as well as two league titles and two domestic cups.A member of the German national team, Rummenigge won the...

 Hossein-Ali Khan Sardar
Hossein-Ali Khan Sardar
Hossein-Ali Khan Sardar was an Iranian football player from the early years of 20th Century. He was a Goalkeeper during his playing career. He was born in Tehran, Iran.- Club career :He played his club football in Belgium whilst studying...

 Boško Đurovski
Fouzi El Brazi
Fouzi El Brazi
Faouzi El Brazi is a Moroccan football midfielder. Currently, he plays in the Ligue 2 for FC Istres.El Brazi played for Morocco at the 2000 Summer Olympics.-External links:...

 Viorel Moldovan
Viorel Moldovan
Viorel Dinu Moldovan is a retired Romanian football forward, who was a key part of the Romanian national team in the 1990s...

 Igor Dobrovolski
Igor Dobrovolski
Igor Ivanovich Dobrovolski is retired footballer in the wide attacking midfielder role. He is currently the manager of Dacia Chişinău.He started his career at Moldavian SSR, then played in Russian SFSR, Spain, Italy, France, Germany before retired in Moldova...

   Roberto Merino Jan Eriksson
Jan Eriksson
Jan Jonas Jakob Eriksson is a former footballer from Sweden. He played 35 matches and scored four goals for the national team. Two of those goals came at the Euro 1992. He was selected for the 1990 FIFA World Cup squad, but did not play...

 Mats Magnusson
Mats Magnusson
Mats Ture Magnusson is a retired Swedish footballer who played as a striker.-Football career:During his career, Magnusson played for Malmö FF , Servette FC, Sport Lisboa e Benfica and Helsingborgs IF .At the Lisbon club, where...

 Håkan Mild
Håkan Mild
Stig Håkan Mild is a former Swedish football midfielder and current director of sports of IFK Göteborg, his main club as player, with which he won four Swedish Championships...

 Julian Esteban
Julián Estéban
Julián Estebán is a Swiss-Spanish footballer currently playing for Servette FC in the Swiss Challenge League.-Football career:Estebán was an academy product of hometown club Servette FC...

 Alex Frei Ivan Lavrinets Kubilay Turkyilmaz
Kubilay Türkyilmaz
Kubilay "Kubi" Türkyilmaz is a former Swiss footballer of Turkish descent. He completed his international career as the all-time joint leading goal scorer for the Swiss national team, with 34 goals in 62 appearances between 1988 and 2001, equalling the performance of Max Abegglen...

 Abdel Kader
Mohamed Kader
Mohamed Abdel-Kader Coubadja-Touré is a Togolese football striker.-International career:A Togo international, he helped them reach the 2006 World Cup, their first World Cup ever. He further scored the team's first ever World Cup goal in a loss to South Korea. The goal was also Togo's only goal...


Managers

Teddy Duckworth
Teddy Duckworth
Thomas Crook "Teddy" Duckworth was an English professional football player and manager. As a player, he was an outside right. He played in the Football League and the Southern League for Blackpool, West Ham United and Blackburn Rovers.-Playing career:Born in Blackpool, Duckworth began his career...

 (1919–29) Frido Barth (1929) Teddy Duckworth
Teddy Duckworth
Thomas Crook "Teddy" Duckworth was an English professional football player and manager. As a player, he was an outside right. He played in the Football League and the Southern League for Blackpool, West Ham United and Blackburn Rovers.-Playing career:Born in Blackpool, Duckworth began his career...

 (1930) Karl Rappan
Karl Rappan
Karl Rappan was an Austrian footballer and coach. He played and managed mostly in Switzerland, where he won multiple titles. He had four tenures as coach of the Swiss national team, which he managed in three World Cups, and is the all-time leader in matches won as coach of the Swiss team...

 (1932–35) Leo Weisz (1935–36) Robert Pache
Robert Pache
Robert Pache was a Swiss footballer. He competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics.-Career:Pache was a member of the Swiss team, which won the silver medal in the football tournament....

 /   Albert Guinchard
Albert Guinchard
Albert Guinchard was a Swiss footballer who played for Switzerland in the FIFA World Cup in 1934 and 1938. He also played for Servette FC.-References:...

 (1936–37) Otto Hoëss (1937) André Abegglen
André Abegglen
André "Trello" Abegglen was a Swiss football forward. He played for Grasshopper-Club Zürich, the French club FC Sochaux-Montbéliard and the Swiss national team, for whom he appeared in two World Cups...

