Philippe Senderos facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is Senderos and the second or maternal family name is Novković.

Quick facts for kids
Philippe Senderos

Senderos with Switzerland in 2006

Personal information

Full name

Philippe Sylvain Senderos

Date of birth

14 February 1985 (age 40)

Place of birth

Geneva, Switzerland

Height

1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)

Position(s)

Centre back

Youth career

1992–2002

Servette

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps

(Gls)

2002–2003

Servette

(3)

2003–2010

Arsenal

(4)

2008–2009

→ AC Milan (loan)

(0)

2010

→ Everton (loan)

(0)

2010–2014

Fulham

(2)

2014

Valencia

(0)

2014–2016

Aston Villa

(0)

2016

Grasshoppers

(0)

2016–2017

Rangers

(0)

2017–2018

Houston Dynamo

(4)

2019

Chiasso

(0)

Total

209

(13)

International career

2005–2016

Switzerland

(5)

Medal record

Men's Football

Representing Switzerland
UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
Winner	2002 Denmark

*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Philippe Sylvain Senderos (born on February 14, 1985) is a Swiss former professional footballer. He played as a defender, which means he helped protect his team's goal.

Senderos started his career at Servette in Switzerland. As a teenager, he moved to England to play for Arsenal. He played 116 games for Arsenal over seven seasons and won the FA Cup in 2005. He also played on loan for Milan and Everton.

After Arsenal, he joined Fulham in 2010 and played there for four seasons. He then had short periods playing for clubs in Spain, England, Scotland, Switzerland, and the United States.

Philippe Senderos also played for the Swiss national team from 2005 to 2016. He played 57 games for his country and scored 5 goals. He was part of the Swiss teams that played in three FIFA World Cups and the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament.

Club Football Journey
International Career for Switzerland
About Philippe's Life
Achievements
Images for kids
See also

Club Football Journey

Starting at Servette

Philippe Senderos grew up playing in the youth teams at the Swiss club Servette. After a few games in his first year, he quickly became a regular player for the main team. In July 2002, he scored his first two goals in a game against Luzern, helping his team win 2–0.

Senderos signed with Arsenal in December 2002 but stayed at Servette until the next summer. His father mentioned that Senderos chose Arsenal over Real Madrid. Senderos himself felt he made the right choice joining Arsenal.

Time at Arsenal

When Senderos first joined Arsenal, he faced some challenges. He had a back problem and then a foot injury, which kept him from playing for a while. During that season, Arsenal famously won the league without losing a single game.

Senderos made his first appearance for Arsenal in October 2004 in a League Cup game. He played his first Premier League match in January 2005. He got more chances to play when another defender, Sol Campbell, was injured. Senderos played in the 2005 FA Cup final and helped Arsenal win the trophy after a penalty shootout against Manchester United. This was his first major win with the club.

After this success, Senderos signed a new five-year contract with Arsenal. In the 2005 FA Community Shield, Arsenal lost to Chelsea. During the 2005–06 season, he scored his first goal for Arsenal in a game against West Bromwich Albion. He also played a part in Arsenal's journey to the Champions League final in 2006, where they lost to Barcelona.

Senderos received a red card twice in the 2006–07 season and once more in September 2007. In his last full season at Arsenal (2007–08), he scored two more goals in the Premier League.

Loan to AC Milan

Eventually, Senderos played less for Arsenal. In August 2008, he joined the Italian club AC Milan on a loan for one season. He called joining Milan a "dream come true." He got injured early on and found it hard to get into the first team. He played 14 games in Serie A, Italy's top league, before returning to Arsenal.

Loan to Everton

Senderos played only two games for Arsenal in the 2009–10 season. In January 2010, he went on loan to Everton for the rest of the season. He played his first game for Everton in a 1–0 win against Wigan Athletic. He returned to Arsenal at the end of the season after playing only three games for Everton.

Playing for Fulham and Valencia

Senderos playing for Fulham in February 2013

In June 2010, Senderos signed a three-year deal with Fulham for free. While training in August, he injured his Achilles tendon, which kept him out of action for six months. He finally played his first game for Fulham in April 2011. In April 2012, he scored his first Premier League goal for Fulham in a 2–1 win against Wigan Athletic.

