1997–98 FC Zürich season

FC Zürich 1997–98 Sven Hotz Sven Hotz Head-coach Raimondo Ponte Letzigrund 1997–98 NLAQualification round 6th of 12 1997–98 NLAChampionship group 4th of 8 1997–98 Swiss Cup Round 6 Shabani Nonda (24) Shabani Nonda (24) 1996–97 1998–99 The 1997–98 season was FC Zürich's 101st season in their existence, since their foundation in 1896. It was their eighth consecutive season in the top flight of Swiss football, following their promotion at the end of 1989–90 season. Overview The local businessman Sven Hotz was the club's chairman and patron at this time. He had taken over as club president at the AGM in 1986. Raimondo Ponte had been the FCZ first team head-coach during the previous seasons and he had prolonged his contract with the club for this season. The FCZ first team competed in this years domestic first-tier 1997–98 Nationalliga A with the clear intention of retaining their top level status and reaching the championship group for the second half of the season. The team also competed in 1997–98 Swiss Cup. They had not qualified for any of the UEFA European tournaments and they did not enter the 1997 Intertoto Cup. Their aim this season was to reach the top three of the league and thus qualify for the 1998–99 UEFA Cup or to win the domestic cup competition. FCZ played their home games in the Letzigrund, a stadium also used by the athletics club LC Zürich de LC Zürich. The stadium originally opened in 1925, was partially rebuilt in 1973 and modernised during the previous and this season. The stadium is located in the west of Zurich in the district of Altstetten, which is about three kilometers from the city center. At the end of the league season FCZ found themselves in fourth position in the table and so they had failed to reach third place which was the qualification slot for the 1998–99 UEFA Cup. One week later the Swiss Cup final took place and Lausanne-Sport won the trophy by beating St. Gallen after a penalty shoot-out. Thus Lausanne qualified for the 1998–99 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. As Lausanne were in third position in the final league table, the UEFA Cup slot was passed down to the next placed team and FCZ qualified. Players The following is the list of the FCZ first team squad this season. It also includes players that were in the squad the day the domestic league season started, on 5 July 1997, but subsequently left the club after that date. SUI GK Ueli Brunner league games: 4 NIG GK Ike Shorunmu league games: 33 SUI DF Pascal Castillo league games: 9 SUI DF Urs Fischer league games: 33 SUI DF Giuseppe Gambino league games: 17 SUI DF Marc Hodel league games: 23 SUI DF Robert Huber league games: 24 BIH DF Muhamed Konjic league games: 7 DRC DF David Opango league games: 19 SUI DF Carmelo Trande league games: 1 SUI DF René Weiler league games: 10 SUI MF Alijosa Aleksandrovic league games: 1 ITA MF Roberto Baldassarri league games: 