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| manager = [[Giorgio Contini]]
| manager = [[Giorgio Contini]]
| league = [[Swiss Super League]]
| league = [[Swiss Super League]]
| season = [[2020–21 Swiss Challenge League|2020–21]]
| season = [[2021–22 Swiss Super League|2021–22]]
| position = [[Swiss Challenge League]], 1st (promoted)
| position = Swiss Super League, 8th of 10
| website = https://www.gcz.ch
| website = https://www.gcz.ch
| pattern_la1 =
| pattern_la1 =

Revision as of 23:23, 22 May 2022

Grasshopper Club Zürich
Grasshopper-Club Zürich Logo
Full nameGrasshopper Club Zürich
Nickname(s)GC, GCZ, Grasshoppers
Founded1 September 1886; 137 years ago (1886-09-01)
GroundLetzigrund
Capacity17,666
ChairmanSky Sun
ManagerGiorgio Contini
LeagueSwiss Super League
2021–22Swiss Super League, 8th of 10
WebsiteClub website
Current season

Grasshopper Club Zürich, commonly referred to as simply GC, GCZ, or Grasshoppers, is a multisports club based in Niederhasli near Zürich, Switzerland. The oldest and best known department of the club is its football team. With 27 titles, Grasshopper holds the records for winning the most national championships and the Swiss Cups, 19 trophies in the latter.[1] The club is the oldest football team in Zürich and maintains a substantial rivalry with FC Zürich.[2]

The origin of Grasshopper's name is unknown, although the most common explanation refers to its early players' energetic post-goal celebrations and that their style of play was nimble and energetic.[3]

After a number of appearances in European Cups and the UEFA Champions League, Grasshopper has become one of Switzerland's most recognizable football clubs. Today, in addition to its main football squad, the club has competitive professional and youth teams in rowing, ice hockey, handball, lawn tennis, court tennis, field hockey, curling, basketball, rugby, squash, floorball and beach soccer.[4]

History

Chart of GCZ table positions in the Swiss football league system

Before 1920: Foundation and first championship wins

Grasshopper was founded on 1 September 1886 by Tom E. Griffith, an English student. Using a 20 Swiss franc donation, the club acquired an English football shirt in blue and white colours (as worn by Blackburn Rovers). The English students were from Manchester Grammar School in Manchester. Arthur J. Finck was one of the students who was part of the group that founded the club. Its first match came in October that year against ETH and ended in a goalless draw. In 1893, Grasshopper became the first Swiss team to play in (what was then) Germany, defeating Strasbourg 1–0.

The first Swiss championships (then called "Serie A") were held in 1897–98 and were won by Grasshopper, as was the first championship played using a league system in 1899–1900.[5] After two more titles in 1901 and 1905, Grasshopper had to withdraw from the Swiss championships in 1909 because they lacked a suitable playing ground. They rejoined in 1916.

1920s: Dori Kürschner era

After rejoining the Swiss championship in 1916, GC won their fifth championship in 1921. In 1925 started the era of the Hungarian manager Izidor "Dori" Kürschner, a former member of the coaching staff of the Swiss national team that won the silver medal at the 1924 Olympics. Under Kürschner in the 1920s, Grasshopper won the championship twice (in 1927 and 1928) and also the first two editions of the Swiss Cup in 1925–26 and in 1926–27.

1930s: Beginning of Karl Rappan era

Dori Kürschner stayed with Grasshopper until 1934, winning another championship in 1931 and two more Swiss Cups in 1932 and 1934. Then started the era of Austrian coach Karl Rappan who managed also the Swiss national team for several years during that time. The first title under Rappan came in 1937 and the second one in 1939. They also won the Swiss Cup in 1937 and 1938.

1940s: More titles during World War II

Despite the turmoils of World War II the Swiss championships were held during the 1940s with the Grasshoppers winning in 1942, 1943 and 1945. Until Karl Rappan left the team in 1948, the team also won another five Cups (in 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943 and 1946).

