FC Vaduz facts for kids
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| Full name | Fussball Club Vaduz | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Residenzler (Residents) Fürstenverein (The Duke's club) Stolz von Liechtenstein (Pride of Liechtenstein) |
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| Short name | FCV | |||
| Founded | 14 February 1932 | |||
| Ground | Rheinpark Stadion Vaduz, Liechtenstein |
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| Capacity | 7,584 (5,873 seated) | |||
| Coordinates | 47°08′25″N 9°30′37″E / 47.1403°N 9.5103°E | |||
| Chairman | Patrick Burgmeier | |||
| Manager | Marc Schneider | |||
| League | Challenge League | |||
| 2024–25 | 6th of 10 | |||
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Fussball Club Vaduz (which means Football Club Vaduz in English) is a professional football team from Vaduz, Liechtenstein. They play in the Challenge League, which is the second-highest football league in Switzerland. The team plays its home games at the Rheinpark Stadion, a national stadium in Liechtenstein. This stadium can hold 5,873 seated fans and has extra standing room, bringing its total capacity to 7,838.
FC Vaduz is special because it represents Liechtenstein in European competitions like the UEFA Europa Conference League. This happens when they win their country's domestic cup. They play in the Swiss league system because Liechtenstein does not have its own football league.
Many players from Liechtenstein have played for FC Vaduz. Some of them have also played for the national team. However, most players in the first team today come from other countries around the world.
In August 2022, FC Vaduz made history. They beat Rapid Wien in Austria and became the first club from Liechtenstein to reach the group stage of a major UEFA club competition, the Europa Conference League.
Contents
- Club History
- European Adventures
- Playing in Switzerland
- Home Stadium: Rheinpark Stadion
- Club Partners
- Team Uniforms and Sponsors
- Club Achievements
- Club Records
- Team Rankings
- Swiss Super League Seasons
- Current Players
- Coaching and Management Staff
- FC Vaduz U23 Team
- Former Players
- Former Managers
- Former Presidents
- FC Vaduz Red Pride Rugby
- See also
Club History
Fussball Club Vaduz was started on February 14, 1932, in Vaduz. Johann Walser was the club's first chairman. FC Vaduz is the only professional football club in Liechtenstein. In their very first practice match on April 24, 1932, they won 2–1 against a team in Balzers.
For the 1932–33 season, Vaduz played in the Vorarlberger Football Association in Austria. In 1933, they began playing in Switzerland. Over the years, Vaduz played in different levels of Swiss football. They won their first Liechtensteiner Cup in 1949. From 1960 to 1973, Vaduz stayed in the Swiss 1. Liga, which was then the third tier of Swiss football.
FC Vaduz has to pay a fee to the Swiss Football Association to play in their league. This is because they are a foreign club. There have been talks to make sure a team from Liechtenstein can always play in the Challenge League or Super League.
From the 2001–02 season, Vaduz played in the Swiss Challenge League. This is the second level of the Swiss league system. Since then, Vaduz has been one of the best teams in the Challenge League. They tried hard to get promoted to the Super League, especially in 2004 and 2005.
In the 2007–08 season, Vaduz won the Challenge League on the last day. This meant they were promoted to the Swiss Super League for the first time ever on May 12, 2008. This was a big moment for Liechtenstein football. However, Vaduz was relegated back to the Challenge League after just one season. They returned to the top league five years later.
In May 2010, FC Vaduz and another Liechtenstein team, USV Eschen/Mauren, decided to work together more closely. This agreement helps develop players and supports Liechtenstein football. FC Vaduz is the main club for professional footballers in the country.
European Adventures
In 1992, Vaduz played in a European competition for the first time. They entered the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup because they had won the Liechtenstein Football Cup. However, they lost 12–1 to Chornomorets Odesa from Ukraine. In 1996, Vaduz got their first European win. They beat Universitate Riga from Latvia 5–3 on penalties after a 2–2 tie. But they then lost to Paris Saint-Germain from France 7–0.
After the Cup Winners' Cup ended, Vaduz has played in the UEFA Cup (now the UEFA Europa League) almost every year since 1998. This is because they usually win the Liechtenstein Football Cup.
