:Alain Sutter

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Alain Sutter

| image = 080603 sutter.jpg

| caption = Sutter in 2008

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|1|22|df=y}}

| birth_place = Bern, Switzerland

| height = 1.78 m

| position = Midfielder

| youthyears1 = 1973–1985

| youthclubs1 = SC Bümpliz 78

| years1 = 1985–1993

| clubs1 = Grasshoppers

| caps1 = 202

| goals1 = 36

| years2 = 1987–1988

| clubs2 = → Young Boys (loan)

| caps2 = 28

| goals2 = 5

| years3 = 1993–1994

| clubs3 = 1. FC Nürnberg

| caps3 = 29

| goals3 = 5

| years4 = 1994–1995

| clubs4 = Bayern Munich

| caps4 = 22

| goals4 = 1

| years5 = 1995–1997

| clubs5 = SC Freiburg

| caps5 = 45

| goals5 = 5

| years6 = 1997–1998

| clubs6 = Dallas Burn

| caps6 = 25

| goals6 = 2

| totalcaps = 351

| totalgoals = 54

| nationalyears1 = 1985–1996

| nationalteam1 = Switzerland

| nationalcaps1 = 68

| nationalgoals1 = 5

}}

Alain Sutter (born 22 January 1968) is a Swiss former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is currently the sporting director of Grasshopper Club Zurich.

Playing career

Born in Bern, Sutter played youth football for SC Bümpliz 78,{{cite web |title=SC Bümpliz 78 - Seite 2 von 2 |url=https://www.zwoelf.ch/sc-buempliz-als-kleiner-zwischen-grossen/2/ |website=Fussballmagazin ZWÖLF |language=de-DE |date=30 October 2015}} before beginning his professional career in 1985 with Grasshoppers,{{cite web | url = http://www.worldfootball.net/spieler_profil/alain-sutter/ | title = Alain Sutter | publisher = worldfootball.net | accessdate = 26 November 2012}} one of Switzerland's most storied clubs. After spending the 1987–88 season on loan at BSC Young Boys, he was ready to take his place in the Grasshoppers first team, where he remained until the 1993–94 season, when he decided to move to Germany to play with 1. FC Nürnberg.{{cite news |last1=Wettstein |first1=Mischi |title=Alain Sutter war Nagelsmanns Lieblingsspieler bei Bayern München |url=https://www.nau.ch/sport/fussball-int/alain-sutter-war-nagelsmanns-lieblingsspieler-bei-bayern-munchen-65916648 |access-date=11 November 2021 |work=Nau |language=de}}

After Sutter's impressive performances during the 1994 FIFA World Cup,{{cite news |title=Alain Sutter war an der WM 1994 trotz Handicap herausragend |url=https://www.suedostschweiz.ch/sport/fussball/2020-06-18/alain-sutter-war-an-der-wm-1994-trotz-handicap-herausragend |work=Südostschweiz |date=18 June 2020 |language=de}} Germany's most successful club, Bayern Munich, quickly signed the midfielder where he played for one season, before moving again this time to SC Freiburg.{{cite web |title=Ein bisschen zu weich |url=http://www.zwoelf.ch/alain-sutter/ |website=Fussballmagazin ZWÖLF |language=de-DE |date=13 September 2015}} In 1997, he transferred to Major League Soccer in the United States, where he signed for the Dallas Burn (now FC Dallas).{{cite news |last1=Landman |first1=Brian |title=Dallas' No. 66 finding his kicks |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1997/05/23/dallas-no-66-finding-his-kicks/ |work=Tampa Bay Times |date=1 October 2005 |language=en}} He played one season in Dallas but his tenure there was cut short when, during training in early 1998, he stepped awkwardly in a hole of the practice field (the Burn was using the facilities of a high school at that time) and the injury forced him to retire.{{cite news |last1=Loyola |first1=Kelvin |title=5 players that played in MLS that you might have missed |url=https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/5-players-that-played-in-mls-that-you-might-have-missed-20210305-0014.html |work=Bolavip US |date=6 March 2021 |language=en}} He ended his career with 68 caps and five goals for the Swiss national team.