1950s: Last successes for a long time

In 1952, Grasshopper won their 14th Swiss championship title and their 12th Swiss Cup. They managed to win the double again in 1956, but it turned out to be their last silverware for a long time, as they had to wait for 15 years until their next championship and for 27 years until their next Cup win. In 1956–57 Grasshopper participated for the first time in the European Cup which was founded in the previous season. They reached the quarter-finals where they were eliminated by Fiorentina.

Matches in European competitions in the 1950s:[6]

Season Competition Round Opponent Home Away Series
1956–57 European Cup R1 Czechoslovakia Slovan UNV Bratislava 2–0 0–1 2–1
QF Italy Fiorentina 2–2 1–3 3–5

1960s: No titles

During the 1960s, Grasshopper won no championships and no Cups. The best result was a second place in 1968, which qualified them to play in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, the predecessor of the UEFA Cup. However they had no success at European level either, and they were eliminated in the first round.

Matches in European competitions in the 1960s:[6]

Season Competition Round Opponent Home Away Series
1968–69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup R1 Italy Napoli 1–0 1–3 2–3

1970s: Return to success and UEFA Cup semi-final

In 1971, Grasshopper finally returned to the top of the Swiss league. After the end of the season, GC and FC Basel were tied at the top of the table and thus a play-off match was played in Bern. In front of 51,000 spectators, GC defeated Basel 4–3 after extra time to win their 16th championship. Throughout the decade Grasshopper was among the best Swiss teams. Their next championship win came in 1978.

Thanks to their top finishes in the league, GC was able to play in European competitions almost every year. In 1978–79 they defeated Real Madrid in the second round of the European Cup, but lost the quarter-final against the eventual winner, Nottingham Forest. But their biggest European success to date came in the 1977–78 UEFA Cup where they reached the semi-final against French side Bastia. After a 3–2 win at home, they traveled to Corsica for the second leg but lost 0–1 and were eliminated due to the away goal rule.

Matches in European competitions in the 1970s:[6]

Season Competition Round Opponent Home Away Series
1970–71 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup R1 Scotland Dundee United 0–0 2–3 2–3
1971–72 European Cup R1 Finland Reipas Lahti 8–0 1–1 9–1
R2 England Arsenal 0–2 0–3 0–5
1972–73 UEFA Cup R1 France Nîmes 2–1 2–1 4–2
R2 Soviet Union Ararat Yerevan 1–3 2–4 3–7
1973–74 UEFA Cup R1 England Tottenham Hotspur 1–5 1–4 2–9
1974–75 UEFA Cup R1 Greece Panathinaikos 2–0 1–2 3–2
R2 Spain Real Zaragoza 2–1 0–5 2–6
1975–76 UEFA Cup R1 Spain Real Sociedad 3–3 1–1 4–4 (a)
1976–77 UEFA Cup R1 Malta Hibernians 7–0 2–0 9–0
R2 West Germany Köln 2–3 0–2 2–5
1977–78 UEFA Cup R1 Denmark BK Frem 6–1 2–0 8–1
R2 Czechoslovakia TJ Internacionál 5–1 0–1 5–2
R3 Soviet Union Dinamo Tbilisi 4–0 0–1 4–1
QF West Germany Eintracht Frankfurt 1–0 2–3 3–3 (a)
SF France Bastia 3–2 0–1 3–3 (a)
1978–79 European Cup R1 Malta Valletta 8–0 5–3 13–3
R2 Spain Real Madrid 2–0 1–3 3–3 (a)
QF England Nottingham Forest 1–1 1–4 2–4
1979–80 UEFA Cup R1 Luxembourg Progrès Niedercorn 4–0 2–0 6–0
R2 England Ipswich Town 0–0 1–1 1–1 (a)
R3 West Germany Stuttgart 0–2 0–3 0–5

1980s: Hat-tricks

The 1980s were a successful decade for Grasshopper. In the years 1982, 1983 and 1984, GC won the championship three times in a row, achieving the "title hat-trick". In all three seasons, Servette from Geneva was their strongest rival, and in 1984 a championship-deciding game had to be staged in Bern because the two teams were equal on points after the regular season. GC won that match 1–0 by a converted penalty kick by Andy Egli in the 104th minute.