In 2002, Vaduz almost reached the main round of the UEFA Cup. They were tied with Livingston from Scotland. Vaduz had a late chance to score, but the referee blew the whistle for full-time just before the ball crossed the line. Livingston went through in a very close game.
In the 2005–06 season, Mats Gren was the coach. Vaduz beat a team from Moldova, FC Dacia Chişinău, in the first round of the 2005–06 UEFA Cup qualifying. But they were knocked out by the Turkish club Beşiktaş J.K. in the next round.
In the 2009–10 season, FC Vaduz beat Scottish team Falkirk in the Europa League. However, they lost to Czech team Slovan Liberec in the next round.
In the 2014–15 Swiss Super League season, Vaduz stayed in the Swiss Super League for the first time ever. They finished in 9th place. They also won their 43rd Liechtenstein Cup, setting a world record for winning a domestic cup so many times.
In the 2015–16 season, FC Vaduz started their European journey by beating S.P. La Fiorita from San Marino in the Europa League. They then beat Nõmme Kalju FC to reach the third qualifying round. There, they played against another Swiss team, FC Thun, and lost on away goals.
Vaduz won their domestic cup for the 44th time in 2016. They also finished eighth in the Swiss Super League, earning a team record of 36 points. Vaduz player Armando Sadiku played for Albania at Euro 2016.
The team appeared in the popular sports video game FIFA 17 for the first time. This was the first time a team from Liechtenstein was in the game series.
After three years in the top Swiss league, Vaduz was relegated in the 2016–17 season. Roland Vrabec became the new coach, replacing Giorgio Contini. Vaduz has not returned to the Swiss Super League since then.
On September 17, 2018, Mario Frick became the coach. He is the first coach from Liechtenstein in the club's history.
In the 2019–20 season, FC Vaduz beat Breiðablik from Iceland. They then surprised everyone by knocking out Hungarian team MOL Fehérvár. In the third qualifying round, they played against German club Eintracht Frankfurt. Eintracht Frankfurt won both matches easily. However, these games were special for Vaduz. The first match in Vaduz had 5,908 fans, which is more than the city's population of 5,521!
On August 25, 2022, Vaduz qualified for the group stages of the Europa Conference League. This was after an away win against Rapid Wien. They were the first team from Liechtenstein to reach this stage of a European club competition. They played against AZ from the Netherlands, Apollon Limassol from Cyprus, and Dnipro-1 from Ukraine. They started well with a draw against Apollon but only got one more point, finishing last in their group.
On June 20, 2023, Vaduz played against Neman Grodno from Belarus in the 2023-24 UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying round.
Playing in Switzerland
Vaduz is like a "guest club" in the Swiss Football League. This is similar to AS Monaco playing in France. Because they are a guest club, Vaduz does not play in the Swiss Cup. They also cannot represent Switzerland in international competitions like the UEFA Champions League. This means they can only qualify for the Champions League by winning the Europa League or the Champions League itself. Since Vaduz has never finished higher than 8th in the Super League, this situation has not happened.
Home Stadium: Rheinpark Stadion
The Rheinpark Stadion in Vaduz is the national stadium of Liechtenstein. It is where the Liechtenstein national football team plays its home matches. It is also the home stadium for FC Vaduz. The stadium is right next to the River Rhine, very close to the border with Switzerland. It has 5,873 seats and extra standing room, making its total capacity 7,584. The stadium cost about 19 million Swiss francs to build.
The stadium officially opened on July 31, 1998. The first match was between FC Vaduz and 1. FC Kaiserslautern, who were the German champions at the time. Kaiserslautern won 8–0. Famous clubs like Liverpool F.C. and Olympiacos F.C. have also played friendly matches here.
The stadium was built because football organizations like FIFA and UEFA said that Liechtenstein needed a modern stadium. Otherwise, they would not allow European and international matches to be played there. Liechtenstein does not have its own football league, but it does have a cup competition. The winner of this cup, usually FC Vaduz, gets to play in the Europa League almost every year.
The Rheinpark Stadion is less than 1 kilometer west of central Vaduz. Vaduz is one of the few capital cities in the world without its own airport or train station. However, there is a train station called Schaan-Vaduz in the nearby town of Schaan.
