Alexander Frei

Alexander Frei
Personal information
Full name	Alexander Frei
Date of birth	15 July 1979 (age 32)
Place of birth	Basel, Switzerland
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Basel
Number	13
Youth career
1987–1988	FC Begnins
1988–1995	FC Aesch
1995–1997	Basel
Senior career*
National team‡
	* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 3 December 2011, 24:00 (UTC).; † Appearances (Goals).; ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 5 April 2011, 24:00 (UTC)

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Alexander Frei (born 15 July 1979 in Basel) is a Swiss footballer who currently plays for Swiss Axpo Super League club FC Basel. He first played for Basel, then for various other clubs in Switzerland, France and Germany before returning to his home club, where he won his first Championship title. Frei was the captain of the Swiss national team and is all-time leading scorer of the Swiss national football team with 42 goals in 84 games. He is of no relation to club and country team mate Fabian Frei.^[1] However, he is the second-cousin of Toronto FC keeper and former Swiss youth international Stefan Frei.^[2]

[edit] Club career

Frei started his professional career with his hometown club of FC Basel, where he later was transferred to FC Thun, FC Luzern, and Servette FC, all in his native Switzerland. After a transfer to French club Rennes, he finished as the highest goalscorer in Ligue 1 for the 2004–05 season with 20 goals and was named Swiss Footballer of the Year the same season. He was also named Swiss Footballer of the Year in 2004 and 2007.

Frei then signed a four-year contract with Borussia Dortmund on 29 June 2006. Dortmund paid a transfer fee of approximately €5 million for him. In the 2006–07 season, Frei was the highest goal scorer for Borussia Dortmund with 16 goals in 32 matches.

He recovered from a long-term injury in the 2007–08 season to score six times in his last eight appearances for Borussia Dortmund. After speculation regarding his future, he came back to action against Schalke 04 in the fourth fixture of the Bundesliga. He scored two goals, equalising in an incredible game.^[3]

On 17 July 2009, he left Borussia Dortmund and, after six years, returned to Switzerland to sign with FC Basel.^[4] He made his debut in a 2–1 win over FC Sion on 26 July 2009. He made an assist and also scored the last minute winner in the match at the Stade Tourbillon.^[5] During the 2009-10 season he scored 15 goals in 19 league games and FC Basel won the Double. During the 2010–11 season he scored 27 goals in 35 league games, becoming the Swiss League Top goalscorer.

[edit] International career

Frei played for Switzerland at Euro 2004 and at the FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany. He scored two goals in the 2006 World Cup, one in the match against Togo and a controversial goal against South Korea. Frei had 84 caps for Switzerland.

Frei is also Switzerland's all time top scorer with 42 goals.^[6] During Euro 2004, in a group match against England, Frei was caught on camera appearing to spit at Steven Gerrard. Although no action was taken at the time, Frei was later charged and given a provisional 15 day suspension by UEFA.

Within the first half of the opening match of UEFA Euro 2008, Frei was injured while captaining the Swiss team and missed the rest of the tournament due to a torn knee ligament in his left knee after a challenge from Czech defender Zdeněk Grygera. He decided to remain with the team to show his support. He later underwent surgery.^[7]

In a Euro 2012 qualifier at home against Wales he was booed by his own fans throughout the match, even though Switzerland won the match 4-1. When he was finally substituted the fans in the home sector booed him repeatedly. On 5 April 2011, he decided to quit from the national squad after being criticized again following a 0–0 draw with Bulgaria on 26 March for the Euro 2012 qualifying match.^[8]

[edit] International goals

Scores and results list Switzerland's goal tally first.