Grasshopper were also successful in the Cup competition: after winning in 1983 they also achieved a hat-trick in the Cup, winning in 1988, 1989 and 1990. The last two of those wins were achieved with German manager Ottmar Hitzfeld. A notable success in European competitions came in 1980–81 UEFA Cup when GC reached the quarter-finals, but then were eliminated by French side Sochaux.

Matches in European competitions in the 1980s:[6]

Season Competition Round Opponent Home Away Series
1980–81 UEFA Cup R1 Denmark KB 3–1 5–2 8–3
R2 Portugal Porto 3–0 (aet) 0–2 3–2
R3 Italy Torino 2–1 1–2 3–3 (p)
QF France Sochaux 0–0 1–2 1–2
1981–82 UEFA Cup R1 England West Bromwich Albion 1–1 3–1 4–1
R2 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Radnički Niš 2–0 0–2 2–2 (p)
1982–83 European Cup R1 Soviet Union Dynamo Kyiv 0–1 0–3 0–4
1983–84 European Cup R1 Soviet Union Dinamo Minsk 2–2 0–1 2–3
1984–85 European Cup R1 Hungary Budapest Honvéd 3–1 1–2 4–3
R2 Italy Juventus 2–4 0–2 2–6
1987–88 UEFA Cup R1 Soviet Union Dynamo Moscow 0–4 0–1 0–5
1988–89 Cup Winners' Cup R1 West Germany Eintracht Frankfurt 0–0 0–1 0–1
1989–90 Cup Winners' Cup R1 Slovakia Slovan Bratislava 0–3 4–0 (aet) 4–3
R2 Soviet Union Torpedo Moscow 3–0 1–1 4–1
QF Italy Sampdoria 0–2 1–2 1–4

1990s: Champions League

In 1995–96 Grasshoppers became the first Swiss team to play in the UEFA Champions League. After defeating Maccabi Tel Aviv to qualify, they played in group D against Ajax, Real Madrid and Ferencváros. They won no matches but achieved two draws, one against Ajax and one against Ferencváros.

In the following year, Grasshoppers qualified a second time for the Champions League, this time after defeating Slavia Prague. In group A with opponents Auxerre, Glasgow Rangers and again AFC Ajax, a more positive result was achieved. After home wins over Rangers and Auxerre and an away win at Ajax, a draw in the last game at home against Ajax would have secured qualification for the quarter finals. However, the game was lost 0–1 and Ajax advanced instead.

Matches in European competitions in the 1990s:[7][8]

Season Competition Round Opponent Home Away Series
1990-91 European Cup R1 Serbia Red Star Belgrade 1–4 1–1 2–5
1991-92 European Cup R1 Belgium RSC Anderlecht 0–3 1–1 1–4
1992–93 UEFA Cup R1 Portugal Sporting CP 1–2 3–1 (aet) 4–3
R2 Italy AS Roma 4–3 0–3 4–6
1995-96 UEFA Champions League Q Israel Maccabi Tel Aviv 1–1 1–0 2–1
Group Hungary Ferencváros TC 0–3 3-3 4th Place
Spain Real Madrid 0–2 0–2
Netherlands Ajax 0-0 0–3
1996-97 UEFA Champions League Q Czech Republic Slavia Prague 5–0 1–0 6–0
Group France AJ Auxerre 3–1 0-1 3rd Place
Netherlands Ajax 0-1 1–0
Scotland Rangers FC 3-0 1–2
1997–98 UEFA Cup Q1 Northern Ireland Coleraine FC 3–0 7–1 10–1
Q2 Norway SK Brann 3–0 0-2 3–2
R1 Croatia Croatia Zagreb 4-4 0–5 4–9
1998-99 UEFA Champions League Q1 Luxembourg Jeunesse Esch 6–0 2–0 8–0
Q2 Turkey Galatasaray 2–3 1–2 3–5
UEFA Cup R1 Belgium RSC Anderlecht 0–0 2–0 2–0
R2 Italy Fiorentina 0–2 3–0 (f) 3–2
R3 France Bordeaux 3–3 0–0 3–3 (a)
1999-00 UEFA Cup Q Republic of Ireland Bray Wanderers 4–0 4–0 8–0
R1 Denmark AB Copenhagen 1-1 2–0 3–1
R2 Czech Republic Slavia Prague 1–0 1–3 2–3