29 SUI MF Renato Brugnoli league games: 30 SUI MF Francesco Di Jorio league games: 35 FRA MF Jean-Marc Ferreri league games: 7 CZE MF Martin Guzik league games: 18 ITA MF Luca Iodice league games: 17 BRA MF Cesar Sant'Anna league games: 35 SUI MF Bruno Sutter league games: 17 SUI MF Daniel Tarone league games: 34 SUI MF Julio Tejeda league games: 28 BRA FW Eduardo Dos Santos «Edu» league games: 3 TRI FW Jerren Nixon league games: 10 DRC FW Shabani Nonda league games: 34 NIG FW Rashidi Yekini league games: 28 Players who left the squad The following is the list of the FCZ first team players that left the squad during the previous season or in the off-season, before the new domestic season began. SUI GK Patrick Mäder retired SUI DF Giuseppe Mazzarelli to Grasshopper Club SUI DF Kazik Nicolò reserves SUI DF David Pallas reserves ITA MF Giuseppe Nocita reserves SUI MF Jürg Studer to Young Boys POL MF Dariusz Szubert to K.F.C. Lommel S.K. NOR FW Jørn Andersen to Lugano SWE FW Tomas Brolin end of loan, returned to Leeds Utd BIH FW Marko Topić to Wil ENG FW Roger Walker to Hibernians Results Legend #CCFFCC Win 1px solid #AAAAAA #FFFFCC Draw 1px solid #AAAAAA #FFCCCC Loss 1px solid #AAAAAA #CCCCCC Postponed 1px solid #AAAAAA Nationalliga A 1997–98 Nationalliga A Qualification phase The first stage of the NLA began on 5 July 1997 and was completed on 7 December. The top eight teams in the qualification phase would advance to the championship group and the last four teams would play against relegation. Round 1 5 July 1997 19:30 Zürich 1–0 FCZ summary Luzern Guzik 32Nonda 67 1:0 77 Sawu Letzigrund, Zürich 5,800 SUI Urs Meier (Wettingen and Würenlos) W Round 2 9 July 1997 19:30 Étoile Carouge 1–3 FCZ summary Zürich Orlando 19Van der Laan 78 1:2Cravero 86Hilty 90+1 4 Weiler10 Di Jorio31 0:1 Konjic42 Castillo72 0:2 Brugnoli84 1:3 Gambino Stade de la Fontenette, Carouge 2,350 SUI Guido Wildhaber (Kerzers) W Round 3 12 July 1997 19:30 Zürich 1–1 FCZ summaryFCA summary Aarau Nonda 24Konjic 48Fischer 55Konjic 64 1:1 8 B. Studer36 0:1 Drakopulos42 Wiederkehr73 de Napoli Letzigrund, Zürich 6,300 SUI Kurt Zuppinger (Bremgarten, Aargau) D Round 4 19 July 1997 19:30 Lausanne-Sport 4–1 FCZ summary Zürich Celestini 2Puce 17 1:0Londono 32Puce 65Rehn 67 2:0Celestini 76 penPiffaretti 88Udovič 90 4:1 42 Fischer75 2:1 Nonda Olympique de la Pontaise, Lausanne 7,100 SUI Massimo Busacca (Monte Carasso/Bellinzona) L Round 5 26 July 1997 19:30 Zürich 0–0 FCZ summaryFCB summary Basel Tarone 59Tejeda 70Yekini 89 17 Zuffi Letzigrund, Zürich 15,500 LIE Roland Beck (Triesenberg) D Round 6 3 August 1997 16:00 Zürich 1–0 FCZ summary Kriens Konjic 47 1:0Di Jorio 86 73 Schwizer Letzigrund, Zürich 6,100 SUI Nicolas Daina W Round 7 10 August 1997 16:00 Servette 4–1 FCZ summary Zürich Ouadja 23Salou 44 1:0Juarez 65 2:1Ouadja 83 3:1Pizzinat 85Sesa 88 4:1 21 Sant'Anna62 1:1 Castillo74 Bruno Sutter Charmilles Stadium, Geneva 4,500 SUI