The Rheinpark Stadion has four main sections: North, East, South, and West. There are some free parking spots at the stadium on match days, given out on a first-come, first-served basis.
Club Partners
FC Vaduz works with several companies that help support the club. These include:
Liechtensteinische Landesbank – main sponsor- MBPI AG – main sponsor
Puma – makes their uniforms
Accurata Treuhand und Revisions AG – official sponsor- Brauerei Schützengarten AG – official sponsor
- Heim Bohrtechnik AG – official sponsor
- Kibernetik AG – official sponsor
- Hirslanden Private Hospital Group – medical partner
- Orthopädie St. Gallen – medical partner
Team Uniforms and Sponsors
Here's a look at who made FC Vaduz's uniforms and who sponsored their shirts over the years:
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–19 | Adidas | Liechtensteinische Landesbank/MBPI AG | |
| 2019–20 | Puma | ||
| 2020–22 | Casino Admiral | ||
| 2022–23 | MBPI AG |
Club Achievements
Liechtenstein Trophies
- Liechtenstein Football Championship
- Winners (2): 1932, 1936
- Liechtenstein Football Cup
- Winners (51) (World Record): FC Vaduz has won this cup a record 51 times! Their wins include: 1948–49, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1962, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1973–74, 1979–80, 1984–85, 1986, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25
- Runners-up (13): They have been second place 13 times.
Swiss Trophies
- Swiss Challenge League (2nd tier)
- Winners (3): 2002–03, 2007–08, 2013–14
- Runners-up (3): 2003–04, 2004–05, 2019–20
- 1. Liga Classic (3rd and 4th tiers)
- Winners (2): 1999–2000 (4th tier), 2000–01 (3rd tier)
Club Records
- Biggest European home win: FC Vaduz 5–1
La Fiorita (July 9, 2015, UEFA Europa League) - Biggest European away win: La Fiorita 0–5 FC Vaduz (July 2, 2015, UEFA Europa League)
- Biggest European home defeat: FC Vaduz 0–5
Chornomorets Odesa (August 19, 1992, European Cup Winners' Cup), FC Vaduz 0–5 
Hradec Králové (August 10, 1995, European Cup Winners' Cup), FC Vaduz 0–5 Eintracht Frankfurt (August 8, 2019, Europa League) - Biggest European away defeat: Hradec Králové 9–1 FC Vaduz (August 24, 1995, European Cup Winners' Cup)
- Biggest home win: FC Vaduz 11–0 FC Schaan (May 4, 2016, FL–Cup Final)
- Biggest away win: FC Triesen II 0–22 FC Vaduz (November 9, 1999, FL–Cup Quarter-Finals)
- Player with most trophies with FC Vaduz: Franz Burgmeier (16 trophies)
- Player with most appearances: Franz Burgmeier (371 games)
- Player with most goals: Daniele Polverino (91 goals)
- Player with most UEFA appearances: Daniel Hasler, Peter Jehle, Franz Burgmeier (22 games each)
- Player with most Super League appearances: Philipp Muntwiler (90 games)
- Most European goals: Moreno Costanzo, Moreno Merenda (5 goals each)
- Most Super League goals: Moreno Costanzo (12 goals)
- Most goals in Liechtenstein Cup: Daniele Polverino (76 goals)
- Highest home game attendance: 6,773 (against FC Basel, FC St. Gallen)
- Highest away game attendance (St. Jakob-Park): 27,066 (against FC Basel)
- Highest European home game attendance: 5,908 (against Eintracht Frankfurt)
- Highest European away game attendance (Waldstadion): 48,000 (against Eintracht Frankfurt)
- Most capped foreign player:
Miguel Mea Vitali, 87 games for Venezuela - Most capped Liechtenstein player: Peter Jehle, 132 games (a national record)
Individual Player Awards
The best player in Liechtenstein was chosen each season from 1980–81 to 2007–08. Since 2009, the Liechtenstein Football Association gives out the LFV-Award. This award has categories for Footballer of the Year, Young Player of the Year, and Coach of the Year.