2000s: Incorporation

With title wins in 2000–01 and 2002–03, the first decade of the 21st century started well, but since then no further successes were achieved. In 1997, Grasshopper was incorporated and as of May 2005, it is formally organized as Neue Grasshopper Fussball AG. In doing so, Grasshopper became the first Swiss sports club to go public.[9] However, the club entered a period of decline after their last championship in 2003, with two third place finishes in 2005 and 2010 being their best results. In 2012, they narrowly avoided being relegated thanks to Sion's 36-point deduction and Neuchatel Xamax's expulsion from the league in January 2012. Then coach Ciriaco Sforza resigned in April 2012.

For the 2012/13 season, Ulrich Forte took over coaching. On 20 May 2013, Grasshopper ended a ten-year trophy drought with a penalty shoot-out victory over FC Basel in the Swiss Cup final at the Stade de Suisse in Bern.[10] With a second-place finish in the 2012–13 Swiss Super League campaign, Grasshopper qualified for the Champions League for the first time in a decade, entering the competition at the third qualifying round.[11] Following Forte's departure after the 2012/13 season, former German National Team coach Michael Skibbe took over coaching duty. Under Skibbe, the team managed a second place finish in 2013. They also were runners-up in 2014.

The improving results did not last however and soon declined again. In the following 5 years, they managed to only once finish in the upper half of the table and finally, in 2019, Grasshopper were relegated to the second division for the first time in 68 years.[12] They spend the entire 2018/19 season in the bottom three of the league, ending their season with two abandoned matches due to Grasshopper fan behaviour.[13]

Matches in European competitions since 2000:[6]

Season Competition Round Opponent Home Away Series
2001-02 UEFA Champions League Q3 Portugal FC Porto 2–3 2–2 4–5
UEFA Cup R1 Romania Dinamo București 3–1 3–1 6–2
R2 Netherlands FC Twente 4–1 2–3 6–4
R3 England Leeds United 1–2 1–1 2–3
2002–03 UEFA Cup R1 Russia Zenit St. Petersburg 3–1 1–2 4–3
R2 Greece PAOK 1–1 1–2 2–3
2003-04 UEFA Champions League Q3 Greece AEK Athens 1–0 1–3 2–3
UEFA Cup R1 Croatia Hajduk Split 1–1 0–0 1–1 (a)
2005–06 UEFA Cup Q2 Poland Wisła Płock 1–0 2–3 3–3 (a)
R1 Finland MYPA 1–1 3–0 4–1
Group England Middlesbrough 0–1 5th place
Bulgaria Litex Lovech 1–2
Ukraine Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 2–3
Netherlands AZ 0–1
2006–07 UEFA Cup Q2 Hungary Videoton 2–0 1–1 3–1
R1 Sweden Åtvidabergs 5–0 3–0 8–0
Group Netherlands AZ 2–5 5th place
Czech Republic Slovan Liberec 1–4
Spain Sevilla 0–4
Portugal Braga 0–2
2008–09 UEFA Cup Q2 Poland Lech Poznań 0–0 0–6 0–6
2010–11 UEFA Europa League Play-off Romania Steaua București 1–0 0–1 1–1 (p)
2013–14 UEFA Champions League Q3 France Lyon 0–1 0–1 0–2
UEFA Europa League Play-off Italy Fiorentina 1–2 1–0 2–2 (a)
2014–15 UEFA Champions League Q3 France Lille 0–2 1–1 1–3
UEFA Europa League Play-off Belgium Club Brugge 1–2 0–1 1–3
2016–17 UEFA Europa League Q2 Iceland KR 2–1 3–3 5–4
Q3 Cyprus Apollon Limassol 2–1 3–3 5–4
Play-off Turkey Fenerbahçe 0–2 0–3 0–5