Dieter Schoch (Attiswil) L Round 8 22 August 1997 19:30 Zürich 0–0 FCZ summary Sion Ponte (not on the pitch) 0 84 61 Wolf90 Milton Letzigrund, Zürich 5,300 SUI Serge Muhmenthaler (Grenchen) D FCZ head-coach Raimondo Ponte was sent to the stands in the 84th minute for complaining. Round 9 31 August 1997 16:00 St. Gallen 1–1 FCZ summary Zürich Contini 9 1:0Contini 45Dal Santo 53Sene 61 18 Tejeda23 1:1 Yekini45 Fischer80 Brugnoli Espenmoos, St. Gallen 12,000 SUI Massimo Busacca (Monte Carasso/Bellinzona) D Round 10 14 September 1997 19:30 Xamax 1–1 FCZ summary Zürich Martinović 26 penSandjak 40Martinović 80 34 Brugnoli50 Ferreri57 Sant'Anna85 1:1 Tarone89 Tarone Stade de la Maladière, Neuchâtel 6,600 SUI Claude Detruche, (Thônex) D Round 11 21 September 1997 19:30 Zürich 1–2 FCZ summary Grasshopper Club Tejeda 15Gambino 40Yekini 51 1:1Ferreri 64 5 0:1 Moldovan74 1:2 Türkyilmaz79 Thüler Letzigrund, Zürich 17,000 SUI Kurt Zuppinger (Bremgarten, Aargau) L Round 12 24 September 1997 19:30 Luzern 2–2 FCZ summary Zürich Koilov 2 15 68Fink 38 1:2Aleksandrov 56 2:2 Aleksandrov 66 3 0:1 Nonda25 0:2 Di Jorio69 Tarone Stadion Allmend, Luzern 6,630 SUI Andreas Schluchter (Schönenbuch) D Round 13 27 September 1997 19:30 Zürich 3–0 FCZ summary Étoile Carouge Yekini 31 penFischer 43Nonda 54 2:0Nonda 89 3:0 11 Millereau Letzigrund, Zürich 3,200 SUI Dominique Tavel (Lonay) W Round 14 4 October 1997 19:30 Aarau 1–0 FCZ summaryFCA summary Zürich Roembiak 29 1:0 65 Sant'Anna90+1 Brugnoli Stadion Brügglifeld, Aarau 3,900 SUI Markus Nobs (Wohlen bei Bern) L Round 15 19 October 1997 14:30 Basel 3–3 FCZ summaryFCB summary Zürich Kreuzer 11Hartmann 30Zuffi 44Subiat 88 29 Nonda73 Tarone90 47 Hodel St. Jakob Stadium, Basel 9,500 SUI Urs Meier (Wettingen and Würenlos) D Round 16 25 October 1997 17:30 Zürich 0–0 FCZ summary Lausanne-Sport Ferreri 78 76 Nkufo Letzigrund, Zürich 3,500 SUI Claude Detruche, (Thônex) D Round 17 2 November 1997 14:30 Kriens 1–1 FCZ summary Zürich Gross 2 1:0Colatrella 7Bonnafous 2 28 90 24 Fischer57 1:1 Guzik Stadion Kleinfeld, Kriens 4,000 SUI Massimo Busacca (Monte Carasso/Bellinzona) D Round 18 8 November 1997 17:30 Zürich 2–1 FCZ summary Servette Opango 6 1:0Opango 12Nonda 30 2:0Ferreri 80 29 Cantaluppi57 og (Fischer)60 Müller Letzigrund, Zürich 3,900 SUI Andreas Schluchter (Schönenbuch) W Round 19 19 November 1997 19:30 Sion 3–1 FCZ summary Zürich Milton 38 1:0Veiga 55Tholot 80 2:1Ouattara 84 3:1Grichting 87 15 Tejeda35 Di Jorio48 Fischer69 1:1 Nonda Stade Tourbillon, Sion 6,000 SUI Kurt Zuppinger (Bremgarten, Aargau) L Round 20 23 November 1997 14:30 Zürich 4–0 FCZ summary St. Gallen Di Jorio 10Nonda 14 1:0Guzik 29 2:0Nonda 45 3:0Opango 71Guzik 74Tarone 80Bruno Sutter 85 4:0 17 Hellinga36 Tsawa Letzigrund, Zürich 6,800 SUI Nicolas Daina W Round 21 30 November 1997 14:30 Zürich 3–0 FCZ summary Xamax Fischer 10Nonda 45Tarone 48 1:0Gambino 77 2:0Nonda 81 3:0 77 Corminbœuf Letzigrund, Zürich 