 (1937–42) Léo Wionsowski (1942–43) Fernand Jaccard
Fernand Jaccard
Fernand Alfred Jaccard was a Swiss football midfielder.-Career:Jaccard played in the 1934 FIFA World Cup. He went on to manage FC Basel from 1937 to 1939, after retiring from playing. He then coached FC Locarno, Servette FC, Cantonal Neuchâtel FC, FC Chiasso and FC Lausanne-Sport.- References :...

 (1943–48) Karl Rappan
Karl Rappan
Karl Rappan was an Austrian footballer and coach. He played and managed mostly in Switzerland, where he won multiple titles. He had four tenures as coach of the Swiss national team, which he managed in three World Cups, and is the all-time leader in matches won as coach of the Swiss team...

 (1948–53) Albert Châtelain (1953–54) Karl Rappan
Karl Rappan
Karl Rappan was an Austrian footballer and coach. He played and managed mostly in Switzerland, where he won multiple titles. He had four tenures as coach of the Swiss national team, which he managed in three World Cups, and is the all-time leader in matches won as coach of the Swiss team...

 /   Albert Châtelain  (1954–55) Karl Rappan
Karl Rappan
Karl Rappan was an Austrian footballer and coach. He played and managed mostly in Switzerland, where he won multiple titles. He had four tenures as coach of the Swiss national team, which he managed in three World Cups, and is the all-time leader in matches won as coach of the Swiss team...

 /   Theo Brinek (1955–56) Karl Rappan
Karl Rappan
Karl Rappan was an Austrian footballer and coach. He played and managed mostly in Switzerland, where he won multiple titles. He had four tenures as coach of the Swiss national team, which he managed in three World Cups, and is the all-time leader in matches won as coach of the Swiss team...

 (1956–57) Jenő Vincze (1957–58) Frank Séchehaye
Frank Séchehaye
Frank Séchehaye was a Swiss footballer . He participated in the 1928 Summer Olympics and the 1934 FIFA World Cup...

 (1958–59) Jean Snella (1959–63) Lucien Leduc
Lucien Leduc
Lucien Leduc was a French football midfielder and a manager.-Titles:*As a player**French championship in 1947 with CO Roubaix-Tourcoing**Coupe de France 1949 with RC Paris*As a coach...

 (1963–66) Roger Vonlanthen
Roger Vonlanthen
Roger Vonlanthen is a retired Swiss football player and manager.During his club career he played for Grasshoppers , Inter Milan , Alessandria and Lausanne . He earned 27 caps and scored 8 goals for the Switzerland national football team from 1954 to 1966, and participated in two World Cups...

 (1966)   Béla Guttmann
Béla Guttmann
Béla Guttmann was a Jewish Hungarian footballer and coach. He played as a midfielder for MTK Hungária FC, SC Hakoah Wien, Hungary and several clubs in the United States. However he is perhaps best remembered as a coach and manager of some the world’s leading football teams, including AC Milan, São...

 (1966–67) Gilbert Dutoît (1967) Jean Snella (1967–71) Henri Gillet (1971–72) Jürgen Sundermann (1972–76) Peter Pazmandy (1976–82) Guy Mathez
Guy Mathez
Guy Mathez is a Swiss football manager. He comes from Canton of Jura. Amongst others, he coached Servette FC from 1982 until 1985 and FC Basel from 1997 until 1999.-References:...

 (1982–85) Jean-Marc Guillou (1985–86)
Thierry De Choudens (1986–88) Jean-Claude Donzé (1988–89) Péter Pázmándy (1989–90) Ruud Krol
Ruud Krol
Rudolf Jozef Krol is a retired Dutch footballer who was capped 83 times for his native country. Playing the vast majority of his career with his home town club of Ajax before traveling the world as both a player and a coach...

 (1990) Gilbert Gress (1990–91) Jean Thissen
Jean Thissen
Jean Thissen is a retired Belgian international footballer. At the club level, he played for Standard Liège and Anderlecht. He also played internationally for the Belgium national football team in the 1970 FIFA World Cup and the 1972 UEFA European Football Championship.Thissen coached Beira-Mar,...

 (1991) Bernard Mocellin / Jacky Barlie /   Heinz Hermann
Heinz Hermann
Heinz Hermann is a former Swiss international footballer.On 1 July 1977 Heinz Hermann changed from FC Seefeld Zürich to Grasshopper-Club Zürich, where he became Swiss league champion four times and cup champion once. At the end of the season 1984/1985 he changed to Neuchâtel Xamax, and he later...