2020s: Relegation and Promotion

The first season in the second league did not go as planned. For one, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the second half of the season was delayed until late spring 2020. Furthermore, GC failed to even achieve a second place finish, which would have qualified them for a playoff game for promotion, after losing the final game of the season 0-6 against FC Winterthur. During this time, in April 2020, it was revealed that the Hong Kong-based Champion Union HK Holding Limited had acquired 90% of GC shares.[14]

For the following season, João Carlos Pereira took over coaching duties at GC. Despite a strong season and spending a majority of the time at first place, the team began to struggle at the culmination of the season. After a seven point lead on challenger FC Thun had melted away in three games, club leadership took drastic measures by removing Pereira and reinstating Zoltán Kádár (who had been interim coach at the end of the previous season) as interim coach for the final two games of the season. The changes would pay off, as GC secured Challenge League championship and promotion in a 2-1 victory over SC Kriens in the final game.

For the first season back in the top Swiss league, former FC Lausanne-Sport coach Giorgio Contini was signed as head coach.[15]

Stadium and grounds

Since September 2007, Grasshopper-Club Zürich has played all of its home matches in the Letzigrund stadium which is the regular home ground of FC Zürich. After the completion of the new Stadion Zürich (currently in planning stage), both teams are expected to play there.

From 1929 to 2007, Grasshopper had their own home ground in the Hardturm stadium. Before 1929, home matches were played at various other venues.

Training facilities are located in Niederhasli, where in 2005 the club opened a comprehensive facility including five practice pitches, apartments for youth players and offices.

Rivalries

FC Zürich

FC Zürich was founded ten years after GC in 1896. A year later, the first derby between the two Zurich clubs was held as part of the first Swiss championship, where GC defeated FC Zurich 7-2. As the two teams did not always play in the same league, it would take nearly 70 years until the 100th derby. To date, 251 official derbies have been held, with Grasshopper leading with 121 wins to FC Zurich's 90, leaving 39 draws.

FC Basel

FC Basel has long been a rival to GC, owing largely to the rivalry between the two cities. As a result, games between FC Zurich and FC Basel are also often heated games, often leading to clashes between fans.

From the late 60s to the early 80s, both GC and Basel had numerous Swiss championship victories. However, in 1988 FC Basel was relegated to the Nationalliga B. The rivalry flaired up to begin of the 21st century, when FCB's improved performance has made them a mainstay at the top the Swiss league. With FCB's rise came GC's downfall and the rivalry has been largely one-sided. The most recent notable meeting between the two teams was the Swiss Cup Final in 2013, where Grasshoppers were able to beat FC Basel in penalties, with a score of 1-1 after extra time.

Honours

League

Cups

  • Swiss Cup
    • Winners (19): 1925–26, 1926–27, 1931–32, 1933–34, 1936–37, 1937–38, 1939–40, 1940–41, 1941–42, 1942–43, 1945–46, 1951–52, 1955–56, 1982–83, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1993–94, 2012–13 (record)
  • Swiss League Cup
  • Swiss Super Cup
    • Winners: 1989

Players

Current squad

As of 28 March 2022[16]