8,100 SUI Claude Detruche, (Thônex) W Round 22 7 December 1997 14:30 Grasshopper Club 3–1 FCZ summary Zürich Türkyilmaz Türkyilmaz 32 1:0Esposito 42 2:0Esposito 53Moldovan 55 3:059 Haas 58 3:1 Di Jorio64 Huber2 68 89 Sant'Anna0 71 Nixon Hardturm, Zürich 13,400 SUI Carlo Bertolini (Vira-Gambarogno) L Qualification table main WDL First stage 5 Q GCZ Grasshopper Club LS Lausanne-Sport SER Servette Daniel Reichmuth 2025 https://super-servette.ch/Doku/Resultate_Servette_1997-98.pdf Servette Rangliste 1997/98 Servette ranking 1997/98 super-servette-ch fr 2025-11-16 AAR Aarau Stephan Beck 2025 https://www.arowa.ch/index.php?page=ligatabelle&saison=98 Schweizer Meisterschaft 1997/98 FCA Rangliste de-ch Swiss Championship 1997/98 FCA Ranking arowa.ch 2025-11-16 STG St. Gallen ZÜR Zürich (red) dbFCZ 2025 https://www.dbfcz.ch/saison.php?saison_id=9 FCZ Saison 1997/98 de-ch FCZ season 1997/98 dbFCZ 2025-11-16 SIO Sion LUC Luzern NX Xamax KRI Kriens BAS Basel Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv" 2025 https://www.fcb-archiv.ch/saison/rangliste?saison=1997/98 FCB Rangliste 1997/98 de-ch FCB Ranking 1997/98 Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv" 2025-11-16 ÉTO Étoile Carouge 14 4 4 59 23 12 6 4 45 27 11 6 5 45 33 10 5 7 38 31 7 9 6 38 34 7 9 6 31 28 7 9 6 30 27 7 8 7 26 28 7 5 10 37 39 5 7 10 23 41 5 4 13 28 46 1 6 15 20 63 yes green3 Advance to championship roundhalved points (rounded up) as bonus CP CP CP CP CP CP CP CP red3 Continue to promotion/relegation round RP RP RP RP 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Away goals scored; 6) Draw. complete rsssf.com Championship group The first eight teams of the qualification phase competed in the Championship round. The teams took half of the points (rounded up to complete units) gained in the qualification as bonus with them. The championship phase began on 1 March 1998 and was completed on 23 May. Round 1 1 March 1998 14:30 Zürich 4–0 FCZ summary Sion Hodel 13Yekini 22 1:0Yekini 24 2:0Yekini 38 3:0Nonda 54 4:0 10 Gaspoz19 Quentin75 Seoane Letzigrund, Zürich 3,800 SUI Andreas Schluchter (Schönenbuch) W Round 2 8 March 1998 14:30 Luzern 2–2 FCZ summary Zürich Ibrahim 9 1:0Merenda 32Ibrahim 44 2:0Knez 61Wyss 63 38 Huber0 44 Nonda56 2:1 Di Jorio81 2:2 Yekini Stadion Allmend, Luzern 7,150 SUI Nicolas Daina D FCZ lodged a protest against Nonda's sending-off. Round 3 15 March 1998 14:30 Zürich 0–2 FCZ summary Grasshopper Club Sant'Anna 64Huber 77Brugnoli 90 28 0:1 Subiat31 Subiat32 Vogel47 Comisetti85 og (Huber) Letzigrund, Zürich 21,200 SUI Urs Meier (Wettingen and Würenlos) L The game started 10 minutes late due to a large crowd of spectators arriving late. Round 4 21 March 1998 17:30 Lausanne-Sport 1–2 FCZ summary Zürich Londono 0 38Puce 42 1:1Celestini 61 13 Opango26 Hodel39 pen Nonda72 Di Jorio81 1:2 Baldassarri Olympique de la Pontaise, Lausanne 5,200 SUI Carlo Bertolini (Vira-Gambarogno) W Round 5 28 March 1998 