Pascal Zuberbühler

Pascal Zuberbühler (born 8 January 1971) is a Swiss former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Pascal Zuberbühler

Zuberbühler with Switzerland in 2008
Personal information
Full name	Pascal Zuberbühler[1]
Date of birth	(1971-01-08) 8 January 1971[2]
Place of birth	Frauenfeld, Switzerland
Height	1.97 m (6 ft 6 in)[3]
Playing position(s)	Goalkeeper
Youth career
1983–1992	Frauenfeld
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1992–1999	Grasshoppers	187	(0)
1999–2006	FC Basel	178	(0)
2000	→ FC Aarau (loan)	2	(0)
2000–2001	→ Bayer Leverkusen (loan)	13	(0)
2006–2007	West Bromwich Albion	15	(0)
2007–2008	Neuchâtel Xamax	51	(0)
2008–2011	Fulham	0	(0)
Total		446	(0)
National team
1994–2008	Switzerland	51	(0)
Teams managed
2011	Philippines (goalkeeper coach)
2012	Philippines (goalkeeper coach)
2015	Philippines (goalkeeper coach)
2015–2017	Derby County (goalkeeper coach)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He played in the Swiss Super League for Grasshopper, Basel and Neuchâtel Xamax. He also had a season on loan to Bayer Leverkusen of the Bundesliga, and late in his career he represented West Bromwich Albion and Fulham in England.

Zuberbühler earned 51 caps for Switzerland between 1994 and 2008, and was selected for UEFA Euro 2004, the 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2008. At the middle tournament, the Swiss were the only team in the competition's history to be eliminated without conceding a goal.

Club career

Early career

Born in Frauenfeld, Thurgau, Zuberbühler made 187 appearances for Grasshopper Club Zürich between 1991 and 1999, winning the Swiss Super League three times and the Swiss Cup once. He moved to FC Basel where he played 217 games, winning the Championship another three times & the Swiss Cup twice. He is famous for his saves in a 1–1 tie with Liverpool in a Champions League game. He also played 13 league games and five Champions League games for Bayer Leverkusen in the 2000–01 season.

West Bromwich Albion

Zuberbühler signed a two-year contract for West Bromwich Albion on a free transfer from Basel on 14 July 2006.[4] His first appearance in an Albion shirt was in a friendly against Motherwell, where he earned praise from his manager Bryan Robson.[5] He then kept a clean sheet on his competitive début as Albion beat Hull City 2–0 on 5 August.[6]

Zuberbühler was dropped from the first team by new manager Tony Mowbray after starting 15 games, apparently due to the fans booing and sarcastically applauding him when he played. The Scot made him available for loan in November.[7] He returned to the first team after Russell Hoult was suspended, and responded by keeping a clean sheet in the 3–0 FA Cup win at rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers on 28 January 2007, but it proved to be his last game for the club.[8] New signing Dean Kiely immediately replaced him in the first team, and he felt this harmed his chances for Euro 2008, due to be held in his home country. In February 2007, he was told by his club that he was "surplus to requirements", and that they would not stand in his way should a club come in for him. He signed an 18-month contract at Swiss side Neuchatel Xamax, moving there on a free transfer.[9]

Fulham

In July 2008, on the invitation of former Switzerland national team boss Roy Hodgson, Zuberbühler joined Fulham on trial. He first appearance for the club was against South Korean side Busan I'Park as a second-half substitute for David Stockdale in a 1–0 defeat.[10] On 6 August, Fulham signed him on a one-year deal.[11] He made his only appearance on 23 September in the third round of the League Cup, a 1–0 loss away to Championship club Burnley.[12]

He earned a new one-year contract in June 2009.[13] In 2009–10 season he fell behind Stockdale in the pecking order, but eventually fought his way back to being Mark Schwarzer's back-up and was in the matchday squad for the Europa League Final. He had signed another one-year deal to remain at Craven Cottage, but was not picked for the team's Premier League squad for the 2010–11 season and faced an uncertain future at the club.[14] On 1 July 2011, Fulham confirmed that Zuberbühler had left the club on a free transfer, after coming to the end of his contract.[15]

International career

Zuberbühler in 2006

Zuberbühler was capped 51 times by Switzerland and was a member of their squads for the Euro 2004, 2006 FIFA World Cup, and Euro 2008, all under the management of Kobi Kuhn.

