2008–09 FC Zürich season

FC Zürich
2008–09 season
Manager	Bernard Challandes
Stadium	Letzigrund
Swiss Super League	1st
Swiss Cup	Quarter-finals
UEFA Cup	First round
Top goalscorer	Almen Abdi (19)
	← 2007–08 2009–10 →

During the 2008–09 Swiss football season, FC Zürich competed in the Swiss Super League.

Season summary

FC Zürich managed to reclaim the Swiss league title (their last as of 2016), but were knocked out of the Swiss Cup in the quarter-finals. The club were knocked out of the UEFA Cup in the first round by Italian giants AC Milan.

First-team squad

Squad at end of season^[1]

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


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
1	GK	SUI	Johnny Leoni
2	DF	FIN	Veli Lampi
3	FW	GEO	Giorgi Ivanishvili
4	DF	SUI	Fabrizio Di Gregorio
5	MF	SUI	Xavier Margairaz (on loan from Osasuna)
6	MF	SRB	Radovan Savić
7	MF	SUI	Silvan Aegerter
10	MF	NGA	Onyekachi Okonkwo
11	MF	SUI	Adrian Nikçi^{[notes 1]}
12	FW	GLP	Alexandre Alphonse^{[notes 2]}
13	DF	SUI	Florian Stahel
14	MF	SWE	Dusan Djurić
15	DF	SUI	Daniel Stucki


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
16	DF	SUI	Philippe Koch
17	MF	TUN	Yassine Chikhaoui
19	DF	SUI	Alain Rochat^{[notes 3]}
21	DF	SUI	Heinz Barmettler^{[notes 4]}
22	GK	SUI	Orlando Lattmann
23	MF	SUI	Almen Abdi^{[notes 5]}
25	FW	SUI	Admir Mehmedi^{[notes 6]}
26	MF	LIE	Martin Büchel
27	FW	SUI	Marco Schönbächler
28	FW	USA	Remo Staubli
29	FW	FRA	Eric Hassli
30	DF	FIN	Hannu Tihinen
32	GK	ITA	Andrea Guatelli

Left club during season

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


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
3	DF	SUI	Mehdi Challandes (on loan to Yverdon Sport)
4	DF	CHI	Adán Vergara (on loan to FC Luzern)
5	DF	SUI	Oumar Kondé (on loan to Chengdu Blades)
8	FW	SWE	Emra Tahirović^{[notes 7]} (on loan to Örebro)


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
9	MF	SWE	Andrés Vasquez^{[notes 8]} (to FC Zürich II)
20	FW	BRA	Sílvio (on loan to FC Wil)
24	MF	SUI	Luca Ladner (on loan to FC Wohlen)

Notes and references

Notes

^ Nikçi was born in Sarajevo, SFR Yugoslavia (now Bosnia-Herzegovina), but also qualifies to represent Switzerland internationally and has represented them at U-21 level, and has also expressed interest in representing Albania internationally.
^ Alphonse was born in Paris, France, but also qualifies to represent Guadeloupe internationally and made his international debut for Guadeloupe in 2009.
^ Rochat was born in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Canada, but was raised in Switzerland from the age of two and made his international debut for Switzerland in June 2005.
^ Barmettler was born in Zürich, Switzerland, and made his international debut for Switzerland in November 2009, but also qualifies to represent the Dominican Republic and would make his international debut for the Dominican Republic in September 2012.
^ Abdi was born in Prizren, SFR Yugoslavia (now Kosovo), but also qualifies to represent Switzerland internationally and made his international debut for Switzerland in August 2008.
^ Mehmedi was born in Gostivar, SFR Yugoslavia (now Macedonia), but was raised in Switzerland from the age of two and represented Switzerland at every youth level up to U-21, and would make his international debut for Switzerland in 2011.
^ Tahirović was born in Sarajevo, SFR Yugoslavia (now Bosnia-Herzegovina), but was raised in Sweden and has represented them at U-21 level.
^ Vasquez was born in Lima, Peru, but also qualifies to represent Sweden internationally and has represented them at U-17, U-19 and U-21 level.

References

^ "FootballSquads - Zürich - 2008/09".

[2] Nikçi was born in Sarajevo, SFR Yugoslavia (now Bosnia-Herzegovina), but also qualifies to represent Switzerland internationally and has represented them at U-21 level, and has also expressed interest in representing Albania internationally.

[3] Alphonse was born in Paris, France, but also qualifies to represent Guadeloupe internationally and made his international debut for Guadeloupe in 2009.

[4] Rochat was born in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Canada, but was raised in Switzerland from the age of two and made his international debut for Switzerland in June 2005.

[5] Barmettler was born in Zürich, Switzerland, and made his international debut for Switzerland in November 2009, but also qualifies to represent the Dominican Republic and would make his international debut for the Dominican Republic in September 2012.

[6] Abdi was born in Prizren, SFR Yugoslavia (now Kosovo), but also qualifies to represent Switzerland internationally and made his international debut for Switzerland in August 2008.

[7] Mehmedi was born in Gostivar, SFR Yugoslavia (now Macedonia), but was raised in Switzerland from the age of two and represented Switzerland at every youth level up to U-21, and would make his international debut for Switzerland in 2011.

[8] Tahirović was born in Sarajevo, SFR Yugoslavia (now Bosnia-Herzegovina), but was raised in Sweden and has represented them at U-21 level.

[9] Vasquez was born in Lima, Peru, but also qualifies to represent Sweden internationally and has represented them at U-17, U-19 and U-21 level.

[1] "FootballSquads - Zürich - 2008/09".

[1]

[notes 1]

[notes 2]

[notes 3]

[notes 4]

[notes 5]

[notes 6]

[notes 7]

[notes 8]

v t e FC Zürich
Information	Club Managers Players
Stadia	Letzigrund
Rivalries	Zurich derby
Seasons	2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24