18:00 Zürich 3–0 FCZ summary St. Gallen Yekini 27 1:0Yekini 40 2:0Nonda 51 penHodel 61Nonda 65Huber 79 28 Dal Santo56 Vidallé77 Zellweger Letzigrund, Zürich 7,200 SUI Dieter Schoch (Attiswil) W Round 6 5 April 1998 14:30 Servette 1–1 FCZ summary Zürich (Hodel) 76 og 42 Di Jorio60 0:1 Nonda90 Shorunmu Charmilles Stadium, Geneva 7,000 SUI Massimo Busacca (Monte Carasso/Bellinzona) D Round 7 8 April 1998 19:30 Zürich 3–2 FCZ summaryFCA summary Aarau Yekini 3 1:0Opango 53 2:1Nonda 67 3:1Fischer 70 4 1:1 De Napoli54 Wiederkehr70 3:2 Aloisi70 Aloisi Letzigrund, Zürich 5,600 SUI Claude Detruche, (Thônex) W Round 8 19 April 1998 16:00 Aarau 1–2 FCZ summaryFCA summary Zürich Pavličević 42Previtali 64(Fischer) 90 og 20 0:1 Nonda68 0:2 Nonda Stadion Brügglifeld, Aarau 3,500 SUI Urs Meier (Wettingen and Würenlos) W Round 9 25 April 1998 19:30 Zürich 1–1 FCZ summary Servette Yekini 75 penWeiler 90 17 Pizzinat31 0:1 Paisley58 Juarez69 Fournier74 Barea75 Karlen Letzigrund, Zürich 16,500 LIE Roland Beck (Triesenberg) D Round 10 29 April 1998 19:30 St. Gallen 0–0 FCZ summary Zürich Hellinga 59 20 Opango57 Di Jorio Espenmoos, St. Gallen 9,600 SUI Claude Detruche, (Thônex) D Round 11 2 May 1998 19:30 Zürich 2–2 FCZ summary Lausanne-Sport Tejeda 9Sant'Anna 40Nonda 42 1:0Nixon 79 2:2Fischer 90 45 1:1 Nkufo62 1:2 Puce69 Vardanyan Letzigrund, Zürich 6,900 SUI Dieter Schoch (Attiswil) D Round 12 8 May 1998 20:00 Grasshopper Club 2–1 FCZ summary Zürich Christ 2 20 88Haas 40Türkyilmaz 51 1:1Vogel 58 pen- 2:1 7 Tejeda36 0:1 Yekini45 Opango57 Brunner Hardturm, Zürich 13,000 SUI Dominique Tavel (Lonay) L Round 13 16 May 1998 19:30 Zürich 4–0 FCZ summary Luzern Yekini 28 1:0Yekini 67 2:0Nonda 74 3:0Nonda 87 4:0 10 Sawu16 Knez Letzigrund, Zürich 3,900 SUI Andreas Schluchter (Schönenbuch) W Round 14 23 May 1998 19:30 Sion 3–2 FCZ summary Zürich Ouattara 23 1:1Camadini 26Ouattara 39Chassot 64 2:2Chassot 87Chassot 88 3:2 19 0:1 Nonda37 1:2 Nonda43 Tarone67 Brugnoli77 Sant'Anna86 Huber Stade Tourbillon, Sion 13,200 SUI Claude Detruche, (Thônex) L Final league table main WDL Champions group 5 Q y GCZ Grasshopper Club SER Servette LS Lausanne-Sport ZÜR Zürich SIO Sion STG St. Gallen AAR Aarau LUC Luzern 11 1 2 39 16 23 5 6 3 18 15 20 5 4 5 17 17 21 6 5 3 27 17 15 6 4 4 23 21 15 4 5 5 12 17 15 1 4 9 13 27 18 1 5 8 10 29 15 yes green1 Qualification to Champions League first qualifying round CL1 blue2 Qualification to UEFA Cup second qualifying round UC2 UC2 yellow1 Qualification to Cup Winners' Cup qualifying round UCWCQ #CCCCFF Qualification to Intertoto Cup first round IC1 #CCCCFF Qualification to Intertoto Cup first round IC2 1) points; 2) Position in the qualification. complete rsssf.com Swiss Cup 1997–98 Swiss Cup The first-tier clubs from the 1994–95 Nationalliga A were granted byes for the first four rounds, they joined the competition in this round. The first-tier teams were seeded and cound not be drawn against each