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 Portugal POR André Moreira
3 DF Albania ALB Ermir Lenjani
4 DF China CHN Li Lei
6 MF Albania ALB Amir Abrashi (captain)
7 MF Switzerland SUI Nuno da Silva
8 MF Portugal POR André Santos
10 MF Switzerland SUI Petar Pusic
11 FW Brazil BRA Léo Bonatini (on loan from Wolverhampton)
14 DF Portugal POR Tomás Ribeiro
15 DF Japan JPN Ayumu Seko
17 FW Senegal SEN Mamadou Kaly Sène (on loan from Basel)
20 MF Portugal POR Bruno Jordão (on loan from Wolverhampton)
22 MF Switzerland SUI Giotto Morandi
25 DF Guinea-Bissau GNB Nadjack
No. Pos. Nation Player
27 GK Switzerland SUI Mateo Matic
28 MF Slovakia SVK Christián Herc
29 FW South Korea KOR Jeong Sang-bin (on loan from Wolverhampton)
31 DF Switzerland SUI Dominik Schmid (3rd captain)
33 DF Austria AUT Georg Margreitter (vice-captain)
34 DF Switzerland SUI Allan Arigoni
40 DF Japan JPN Hayao Kawabe (on loan from Wolverhampton)
41 DF Switzerland SUI Noah Loosli
51 DF Kosovo KOS Florian Hoxha
59 FW Nigeria NGA Francis Momoh
77 DF Hungary HUN Bendegúz Bolla (on loan from Wolverhampton)
93 GK France FRA Lévi Ntumba
94 FW Colombia COL Brayan Riascos (on loan from Metalist Kharkiv)

Academy players with first-team contracts

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
50 MF Switzerland SUI Simone Stroscio
55 FW Switzerland SUI Elmin Rastoder
56 MF Kosovo KOS Leonardo Uka
No. Pos. Nation Player
57 FW Switzerland SUI Filipe de Carvalho
58 MF Switzerland SUI Dion Kacuri

On Loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
9 FW Kosovo KOS Shkelqim Demhasaj (on loan at Winterthur)
23 MF North Macedonia MKD Nikola Gjorgjev (on loan at Schaffhausen)
MF Kosovo KOS Imran Bunjaku (on loan at Aarau)
No. Pos. Nation Player
MF Germany GER Robin Kalem (on loan at Schaffhausen)
FW China CHN Jia Boyan (on loan at Dubrava)

Notable former players

Players for the Swiss national football team

Players with World Cup appearances for their national teams

Coaching staff

Current coaching staff

Position Name Since
Manager Switzerland Giorgio Contini 06/2021
Assistant manager Switzerland Marc Hodel 05/2021
Assistant manager Switzerland Ricardo Cabanas 05/2021
Assistant manager Switzerland Walter Grüter 05/2021
Assistant manager Switzerland Christoph Born 2011
Doctor Switzerland Arya Pradana 2017

Managers since 1925

References

  1. ^ "Vilotić seals Swiss Cup success for Grasshoppers". UEFA. 20 May 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  2. ^ "The great Zurich divide". FIFA. Archived from the original on 30 May 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  3. ^ "GESCHICHTE DES GRASSHOPPER CLUB ZÜRICH". GCZ. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  4. ^ "Sektionen". GCZ. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  5. ^ "Grasshopper Club Zürich". FIFA. Archived from the original on 7 October 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Search UEFA European Cup Matches".[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ "Grasshoppers History UEFA Champions League". UEFA.com.
  8. ^ "Grasshoppers History UEFA Europa League". UEFA.com.
  9. ^ "White Papers – Resource Library". TechRepublic. Archived from the original on 18 January 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2006.
  10. ^ "Soccer-Grasshoppers win Swiss Cup, end 10-year trophy drought". Reuters. 20 May 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  11. ^ "Soccer-Basel on verge of fourth successive title, Servette down". Reuters. 29 May 2013. Archived from the original on 22 March 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  12. ^ Homewood, Brian (16 May 2019). "Relegation completes demise of most successful Swiss club". Reuters. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  13. ^ Reidy, Paul (13 May 2019). "Relegated Grasshopper fans demand players surrender shirts". as.com.
  14. ^ Thomas Schifferle (9 April 2020). "Chinesen übernehmen GC". Tages Anzeiger. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  15. ^ Thomas Schifferle (9 June 2021). "Giorgio Contini neuer Cheftrainer bei GC". Grasshopper Club Zürich. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  16. ^ Zürich, Grasshopper Club. "Kader – Grasshopper Club Zürich". www.gcz.ch.
  17. ^ "GIORGIO CONTINI NEUER CHEFTRAINER BEI GC". Grasshopper Club Zürich. 9 June 2021.

External links

Fan sites