Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

FOOTBALL

Former Liverpool defender Henchoz takes over as coach at struggling Swiss side Neuchatel

Neuchatel Xamax, currently sitting bottom of Switzerland's top football division, have changed coach in the hope they can avoid relegation to the second league.

Published: 6 February 2019 09:29 CET
Former Liverpool defender Henchoz takes over as coach at struggling Swiss side Neuchatel
Former Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers defender Stephan Henchoz (l) faces Didier Drogba in a match in 2007. Photo: Carl De Souza/AFP.

Former Liverpool centre-back Stephane Henchoz has been given his first job as a head coach at Neuchatel Xamax, the Swiss club announced on Tuesday February 5th.

The 44-year-old, who started his career at Neuchatel, takes over a side struggling to avoid relegation from the Swiss Super League, sitting bottom of the top flight. Neuchatel are in 10th place, with 13 points from 19 games.

The club has fallen a long way off the pace since its peak years of being back-to-back Swiss Super League champion in 1987 and 1988. 

“The club management believes that it is necessary to create an electroshock in the team in order to approach the next major deadlines with new energy,” Neuchatel Xamas said in a statement.

Stéphane Henchoz remplace Michel Decastel à la tête de Neuchâtel Xamax FCShttps://t.co/odblbhOnXp

— Neuchâtel Xamax FCS (@XamaxFCS) February 5, 2019

Henchoz's mandate is to save the club from relegation and keep the club in Switzerland's premier football division, the Raiffeisen Super League. Neuchatel still face tough fixtures against league leaders Young Boys and second-placed Basel. 

Henchoz replaces former Switzerland midfielder Michel Decastel, having previously been the assistant coach.

Decastel had managed Neuchatel Xamas since 2015 and the departure seems not have been easy one for the club.

“Michel Decastel was one of the great comeback kings, he is a legend of the club, a friend and an important member of the Xamaxian family. The Neuchâtelois thank him from the bottom of their heart for all he has brought. However, the future of Neuchâtel Xamax FCS takes precedence over all emotional considerations,” added the club in its statement. 

The former Swiss national Henchoz, who will replace Decastel, played 205 matches in six years for Liverpool after joining the English giants in 1999, winning four major titles, and also made 72 international appearances.

Henchoz retired in 2008 from playing after leaving Blackburn Rovers for a second time. 

READ MORE: Football: Switzerland to face Portugal in Nations League semis

For members

SWITZERLAND EXPLAINED

Everything you need to know about Schwingen in Switzerland

Have you heard of Schwingen? Switzerland's national sport involves jute shorts, sawdust, and a whole lot of wrestling,

Published: 7 February 2024 14:19 CET
Everything you need to know about Schwingen in Switzerland

While relatively unknown outside of Switzerland, and largely concentrated in the country’s German-speaking cantons, Schwingen is Switzerland’s homegrown form of wrestling.

In a sawdust ring, two competitors aim to throw each other onto their backs, with both shoulders touching the ground. Each time this is achieved, a point is awarded to the victor.

All this throwing is achieved by grabbing the leather belt attached to the jute shorts worn by the combatants.

As simple as this sounds, there are several styles of Schwingen and hundreds of recorded holds and grips. Size and strength play a significant role in Schwingen, but flexibility cannot be discounted as a factor in determining a champion. 

A proud history 

Like any martial art, the origins of Schwingen are lost to history, but it’s safe to say that just like the Schuhplattler of neighbouring Bavaria – that’s the slappy lederhosen dance – it’s been around for thousands of years, practised by mountain tribes, and later shepherds tending mountain flocks.

The first depictions in art date from the 13th century and the first written records from the late fifteenth and early sixteenth century, when local church authorities sought to crack down on the rowdy celebrations that these competitions were associated with.

Indeed, Schwingen was massively restricted for hundreds of years, under the fear that it was leading to drunkenness and all manner of other sinning. The large majority of Schwingen meets at this time took place in isolated areas, far from prying eyes. 

All of this changed with the arrival of industrialization, railways and tourism. With many flocking to rural Switzerland for the beauty of outdoor spaces and quaint local customs, Schwingen was brought back to the cities by fascinated spectators and became so popular that it needed to be codified and organized to regulate it.

To this end, the Schwingerverbandes, or Federal Wrestling Association was founded in 1895.

Read More: Schwingen: Everything you need to know about Switzerland’s ‘national sport’

More popular than ever 

Schwingen is now a very popular sport within Switzerland, practised by a dedicated core of amateurs and professionals, and watched by far, far more,

Experiencing a further boom throughout the 20th century, boosted by broadcast media, it became mass entertainment. It’s a televised sport, revolving around several key meets, at the canton and federal levels. In addition to youth Schwingen, there have been women’s competitions since 1980.

The Federal Swiss Wrestling and Alpine Festival is the apogee of competitive Schwingen, held every three years – think of it like a Swiss Olympics. The next will be in Glarnerland in 2025. 

Another massive event for Schwingen fans is the Unspunnenfest, held every twelve years in Interlaken. The next of these will be held in 2029.

Crowned in 2022, Joel Wicki from the canton of Luzern is the current Swiss Schwingen champion. Topping out at just over six feet, and weighing in at 110kg, he’s far from the biggest contestants – but then again, it’s not always strength that matters in a Schwingen bout. 

Want to get involved? 

While Schwingen isn’t exactly the kind of thing that international visitors generally involve themselves in, there is a fully packed calendar of events throughout the year for spectators.

These range from indoor events in the winter months, to the larger outdoor competitions during the summer. You can find out more on the Federal Wrestling Association’s website.

You can also track Schwingen competitions, and find out where to watch them on TV or online, via Sport.ch.

SHOW COMMENTS