Chapuisat the fans' favourite

To help mark UEFA's Jubilee, each national association was asked to nominate its most outstanding player of the past 50 years. Switzerland chose Stéphane Chapuisat as their Golden Player.

Although Switzerland have produced several world-class players over the past decades, there is little doubt as to who has done most to raise the country's football profile. Stéphane Chapuisat, the Alpine nation's biggest international star, has always been the epitome of a true professional and remained one of the top strikers in his homeland right until his retirement last year.

Century of caps
The son of a former player and coach, he made his national-team debut in 1989 in a 1-0 victory against Brazil when he was playing his club football with Lausanne-Sports. Fifteen years later Chapuisat celebrated his 100th cap, fittingly against Germany – the country in which he has experienced most success – before UEFA EURO 2004™ provided an appropriate setting for him to end a Switzerland career spanning 103 games and 21 goals.

Highlights
In between were many years of great satisfaction and a number of highlights. Chapuisat was an important member of Roy Hodgson's team that achieved Switzerland's greatest success of the past 50 years when they reached the last 16 of the 1994 FIFA World Cup. He also took part in EURO '96™, and was joined by Alexander Frei and Hakan Yakin in an attacking trident that helped fire the Swiss to UEFA EURO 2004™.

Enviable record
At club level, he set records unlikely to be matched by any Swiss player in the foreseeable future. He was twice a Bundesliga winner with BV Borussia Dortmund, and in 1997 helped them to victory in both the UEFA Champions League and the European/South American Cup. He contributed 106 goals – 17 in European competition – in his eight years with Dortmund, becoming the second highest foreign scorer ever in the German league. After returning to Switzerland he claimed a league championship with Grasshopper-Club and top-scored twice, before a stint with BSC Young Boys and then finally finishing his career back at Lausanne.

Crowd favourite
Not the quickest player but blessed with a sweet left foot, Chapuisat became both a defender's nightmare and a crowd favourite at Dortmund's Westfalenstadion. In a place where most spectators have to work very hard for their tickets, Chapuisat reciprocated by giving 100 per cent every day without fail. He was seldom badly injured which was rare for a forward, and this was due both to his sense of anticipation and to the importance he attached to his physical well-being.

Low points
Although Chapuisat's playing days have been golden ones, there were some low points. In 2001 his international career seemed prematurely over when the new coach Jakob Kuhn surprisingly dropped him to the bench along with Ciriaco Sforza and Stéphane Henchoz. And a year later, Grasshoppers coach Marcel Koller thought he too could manage without him.

Perfect response
In both cases Chapuisat did not complain, but tried to prove his worth in more positive fashion. The result was that nine months later he returned to the national team and, after leaving Grasshoppers, enjoyed more success with Young Boys.

Diplomatic future
Chapuisat has always believed in action on the pitch rather than words off, but he remains ambitious. A family man with a penchant for playing cards, he will be involved as an ambassador at UEFA EURO 2008™ as the tournament comes to Switzerland. There could have been no better choice.