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Johan Vonlanthen
Vonlanthen061115-01.jpg
Vonlanthen playing for Switzerland in 2006
Personal information
Full name Johan Jarlín Vonlanthen Benavídez
Date of birth (1986-02-01) 1 February 1986 (age 38)
Place of birth Santa Marta, Colombia
Height 1.75 m
Playing position Right 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)
National team
2001 Switzerland U-15 4 (1)
2004 Switzerland U-21 3 (1)
2004–2010 Switzerland 40 (7)
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Johan Vonlanthen Benavídez (born 1 February 1986) is a Swiss former professional footballer who played as a winger.

Having made his Swiss Super League debut BSC Young Boys at the age of 16, he moved to PSV in 2003.

He initially announced the end of his active career in May 2012. He came back out of retirement in May 2013 and signed for Grasshoppers in June. He retired in August 2018 after two years with FC Wil.

Club career

Early career

Vonlanthen played as a junior for BSC Young Boys in Switzerland. In the 2001–02 season, he made his debut as a 16-year-old in the Swiss Super League starting eight games and appearing once as a substitute. In the summer of 2003, he was transferred to the Dutch Eredivisie club PSV Eindhoven. On 21 June 2004, Vonlanthen became the youngest goalscorer when he scored for the Switzerland national team against France in Coimbra, Portugal at the age of 18 years and 141 days old. He made a good initial impression and helped PSV qualify for the UEFA Champions League. After a good first season, he began to lose form and as a consequence was loaned out to Italian side Brescia Calcio for the last six months of the 2004–05 season. He was again loaned out to NAC Breda for the 2005–06 season.

Red Bull Salzburg

Johan Vonlanthen
Vonlanthen at Salzburg

At the start of the 2006–07 season, Vonlanthen transferred to Red Bull Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga.

On 13 July 2009, FC Zürich signed the Swiss forward on a season long loan deal. The move was not made permanent, and Vonlanthen returned to Salzburg for the start of the 2010–11 season.

Itagüí, Wohlen and initial retirement

Vonlanthen moved to Colombian Primera División side Itagüí in August 2011.

On 30 May 2012, Vonlanthen announced his retirement at age 26. According to him, he 'could not face the prospect of undergoing a knee operation'.

Return

On 13 June 2013, Vonlanthen came out of retirement to join Grasshoppers, signing a one-year deal with an option for a further two years.

On 27 December 2013, Vonlanthen was loaned out to Swiss second division side Schaffhausen, due to a lack of playtime at Grasshoppers.

He retired in August 2018 after two years with FC Wil.

International career

Vonlanthen's stepfather is a Swiss national, giving him the right to play for that country.

On 6 June 2004, Vonlanthen made his senior debut for the Switzerland national team against Liechtenstein. He came on as a substitute in the 81st minute to replace Alexander Frei. Switzerland went on to beat Liechtenstein 1–0.

At Euro 2004, Vonlanthen became the second youngest player to play in the tournament when he came on as a substitute against England. On 21 June 2004, Vonlanthen became the youngest scorer ever in the European Championships when he equalised against France, beating Wayne Rooney's record – which had only been set four days before – by three months.

Since the European Championships in Portugal, Vonlanthen has managed to hold a regular position in the national team and as well as playing frequently in the under 21s side. He was part of the squad that very narrowly lost out to Spain on a place in the 2009 European Championships. He had scored the equaliser in the first leg in a 2–1 win but the Spanish came back to win 3–1 in the second leg and 4–3 on aggregate.

Vonlanthen was called up to the Swiss squad to play in 2006 World Cup, but was unable to participate due to a hamstring injury. He was also called up for Euro 2008.

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total Ref.
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Young Boys 2001–02 Nationalliga A /
Swiss Super League
0 0 0 0 8 1 8 1
2002–03 16 1 0 0 11 3 27 4
2003–04 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 1
Total 18 2 0 0 0 0 19 4 37 6
PSV Eindhoven 2003–04 Eredivisie 19 3 2 0 3 0 22 3
2004–05 10 2 0 0 2 0 12 2
Total 29 5 2 0 5 0 0 0 36 5
Brescia (loan) 2004–05 Serie A 9 0 0 0 0 0 9 0
NAC Breda (loan) 2005–06 Eredivisie 32 6 7 5 0 0 4 1 43 12
Red Bull Salzburg 2006–07 Austrian Bundesliga 35 5 3 0 4 1 41 6
2007–08 20 3 0 0 5 0 25 3
2008–09 29 3 1 0 4 0 34 3
2010–11 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Total 85 11 4 0 13 1 0 0 102 12
Zürich (loan) 2009–10 Swiss Super League 27 10 2 4 10 3 39 17
Itagüí 2011 Liga Postobón 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 6 0
Grasshoppers 2013–14 Swiss Super League 5 0 0 0 3 0 8 0
Schaffhausen (loan) 2013–14 Swiss Challenge League 17 2 0 0 17 2
Servette 2014–15 Swiss Challenge League 32 10 1 1 33 11
FC Wil 2015–16 Swiss Challenge League 10 0 0 0 10 0
2016–17 32 6 1 0 33 6
2017–18 24 5 2 2 26 7
Total 66 11 3 2 0 0 0 0 69 13
Career total 325 57 19 12 31 4 24 5 399 78

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Switzerland 2004 7 5
2005 9 0
2006 2 0
2007 8 0
2008 10 2
2009 4 0
Total 40 7

See also

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