 (1991) Michel Renquin
Michel Renquin
Michel Renquin is a former football player and current coach. He won 55 caps for the Belgium national football team.He coached mostly in Switzerland.-Playing career:*Before 1974: JFC Wibrin*1974-1981: Standard de Liège...

 (1991–93) Ilija Petković
Ilija Petkovic
Ilija Petković is a retired Serbian footballer. Since the early 1990s he's been a football manager, his most notable appointment being with the Serbia and Montenegro national football team.-Playing career:He started playing football for Dinara Knin...

 (1993–95) Bernard Challandes
Bernard Challandes
Bernard Challandes is a Swiss football manager.-Coaching career:He was coach of the Switzerland national under-21 football team and he was manager of FC Zürich from summer 2007 to 19 April 2010. On 28 May 2010 the former FC Zurich, Servette and Young Boys coach has signed for FC Sion.-References:...

 (1995) Umberto Barberis
Umberto Barberis
Umberto Barberis or simply Berto is a former Swiss-Italian footballer, last managing Dubai Club.-Playing career:...

 (1995–96) Vujadin Boškov
Vujadin Boškov
Vujadin Boškov is a retired Serbian football player and coach.Boškov was born in the village of Begeč near Novi Sad, Danube Banovina, Kingdom of Yugoslavia). He played with FK Vojvodina for most of his career...

 (1996–97) Guy Mathez
Guy Mathez
Guy Mathez is a Swiss football manager. He comes from Canton of Jura. Amongst others, he coached Servette FC from 1982 until 1985 and FC Basel from 1997 until 1999.-References:...

 (1997) Gérard Castella (1997–99) Boško Đurovski (1999) René Exbrayat
René Exbrayat
René Exbrayat is French former footballer and football manager.He played for Arles and Aix-en-Provence, playing for France amateur football team at the Mediterranean Games....

 (1999-00) Lucien Favre
Lucien Favre
Lucien Favre is a football manager and former Swiss international player. He is the current head coach of Borussia Mönchengladbach.- Playing career :...

 (2000–02) Roberto Morinini (2002–03) Adrian Ursea (2003) Marco Schällibaum
Marco Schällibaum
Marco Schällibaum is a Swiss football manager, last in charge of AC Bellinzona in the Swiss Super League.-External links:...

 (2003–04) Adrian Ursea /     Stefano Ceccaroni
Stefano Ceccaroni
Stefano Ceccaroni is a retiredSwiss-Italian football player. He spent his entire career playing in Switzerland. He is now a trainer at BSC Young Boys...

 (2004) Diego Sessolo (2004–05) Jean-Michel Aeby (2005–08) Michel Sauthier (2008-08) Gérard Castella (2008–09) William Niderhauser (2009) João Resende Alves
João Resende Alves
João António Ferreira Resende Alves , is a retired Portuguese footballer and a current coach.A skilled attacking midfielder, he was considered one of the best Portuguese players from his generation, and earned the nickname "Luvas Pretas", from the black gloves he used to wear while playing.During...

 (2009-2011) João Carlos Pereira
João Carlos Pereira
João Carlos Pereira is a Portuguese football manager, currently in charge of Servette FC.-Football career:...

 (2011-)

Honours

  • Top Swiss league/National League A
    Swiss Super League
    The Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...

    : 17
    • 1907, 1918, 1922, 1925, 1926, 1930, 1933, 1934, 1940, 1946, 1950, 1961, 1962, 1979, 1985, 1994, 1999

  • Coupe de Suisse: 7
    • 1928, 1949, 1971, 1978, 1979, 1984, 2001

  • Coppa delle Alpi
    Coppa delle Alpi
    Coppa delle Alpi , was a football tournament, first organized by the Italian national league to start 1960 and then aided by the Swiss League in 1962 for the reason that the majority of the Alps are in Switzerland...

    : 4
    • 1973, 1975, 1976, 1979

  • Swiss League Cup
    Swiss League Cup
    The Swiss League Cup was a football tournament which took place as a summer pre-season tournament in 1972 and 1973, and during the Swiss football season from 1974–75 to 1981–82...

    : 3
    • 1977, 1979, 1980

  • Torneo Internazionale Stampa Sportiva
    Torneo Internazionale Stampa Sportiva
    The Torneo Internazionale Stampa Sportiva was one of the very first international football competitions. Held in 1908, it predated the more famous Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy by a year...

    : 1
    • 1908

External links

General

Fansites
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