In March 2013, Senderos extended his contract with Fulham until June 2014. In October 2013, he scored a goal in a 4–1 win over Crystal Palace.

On January 31, 2014, Senderos moved to Valencia in Spain. He played his first game for Valencia in February 2014, helping them win 5–0 against Real Betis. He scored his first goal for Valencia in March, a header in a 3–0 win against Ludogorets Razgrad in the Europa League.

Time at Aston Villa

Senderos playing for Aston Villa against Chelsea in September 2014.

On June 5, 2014, Senderos joined Aston Villa on a two-year contract. The manager, Paul Lambert, noted that it would be Senderos's third World Cup, showing his experience. He played his first Premier League game for Villa in August, helping them win 1–0 against Stoke City.

In September 2015, Senderos was not included in Aston Villa's main squad for the first half of the 2015–16 Premier League season. He left the club by agreement in January 2016.

Grasshoppers and Rangers

After leaving Aston Villa, Senderos returned to Switzerland in January 2016 to play for Grasshoppers on a six-month contract.

In August 2016, Senderos signed a one-year deal with the Scottish team Rangers. He said it was an easy decision to join such a big club. However, he was sent off in his very first game for Rangers, a 5–1 loss to Celtic in the famous Old Firm match. He left Rangers in May 2017.

Houston Dynamo and Retirement

On August 7, 2017, the Houston Dynamo in the United States' Major League Soccer (MLS) announced they had signed Senderos. He played only two regular season games but got to play in the playoffs because other defenders were injured. He even wore the captain's armband in a playoff game that Houston won.

In 2018, Senderos scored in Houston's first game of the season. He later scored two goals in a 3–0 win against Minnesota United. He played in every game of the 2018 U.S. Open Cup, helping the Dynamo win their first title in that competition. He got another hamstring injury in the final, which made him miss the rest of the season. His contract ended in 2018, and he was not re-signed.

On September 10, 2019, Senderos signed with Chiasso in Switzerland. He played his debut for Chiasso in November. On December 16, 2019, he announced that he was retiring from professional football.

International Career for Switzerland

Senderos playing for Switzerland in 2012 in a match against Argentina

Philippe Senderos played for Switzerland at all youth levels, starting from the under-15 team. He was also able to play for Spain or Serbia because of his parents. He was the captain of the Swiss under-17 team that won the 2002 UEFA European Under-17 Championship in 2002.

He made his first appearance for the senior Swiss national team on March 26, 2005, in a game against France. In September 2005, he scored his first international goal in a 3–1 win against Cyprus. He also scored in a playoff game against Turkey in November 2005, helping Switzerland qualify for the World Cup.

Senderos was chosen for Switzerland's 2006 FIFA World Cup squad. He played in all three group matches and scored a goal in a 2–0 win against South Korea. However, he broke his nose and injured his shoulder in that game, which meant he couldn't play in the rest of the World Cup.

He captained Switzerland for the first time in February 2008 in a friendly game against England. Senderos was also part of the Swiss team at UEFA Euro 2008, playing in all three group games.

In October 2009, Senderos scored two goals in a 3–0 win against Luxembourg during a 2010 World Cup qualifier. He was then selected for the 2010 World Cup squad. In the first match, where Switzerland surprisingly beat Spain 1–0, he had to leave the game early due to an ankle injury.

Senderos was also chosen for the Swiss squad for the 2014 World Cup, which was his third World Cup. He played his first game in the second match against France, coming on as a substitute. Switzerland lost that game 5–2.

He was not included in the Switzerland squad for Euro 2016.

About Philippe's Life

Philippe Senderos's mother is of Serbian background, and his father is of Spanish background. His brother, Julien, was a professional basketball player. In 2009, Senderos married Sara, who is English with Iranian heritage.

Philippe Senderos is very good with languages! He can speak seven different languages: English, French, Serbian, Spanish, German, Italian, and Persian.

In 2012, some false stories spread online, especially in Turkey and Iran, saying that he had changed his religion to Islam. Senderos clarified that this was not true and that he didn't know where the rumors came from.