Liechtensteiner Footballer of the Year
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 1980–81 | Branko Eškinja |
| 1982–83 | Branko Eškinja |
| 1984–85 | Roland Moser |
| 1985–86 | Roland Moser |
| 1986–87 | Harry Schädler |
| 1991–92 | Martin Oehri |
| 1995–96 | Harry Zech |
| 1996–97 | Daniel Hasler |
| 1997–98 | Martin Stocklasa |
| 2003–04 | Benjamin Fischer |
| 2007–08 |  Gaspar Odirlei |
| 2014 | Peter Jehle |
| 2015 | Nicolas Hasler |
| 2016 | Peter Jehle |
| 2017 | Nicolas Hasler |
| 2022 | Benjamin Büchel |
| 2023 | Benjamin Büchel |
| 2024 | Benjamin Büchel |
Liechtensteiner Young Player of the Year
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 2010 | David Hasler |
| 2011 | Nicolas Hasler |
| 2012 | Nicolas Hasler |
Liechtensteiner Coach of the Year
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 2010 |  Eric Orie |
| 2014 | Giorgio Contini |
| 2016 | Giorgio Contini |
| 2022 | Mario Frick |
Team Awards
Fairplay Trophy
| Season | League | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | Swiss Challenge League |
65 |
| 2022–23 | Swiss Challenge League |
90 |
Team Rankings
UEFA Ranking
This ranking shows how well European football clubs are doing. As of March 20, 2023
| Rank | Team | Points | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 158 |  Olimpija Ljubljana |
9.000 | 2.500 |
| 159 |  Linfield |
8.500 | 1.716 |
| 160 | Vaduz |
8.500 | 2.200 |
| 161 |  Zrinjski |
8.500 | 1.950 |
| 162 |  Dunajská Streda |
8.500 | 3.950 |
Club World Ranking
This ranking shows how football clubs compare globally. As of December 31, 2015
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 166 |  Odds |
99.00 |
| 166 | Crusaders |
99.00 |
| 166 | Vaduz |
99.00 |
| 171 |  Qadsia |
98.50 |
| 172 |  Independiente del Valle |
98.00 |
Swiss Super League Seasons
FC Vaduz was promoted to the Swiss Super League for the first time in the 2007–08 season. Before that, they almost got promoted twice in play-off games in 2003–04 and 2004–05. In the 2015–16 season, they finished 8th, staying in the Super League for another year. After two seasons, FC Vaduz was relegated back to the Swiss Challenge League. In the 2019–20 season, Vaduz finished second and won their play-off game against FC Thun. This meant they were promoted to the Super League for the fifth time.
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Season Pos Pld W D L GF GA Pts Att. 2008–09 10 
36 5 7 24 28 85 22 2,177 2014–15 9 36 7 10 19 28 59 31 4,152 2015–16 8 36 7 15 14 44 60 36 4,006 2016–17 10 36 7 9 20 45 78 30 4,086 2020–21 10 36 9 9 18 36 58 36 227 Total 180 35 50 95 181 340 155 2,930
- Key
P - games played; W- wins; D- draws; L- losses; GF- goals for; GA - goals against; PTS - points
QR - Qualifying Round; QR1 - Qualifying Round 1; QR2 - Qualifying Round 2; QR3 - Qualifying Round 3
| ↑ Promoted | ↓ Relegated |
Current Players
Here are the players currently on the FC Vaduz team:
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Players on Loan
These players are currently playing for other teams:
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Coaching and Management Staff
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FC Vaduz U23 Team
FC Vaduz U23 is the reserve team for FC Vaduz. They currently play in the 2. Liga, which is the sixth level of Swiss football. In the 2014–15 season, they reached the semi-finals of the Liechtenstein Cup but lost to FC Triesenberg after extra time.
