Johan Vonlanthen facts for kids
Vonlanthen playing for Switzerland in 2006
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Johan Jarlín Vonlanthen Benavídez | ||
| Date of birth | 1 February 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Santa Marta, Colombia | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Winger | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1998–1999 | FC Flamatt | ||
| 1999–2001 | Young Boys | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2001–2003 | Young Boys | 18 | (2) |
| 2003–2006 | PSV | 29 | (5) |
| 2005 | → Brescia (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | → NAC Breda (loan) | 32 | (6) |
| 2006–2011 | Red Bull Salzburg | 85 | (11) |
| 2009–2010 | → Zürich (loan) | 27 | (10) |
| 2011–2012 | Itagüí | 5 | (0) |
| 2012 | Wohlen | 0 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | Grasshoppers | 5 | (0) |
| 2014 | → Schaffhausen (loan) | 17 | (2) |
| 2014–2016 | Servette | 32 | (10) |
| 2016–2018 | Wil | 66 | (11) |
| Total | 325 | (57) | |
| International career | |||
| 2001 | Switzerland U-15 | 4 | (1) |
| 2004 | Switzerland U-21 | 3 | (1) |
| 2004–2010 | Switzerland | 40 | (7) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Johan Vonlanthen Benavídez, born on February 1, 1986, is a former professional football player. He was a winger, which means he played on the sides of the field. Even though he was born in Colombia, he chose to play for Switzerland because his stepfather was Swiss.
He started his professional career very young, making his debut in the Swiss Super League at just 16 years old for BSC Young Boys. In 2003, he moved to the Dutch club PSV Eindhoven. Johan first retired from football in May 2012 but returned to play in May 2013 for Grasshoppers. He finally retired in August 2018 after playing for FC Wil.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Starting His Career
Johan Vonlanthen began playing football as a junior for BSC Young Boys in Switzerland. He was only 16 when he played his first game in the Swiss Super League during the 2001–02 season. He played eight games as a starter and came in as a substitute once.
In the summer of 2003, he moved to the Netherlands to play for PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie league. He made a great start and helped PSV qualify for the UEFA Champions League, which is a big European competition. After a good first season, his performance wasn't as strong. Because of this, he was loaned out to other teams. He played for Brescia Calcio in Italy for six months in 2005. Then, he was loaned to NAC Breda for the 2005–06 season.
Playing for Red Bull Salzburg
At the start of the 2006–07 season, Johan Vonlanthen moved to FC Red Bull Salzburg in Austria. He played in the Austrian Bundesliga for this team.
In July 2009, he was loaned to FC Zürich for one season. After his loan ended, he went back to Red Bull Salzburg for the 2010–11 season.
Later Career and Retirement
In August 2011, Vonlanthen moved to Itagüí F.C. in Colombia. He played in the Colombian Primera División.
On May 30, 2012, Johan Vonlanthen announced that he was retiring from football at the age of 26. He said he didn't want to have another knee operation.
However, he decided to return to football on June 13, 2013. He joined Grasshoppers and signed a one-year contract.
Later, on December 27, 2013, he was loaned to FC Schaffhausen, a team in the Swiss second division. This happened because he wasn't getting much playing time at Grasshoppers.
Johan Vonlanthen officially retired from football in August 2018. His last team was FC Wil, where he played for two years.
Playing for Switzerland
Early International Games
Johan Vonlanthen was able to play for Switzerland because his stepfather was Swiss. He made his first game for the Swiss national team on June 6, 2004, against Liechtenstein. He came into the game as a substitute in the 81st minute. Switzerland won that game 1–0.
European Championship Record
At the UEFA Euro 2004 tournament, Vonlanthen became one of the youngest players to ever play in the competition. He came on as a substitute against England.
On June 21, 2004, he made history by becoming the youngest player to score a goal in the European Championships. He scored against France, tying the game at 1-1. He was 18 years and 141 days old, which broke the record that Wayne Rooney had set just four days earlier. However, his record was later broken by Lamine Yamal in July 2024.
After Euro 2004, Vonlanthen continued to play regularly for the Swiss national team. He also played often for the under-21 team. He was part of the team that almost made it to the 2009 European Championships, but they lost to Spain.
World Cup and Euro Appearances
Johan Vonlanthen was chosen to be part of the Swiss team for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. However, he couldn't play in the tournament because of a hamstring injury. He was also called up to play in UEFA Euro 2008.
Personal Life
Johan Vonlanthen is a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Images for kids
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Vonlanthen playing for Switzerland in 2006
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Vonlanthen at Salzburg
See also
In Spanish: Johan Vonlanthen para niños