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	28 March 2001	Hardturm, Zurich	Luxembourg	1–0	5–0	2002 World Cup qualifier
2.				2–0
3.				5–0
4.	2 June 2001	Svangaskarð, Toftir	Faroe Islands	1–0	1–0	2002 World Cup qualifier
5.	5 September 2001	Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg	Luxembourg	1–0	3–0	2002 World Cup qualifier
6.	21 August 2002	St. Jakob-Park, Basel	Austria	2–1	3–2	Friendly
7.	8 September 2002	St. Jakob-Park, Basel	Georgia	1–0	4–1	Euro 2004 qualifier
8.	12 February 2003	Športni Park, Nova Gorica	Slovenia	3–0	5–1	Friendly
9.	12 February 2003	Športni Park, Nova Gorica	Slovenia	5–0	5–1	Friendly
10.	30 April 2003	Stade de Genève, Geneva	Italy	1–0	1–2	Friendly
11.	7 June 2003	St. Jakob-Park, Basel	Russia	1–0	2–2	Euro 2004 qualifier
12.	7 June 2003	St. Jakob-Park, Basel	Russia	2–0	2–2	Euro 2004 qualifier
13.	11 June 2003	Stade de Genève, Geneva	Albania	2–1	3–2	Euro 2004 qualifier
14.	11 October 2003	St. Jakob-Park, Basel	Republic of Ireland	2–0	2–0	Euro 2004 qualifier
15.	18 February 2004	Stade Moulay Abdellah, Rabat	Morocco	1–2	1–2	Friendly
16.	9 October 2004	Ramat Gan Stadium, Tel Aviv	Israel	1–1	2–2	2006 World Cup qualifier
17.	30 March 2005	Hardturm, Zurich	Cyprus	1–0	1–0	2006 World Cup qualifier
18.	4 June 2005	Svangaskarð, Toftir	Faroe Islands	2–1	3–1	2006 World Cup qualifier
19.	4 June 2005	Svangaskarð, Toftir	Faroe Islands	3–1	3–1	2006 World Cup qualifier
20.	17 August 2005	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo	Norway	1–0	2–0	Friendly
21.	3 September 2005	St. Jakob-Park, Basel	Israel	1–0	1–1	2006 World Cup qualifier
22.	7 September 2005	GSP Stadium, Nicosia	Cyprus	1–0	3–1	2006 World Cup qualifier
23.	16 November 2005	Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, Istanbul	Turkey	1–0	2–4	2006 World Cup play-offs
24.	3 June 2006	Hardturm, Zurich	China PR	1–0	4–1	Friendly
25.	3 June 2006	Hardturm, Zurich	China PR	3–0	4–1	Friendly
26.	19 June 2006	FIFA WM Stadion Dortmund, Dortmund	Togo	1–0	2–0	2006 World Cup
27.	23 June 2006	FIFA WM Stadion Hannover, Hanover	South Korea	2–0	2–0	2006 World Cup
28.	16 August 2006	Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz	Liechtenstein	1–0	3–0	Friendly
29.	16 August 2006	Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz	Liechtenstein	2–0	3–0	Friendly
30.	2 September 2006	St. Jakob-Park, Basel	Venezuela	1–0	1–0	Friendly
31.	6 September 2006	Stade de Genève, Geneva	Costa Rica	2–0	2–0	Friendly
32.	25 March 2007	Miami Orange Bowl, Miami	Colombia	1–1	1–3	Friendly
33.	24 May 2008	Cornaredo Stadium, Lugano	Slovakia	2–0	2–0	Friendly
34.	30 May 2008	AFG Arena, St. Gallen	Liechtenstein	1–0	3–0	Friendly
35.	30 May 2008	AFG Arena, St. Gallen	Liechtenstein	2–0	3–0	Friendly
36.	11 October 2008	AFG Arena, St. Gallen	Latvia	1–0	2–1	2010 World Cup qualifier
37.	15 October 2008	Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus	Greece	1–0	2–1	2010 World Cup qualifier
38.	28 March 2009	Zimbru Stadium, Chişinău	Moldova	1–0	2–0	2010 World Cup qualifier
39.	1 April 2009	Stade de Genève, Geneva	Moldova	2–0	2–0	2010 World Cup qualifier
40.	9 September 2009	Skonto Stadium, Riga	Latvia	1–0	2–2	2010 World Cup qualifier
41.	17 November 2010	Stade de Genève, Geneva	Ukraine	1–0	2–2	Friendly
42.	17 November 2010	Stade de Genève, Geneva	Ukraine	2–1	2–2	Friendly