At the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Switzerland topped a group ahead of France, South Korea, and Togo, then lost in the last 16 on penalties against Ukraine; he saved the Ukrainians' first penalty from Andriy Shevchenko. This Swiss team are the only team in the history of the World Cup not to concede a goal.[16]

On 11 June 2008, he played his last game with the Swiss national team, during the 2–0 victory over Portugal in Euro 2008, held in his home country.

Coaching career

Zuberbühler had a short stint as the Philippines national football team goalkeeping coach, reuniting with Fulham teammate Neil Etheridge, prior to the first round first leg 2014 World Cup qualifier against Sri Lanka in June 2011.[17] He returned for a second spell in November 2012, ahead of the 2012 AFF Suzuki Cup,[18] and again in 2015.[19]

In June 2015, Zuberbühler joined Derby County as a goalkeeping coach.[20] He left in March 2017 when new manager Gary Rowett placed Kevin Poole in his position.[21] In November that year, he was hired as a goalkeeping specialist for FIFA.[22]

References

1. Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2009). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2009–10. Mainstream Publishing. p. 452. ISBN 978-1-84596-474-0.
2. "2006 FIFA World Cup Germany List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. p. 27. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2019.
3. "Pascal Zuberbühler Profile". Premier League. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
4. "West Brom sign keeper Zuberbühler". BBC Sport. 14 July 2006. Retrieved 19 May 2007.
5. "Robson praise for debutant keeper". BBC Sport. 24 July 2006. Retrieved 12 June 2007.
6. "West Brom 2–0 Hull". BBC Sport. 5 August 2006. Retrieved 12 June 2007.
7. "Baggies pair available for loan". BBC Sport. 20 November 2006. Retrieved 12 June 2007.
8. "Wolves 0–3 West Brom". BBC Sport. 28 January 2007. Retrieved 12 June 2007.
9. "Zuberbuhler ends West Brom spell". BBC Sport. 14 February 2007. Retrieved 12 June 2007.
10. "Busan l'Park v Fulham". Fulham F.C. 23 July 2008. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
11. Collins, Sam (6 August 2008). "Fulham sign Swiss keeper Zuberbühler". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
12. "Burnley 1-0 Fulham". BBC Sport. 23 September 2008. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
13. "Best in the League". Fulham FC. 26 June 2009.
14. "Squad Confirmation". Fulham F.C. 1 September 2010. Archived from the original on 4 September 2010. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
15. "Player Departures". Fulham F.C. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
16. "Switzerland". The Sunday Times. 30 May 2010. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
17. "Azkals get Swiss goalkeeper coach". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on 27 April 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
18. "Neil Etheridge's mentor to help Azkals goalkeepers in Suzuki Cup". InterAKTV. Archived from the original on 28 November 2012. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
19. "Neil Etheridge back in lineup as Azkals book Bahrain friendly this March". InterAksyon.com. 16 March 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
20. Toplis, Steven. "Derby County add Pascal Zuberbuhler as goalkeeping coach". Sports Mole. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
21. James, Stuart (14 March 2017). "Gary Rowett appointed as new Derby County manager". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
22. "Pascal Zuberbuhler joins FIFA Technical Development Division". FIFA. 2 November 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2020.

External links

• Pascal Zuberbühler at Soccerbase
• Yahoo! Sports profile
• Leverkusen who's who (in German)

Sporting positions
Preceded by Murat Yakin	FC Basel captain 2004–2006	Succeeded by Ivan Ergic