other. The draw respected regionalities, when possible, and the lower classed team was granted home advantage. Round 5 16 November 1997 FC Schaffhausen 0–1 yes FCZ summary Zürich Gerstenmájer 15Stübi 42Ogg 50Pinelli 95Šlekys 0 113Galbarini 118 31 Hodel86 Ferreri101 0:1 Di Jorio116 Di Jorio Stadion Breite, Schaffhausen 2,194 SUI Jürg Herrmann (Hinterkapplen (Wohlen bei Bern)) W Round 6 21 February 1998 Wil 0–0 yes 6–5 FCZ summary Zürich Fuchs 15Agnaldo 60 6 Opango40 Sutter48 Fischer Besio Winkler Fuchs Python Paradiso Soller Steingruber Fischer Hodel Iodice Baldassari Nonda Guzik Weiler Stadion Bergholz, Wil 2,200 SUI Philippe Leuba (Chexbres) L Friendly matches Pre-season Exhibition game 21 June 1997 Sion 0–0 FCZ summary Zürich Lens, Switzerland D With test-players in both teams. Sempione-CupSemi-final 24 June 1997 19:30 Basel 1–1 FCZ summaryFCB summary Zürich Frick 27Frei 60 1:0 63 1:1 Sutter78 Guzik 85′ Tarone Zuffi Frei Hartmann Giallanza Gaudino Tschopp Barberis Ceccaroni Schmidiger Buess Huber 9–10 Gambino Guzik Sutter Brugnoli Santa'Anna Tejeda Weiler Castillo Tarone Shorunmu Konjić Moos, Balsthal 2,000 SUI Serge Muhmenthaler (Grenchen) W The Sempione Cup was a club tournament played in the summer at Sportanlage Moos, Balsthal, during the years 1987 to 2004. Garin Erik 2004 https://www.rsssf.org/tabless/sempione.html Sempione Cup (Switzerland) The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation 2025-11-16 Corners: 1:10 Sempione-CupFinal 28 June 1997 Croatia Zagreb 2–1 FCZ summary Zürich Cvitanović 11 1:0Šimić Marić 45 2:1Cvitanović 2 61 62Tomas 79 5 Konjic41 pen Gambino Moos, Balsthal 2,500 SUI Carlo Bertolini (Vira-Gambarogno) L Exhibition game 29 June 1997 Zürich 2–1 FCZ summary Winterthur Cardoso 7 1:0Francesco 77 2:1 12 1:1 Tannacher, Bäretswil 500 SUI Mahler W Match as part of the opening of the Tannacher sports field. With various test-players in both teams. Winter break Exhibition game 28 January 1998 Basel 3–0 FCZ summaryFCB summary Zürich (Jean-Copain Nonda) 7 ogKnup 73 2:0Henry 84 3:0 Athletics stadium, Basel 500 SUI Heinz Käser W Zürich without Ike Shorunmu and Shabani Nonda, but with his brother Jean-Copain Nonda as test-player. Exhibition game 30 January 1998 Zürich 2–1 FCZ summary Baden Nonda 80 1:0Yekini 87 2:0 88 2:1 Lüthi Letzigrund, Zürich 100 W Exhibition game 5 February 1997 Empoli 1–2 FCZ summary Zürich 0:1 Edu0:2 Edu Florence W Edu played under the alias name "Da Silva". Exhibition game 2 February 1998 Perugia 2–2 FCZ summary Zürich 1:22:2 16 0:1 Edu42 0:2 Nonda Perugia SUI D Edu played under the alias name "Da Silva". Exhibition game 14 February 1998 Chiasso 0–2 FCZ summary Zürich 18 0:1 Sant'Anna40 0:2 Sutter Chiasso W Exhibition game 15 February 1998 Lugano 0–2 FCZ summary Zürich 56 pen Nonda71 0:2 Nonda Cornaredo, Lugano 700 W References Sources dbFCZ Homepage Switzerland 1997–98 at RSSSF FC Zürichseasons 1996–97 1998–99 Category:FC Zürich seasons Zürich