Retirement

Sutter was a football expert and commentator for Swiss television from 1998 to 2017.{{cite web |title=Alain Sutter verlässt SRF-Expertenteam |url=https://medien.srf.ch/-/alain-sutter-verlasst-srf-expertenteam |website=medien.srf.ch |access-date=11 November 2021 |language=de-DE}}

He became the sporting director of FC St. Gallen on 3 January 2018.{{cite web |title=FC St.Gallen 1879 {{!}} Sutter Alain |url=https://www.fcsg.ch/home/daten/kader/sutter-alain/ |website=fcsg.ch |access-date=11 November 2021 |language=de}}

On 5 May 2025, he was appointed as sporting director of Grasshopper Club Zurich.{{cite web|url=https://www.gcz.ch/news/artikel/1/alain-sutter-wird-neuer-sportchef-beim-gcz/|title=Alain Sutter wird neuer Sportchef beim GCZ|trans-title=Alain Sutter will be the new sporting director at GCZ|publisher=Grasshopper Club Zürich|date=5 May 2024|access-date=5 May 2024|language=de-ch}}

Controversies

Sutter was the main force behind a controversy in 1995. Before an important match for the Swiss team, he unfolded a banner to protest against France testing the atom bomb.{{cite web | url = http://www.spiegel.de/sport/fussball/protest-gegen-chirac-wie-kann-ein-mensch-solch-eine-zerstoerung-anrichten-a-715178.html | title = Wie kann ein Mensch solch eine Zerstörung anrichten? | language = German | publisher = Spiegel Online | date = 22 September 2010 | accessdate = 26 November 2012}}

Honours

Grasshoppers

Swiss Championship: 1989–90, 1990–91
Swiss Cup: 1988–89, 1989–90
Swiss Super Cup: 1989{{cite news |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesz/zwitsupcuphist.html | title=Switzerland Super Cup Finals |website=RSSSF |access-date=22 February 2022}}

Bayern Munich

UEFA Cup: 1995–96{{cite web|publisher=UEFA|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/match/52188--bayern-vs-lokomotiv-moskva/|title=Bayern v Lokomotiv Moscow game report|accessdate=14 June 2021}}

Individual

MLS All-Star: 1997[https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/all-star-game-flashback-1997-valderrama-named-mvp-again All-Star Game flashback, 1997] at MLSsoccer.com

=International=

International goals for Switzerland

:Score and results list Switzerland's goal tally first.{{cite web | url = https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/17003/Alain_Sutter.html | title = Alain Sutter (Player) | website = national-football-teams.com | access-date = 7 April 2023}}

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:100%"
1.	21 September 1988	Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg, Luxembourg	{{fb\|LUX}}	{{center\|1–0}}	{{center\|4–1}}	1990 FIFA World Cup qualification
2.	14 November 1990	Stadio Olimpico, Serravalle, San Marino	{{fb\|SMR}}	{{center\|1–0}}	{{center\|4–0}}	UEFA Euro 1992 qualification
3.	25 March 1992	Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland	{{fb\|IRL}}	{{center\|1–0}}	{{center\|1–2}}	Friendly
4.	22 June 1994	Pontiac Silverdome, Detroit, United States	{{fb\|ROU}}	{{center\|1–0}}	{{center\|4–1}}	1994 FIFA World Cup
5.	6 September 1994	Stade de Tourbillon, Sion, Switzerland	{{fb\|UAE}}	{{center\|1–0}}	{{center\|1–0}}	Friendly

Published works

{{cite book |last1=Sutter |first1=Alain |title=Stressfrei glücklich sein |date=2015 |publisher=Giger Verlag |location=Altendorf |isbn=978-3-905958-69-0}}
{{cite book |last1=Sutter |first1=Alain |title=Herzensangelegenheit |date=2016 |publisher=Giger Verlag |location=Altendorf |isbn=978-3-906872-00-1}}