U23 Current Squad
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U23 Technical Staff
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Former Players
Some former players are very special to the fans because they played for the club for a long time and made great contributions. Here are a few examples:
- Armando Sadiku
(played 2016) - Jodel Dossou
(played 2018–2019) - Odirlei de Souza Gaspar (played 2005–2009)
- Stjepan Kukuruzović
(played 2015–2017) - Markus Neumayr (played 2013–2015)
- Nick Proschwitz (played 2010–2011)
- Pak Kwang-ryong
(played 2013–2015) - Hekuran Kryeziu
(played 2014–2015) - Nicolas Hasler (played 2011–2017)
- Martin Stocklasa (played 1997–1999, 2002–2006)
- Rainer Hasler (played 1978–1979)
- Pape Omar Faye
(played 2006–2007) - Dušan Cvetinović
(played 2011–2013) - Goran Obradović
(played 2005) - Pascal Schürpf (played 2013–2017)
- Simone Grippo (played 2013–2017)
- Moreno Merenda (played 2001–2002, 2010–2012)
- Yann Sommer (played 2007–2009)
- Fakhreddine Galbi
(played 2008–2009) - Marko Dević (played 2017–2018)
- Caleb Stanko
(played 2016–2017)
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Vaduz Players in Major International Tournaments
| Tournament | |
|---|---|
 AFC Asian Cup 2015 |
Pak Kwang-Ryong |
 UEFA Euro 2016 |
Armando Sadiku |
| Naser Aliji |
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 Africa Cup of Nations 2019 |
Jodel Dossou |
Former Managers
- Otto Pfister (1961–63)
Tibor Lőrincz (1969–71)
Željko Perušić (1974–75)- Peter Blusch (1980–82)
- Hans Krostina (1983–85)
- Helmut Richert (1989–90)
Hans Trittinger (1990–91)- Hans-Joachim Abel (1994–96)
- Hansruedi Fässler (1996–97)
- Alfons Dobler (1997–99)
- Uwe Wegmann (1999–02)
- Walter Hörmann (2002–03)
- Martin Andermatt (2003–05)
- Hans-Joachim Weller (2005)
Mats Gren (2005–06)
Maurizio Jacobacci (2006–07)- Hans-Joachim Weller (2007)
- Heinz Hermann (2007–08)
- Pierre Littbarski (2008–10)
- Eric Orie (2010–12)
- Sebastian Selke (2012) (Interim)
- Giorgio Contini (2012–17)
- Daniel Hasler (2017) (Interim)
- Roland Vrabec (2017–2018)
- Mario Frick (2018–2022)
- Alessandro Mangiarratti (2022)
- Jürgen Seeberger (2023)
- Jan Meyer (interim) (2023)
- Martin Stocklasa (2023–2024)
Marc Schneider (2024–present)
Gallery
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Otto Pfister
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Walter Hörmann
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Martin Andermatt
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Heinz Hermann
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Pierre Littbarski
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Eric Orie
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Giorgio Contini
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Roland Vrabec
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Former Presidents
- Johannes Walser (1932–1933)
- Willy Huber (1933–1934)
- Anton Konrad (1934–1936)
- Rudolf Strub (1936–1943)
- Hans Verling (1943–1948)
- Albert Caminada (1948–1950)
- Felix Real (1950–1951)
- Hans Verling (1951–1955)
- Anton Ospelt (1955–1956)
- Otto Hasler (1956–1961)
- Engelbert Schreiber (1961–1964)
- Hilmar Ospelt (1964–1967)
- Kurt Frommelt (1967–1971)
- Norbert Vogt (1971–1973)
- Reinhard Walser (1973–1979)
- Reinold Ospelt (1979–1983)
- Alfons Thöny (1983–1988)
- Andy Rechsteiner (1988–1990)
- Werner Keicher (1990–1997)
- Manfred Moser (1997–2001)
- Marc Brogle (2001–2003)
- Hanspeter Negele (2003–2008)
- Franz Schädler (2008–2009) (Interim)
- Lorenz Gassner (2009–2010) (Acting)
- Albin Johann (2010–2013)
- Ruth Ospelt (2013–2019)
- Patrick Burgmeier (2019–)
FC Vaduz Red Pride Rugby
On March 12, 2012, a new club called FC Vaduz Rugby was started. This rugby union club is part of the FC Vaduz organization. Rugby is a small but growing sport in Liechtenstein. Liechtenstein does not have its own national rugby group, so it is part of the Swiss Rugby Federation.
See also
In Spanish: Fussball Club Vaduz para niños
