FC Vaduz

FC Vaduz
Full name	Fußball Club Vaduz
Nickname(s)	Residenzler
Founded	1932
Ground	Rheinpark Stadion; Vaduz, Liechtenstein; (Capacity: 6,127)
Chairman	Hanspeter Negele
Manager	Pierre Littbarski
League	Swiss Super League
2008-09	Swiss Super League, 10th (Relegated)

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FC Vaduz is a Liechtensteiner football team that plays in Vaduz. The club plays at the relatively small Rheinpark Stadion, which has a capacity of 6,127. They currently play in the Swiss Super League. From the 2001-02 through 2007-08 seasons, Vaduz played in the Challenge League (formerly called Nationalliga B), the second tier of the Swiss league system. In recent years Vaduz were one of the best teams in the Challenge League and gave serious challenges towards promotion to the Super League, especially in 2004 and 2005, playing two-leg play-offs in both cases. In the 2007-08 season, Vaduz secured promotion on 12 May 2008 by winning the Challenge League on the final day of the season, giving Liechtenstein a representative at the highest level of Swiss football.

[edit] History

Fußball Club Vaduz was founded on February 14 1932 in Vaduz, and the club's first chairman was Johann Walser. In its first training match, which Vaduz played in Balzers on April 24 of that year, the newly-born team emerged as 2-1 winners. The club played in Vorarlberger Football Association in Austria for the 1932-1933 season. In 1933, Vaduz began playing in Switzerland. Over the years Vaduz struggled through various tiers of Swiss football and won its first Liechtensteiner Cup in 1949. Vaduz enjoyed a lengthy stay in the Swiss 1.Liga from 1960 to 1973, which is the third tier of the Swiss football league system.

In 1992, Vaduz qualified for European football for the first time, entering the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup as Liechtenstein Cup winners but lost 1-12 on aggregate to FC Chornomorets Odessa of Ukraine. In 1996, Vaduz qualified for the next round with their first European victory, winning 5-3 on aggregate over FC Universitate Riga of Latvia, although Vaduz lost to Paris St-Germain of France 0-7 on aggregate in the first round proper.

After the Cup Winners' Cup was abolished, Vaduz have annually entered the UEFA Cup as a result of winning the Liechtenstein Cup 37 times, by virtue of being the only full-time professional football team in the country. However, they have never got past the qualifying rounds to date.

However, Vaduz did come within one second of reaching the first round proper of the UEFA Cup in 2002. With the scores tied level at 0-0 and with opponents Livingston scheduled to go through on away goals, Vaduz won a late corner. The ball was sent into the box, and Marius Zarn hit a goal-bound shot. However, the referee blew the whistle for full-time before the ball crossed over the line, and Livingston progressed through in controversial circumstances.

In 3 out of the last 4 years, FC Vaduz have reached the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup. The most recent second qualifying round appearance saw them lose to their near-neighbours Basel of the Swiss Super League on away goals, despite a 2-1 victory at home.

FC Vaduz will start their European campaign in 2009-10 by playing Scottish side Falkirk in the second qualifying round of the Europa League.

Rheinpark Stadion

Vaduz used to have many players from Liechtenstein, many of whom played for the Liechtenstein national team, but nearly all these players have moved abroad, and now the majority of the first team squad are foreign players from different areas of the world.

In January 2008, Vaduz participated in Uruguay's international friendly tournament, Copa Ricard, together with Defensor Sporting (Uruguay), Peñarol (Uruguay), Nacional (Uruguay), Olimpia (Paraguay) and Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica).

[edit] Achievements

Liechtenstein football Cup: 38

1949, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1980, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009

Swiss Challenge League Champions: 1

2008

[edit] Vaduz in Europe

Season	Competition	Round	Club	Score
1992-93	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup	Q	Chernomorets Odessa	0-5, 1-7
1995-96	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup	Q	SK Hradec Králové	0-5, 1-9
1996-97	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup	Q	FC Universitate Riga	1-1, 1-1 (5-3 pens)
		First Round	Paris Saint-Germain	0-4, 0-3
1998-99	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup	Q	Helsingborgs IF	0-2, 0-3
1999-00	UEFA Cup	Q	F.K. Bodø/Glimt	0-1, 1-2
2000-01	UEFA Cup	Q	Amica Wronki	0-3, 3-3
2001-02	UEFA Cup	Q	Varteks Varazdin	3-3, 1-6
2002-03	UEFA Cup	Q	Livingston FC	1-1, 0-0
2003-04	UEFA Cup	Q	Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk	0-1, 0-1
2004-05	UEFA Cup	Q1	Longford Town FC	1-0, 3-2
		Q2	KSK Beveren	1-3, 1-2
2005-06	UEFA Cup	Q1	FC Dacia Chişinău	2-0, 0-1
		Q2	Beşiktaş JK	0-1, 1-5
2006-07	UEFA Cup	Q1	Újpest FC	4-0, 0-1
		Q2	FC Basel	1-0, 1-2
2007-08	UEFA Cup	Q1	FC Dinamo Tbilisi	0-2, 0-0
2008-09	UEFA Cup	Q1	Zrinjski Mostar	1-2, 0-3
2009-10	UEFA Europa League	Q2	Falkirk

[edit] Current squad

As of 15 June 2009

No.	Position	Player
1	GK	Peter Jehle
2	DF	Martin Rechsteiner
3	DF	Pascal Bader
4	DF	Quirin Löppert
5	DF	Marco Steil
6	DF	Michael Stuckmann
7	MF	Damian Bellón
8	FW	Marco Colocci
9	FW	Nick Proschwitz
10	MF	Kai Koitka
11	MF	Franz Burgmeier
13	FW	Michel Petrick
15	FW	Willian Sarôa
16	MF	Anto Franjic

No.	Position	Player
17	FW	Adan Rebronja
18	GK	Steven Deana
19	FW	Benjamin Fischer
20	MF	Yusuf Akyer
21	DF	Marco Ritzberger
22	DF	Pascal Cerrone
23	DF	Michael Stegmayer
24	DF	Dennis Kempe
27	DF	Emil Noll
30	MF	Bruno Sutter
--	MF	Rivaldo Barbosa
--	MF	Miguel Mea Vitali
--	MF	Sehar Fejzulahi
--	DF	Mark Rudan