Charles Pickel

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Charles Pickel

| image = RC Lens - Grenoble Foot 38 (10-02-2020) 60.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Pickel in 2020

| fullname = Charles Monginda Pickel

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1997|05|15|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Solothurn, Switzerland

| height = 1.85 m

| position = Defensive midfielder{{WorldFootball.net|charles-pickel}}

| currentclub = Cremonese

| clubnumber = 6

| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2011

| youthclubs1 = Solothurn

| youthyears2 = 2011–2016

| youthclubs2 = Basel

| years1 = 2015–2017

| clubs1 = Basel U-21

| caps1 = 38

| goals1 = 3

| years2 = 2016–2017

| clubs2 = Basel

| caps2 = 3

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2017–2019

| clubs3 = Grasshoppers

| caps3 = 19

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2018

| clubs4 = → FC Schaffhausen (loan)

| caps4 = 1

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2018–2019

| clubs5 = → Neuchâtel Xamax (loan)

| caps5 = 26

| goals5 = 2

| years6 = 2019–2021

| clubs6 = Grenoble

| caps6 = 66

| goals6 = 3

| years7 = 2021–2022

| clubs7 = Famalicão

| caps7 = 29

| goals7 = 0

| years8 = 2022–

| clubs8 = Cremonese

| caps8 = 91

| goals8 = 6

| nationalyears1 = 2014–2015

| nationalteam1 = Switzerland U18

| nationalcaps1 = 6

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 2015–2016

| nationalteam2 = Switzerland U19

| nationalcaps2 = 4

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| nationalyears3 = 2015–2018

| nationalteam3 = Switzerland U20

| nationalcaps3 = 10

| nationalgoals3 = 1

| nationalyears4 = 2023–

| nationalteam4 = DR Congo

| nationalcaps4 = 22

| nationalgoals4 = 1

| club-update = 17 May 2025

| nationalteam-update = 25 March 2025

}}

Charles Monginda Pickel (born 15 May 1997) is a professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for {{Italian football updater|Cremonese}} club Cremonese. Born in Switzerland, he plays for the DR Congo national team.

Club career

Pickel started his youth football with FC Solothurn. In Summer 2011, he transferred to the youth department of FC Basel and played in their U-16 and advanced via their U-17 and U-18 team to their U-21 team in 2015. On 23 December 2015, he signed a two-and-a-half-year professional contract, but remained with the U-21 team.{{cite web | first = | last = FC Basel 1893 | author-link = | date = 3 December 2015 | url = https://www.fcb.ch/aktuell/news/alle-news/2015/12/charles-pickel-unterzeichnet-einen-profivertrag | title = Charles Pickel unterzeichnet einen Profivertrag | format = | work = Charles Pickel signs his first professional contract | publisher = FC Basel 1893 AG | language = de | access-date = 2022-11-16}} On 16 May 2016, Pickel was called up to the first team by head coach Urs Fischer. He played his Swiss Super League debut for the Basel first team in the starting eleven, but Basel suffered a 0–4 away defeat against Luzern.{{cite web | first = Caspar | last = Marti | author-link = | date = 16 May 2016 | url = https://www.fcb.ch/aktuell/news/1-mannschaft/2016/05/04-der-fcb-bleibt-ohne-chancen-beim-fc-luzern | title = 0:4 – Der FCB bleibt ohne Chancen beim FC Luzern | format = | work = 0:4 – FCB had no chance against FC Luzern | publisher = FC Basel 1893 AG | language = de | access-date = 2022-11-16}} Basel won the Swiss Super League championship at the end of the 2015–16 Super League season. For the club it was the seventh title in a row and their 19th championship title in total.{{cite web | first = | last = SRF | author-link = | date = 30 April 2016 | url = https://www.srf.ch/sport/fussball/super-league/fc-basel-holt-den-19-meistertitel | title = FC Basel holt den 19. Meistertitel | format = | work = FC Basel wins their 19th championship title | publisher = Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) | language = de | access-date = 2022-11-16}}

Pickel joined Basel's first team definitively for their 2016–17 season under head coach Urs Fischer. Although he appeared in ten test matches, he played only one more league match, with the team in the home game in the St. Jakob-Park on 4 February 2017 as Basel won 4–0 against Lugano.{{cite web | first = | last = Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv” | author-link = | date = 4 February 2017 | url = https://www.fcb-archiv.ch/saison/spiele?command=detail&id=31139 | title = FC Basel - FC Lugano 4:0 (3:0) | format = | work = | publisher = Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv” | access-date = 2022-11-16}} Basel announced on 1 March that Pickel was leaving the club.{{cite web | first = Melanie | last = Kägi | author-link = | date = 1 March 2017 | url = https://telebasel.ch/2017/03/01/charles-pickel-wechselt-zum-grasshopper-club-zuerich/?channel=105110 | title = Charles Pickel wechselt zum Grasshopper Club Zürich | format = | work = Charles Pickel is moving to Grasshopper Club Zurich | publisher = Telebasel online | language = de | access-date = 2022-11-16 | archive-date = 21 November 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20221121180017/https://telebasel.ch/2017/03/01/charles-pickel-wechselt-zum-grasshopper-club-zuerich/?channel=105110 | url-status = dead }} With the U-21 Pickel had played 38 goals scoring three goals. During a short time with Basel's first team Pickel played a total of 13 games without scoring a goal. Three of these games were in the Swiss Super League and ten were friendly games.{{cite web | first = | last = Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv” | authorlink = | year = 2022 | url = https://www.fcb-archiv.ch/spieler?command=detail&id=9634 | title = Charles Pickel - FCB statistic | format = | work = | publisher = Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv” | accessdate = 2022-11-16}}

On 1 March 2017, Basel announced that Pickel had signed for Grasshopper Club.{{cite web | last = FC Basel 1893 | author-link = | year = 2017 | url = https://www.fcb.ch/de-CH/News/2017/02/28/Charles-Pickel-wechselt-zum-Grasshopper-Club-Zueri | title = Charles Pickel wechselt zum Grasshopper Club Zürich | format = | publisher = FC Basel 1893 | access-date = 1 March 2017 | archive-date = 5 March 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170305041513/https://www.fcb.ch/de-CH/News/2017/02/28/Charles-Pickel-wechselt-zum-Grasshopper-Club-Zueri | url-status = dead }} GC announced that he had signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with them.{{cite web | last = GCZ | author-link = | year = 2017 | url = http://www.gcz.ch/news/news/artikel/milan-vilotic-und-charles-pickel-zu-gc | title = Charles-Pickel zu GC | format = | publisher = Grasshopper Club Zürich | access-date = 1 March 2017}} Pickel played his debut for his new club on 5 March 2017 in the Swissporarena in the starting eleven against Luzern. He played the entire game and it ended in a 1–1 draw.

On 1 July 2019 GC announced that Pickel was transferring to Grenoble.{{cite web | first = | last = Grasshopper Club Zürich | author-link = | date = 1 July 2019 | url = https://www.gcz.ch/news/news/artikel/charles-pickel-wechselt-zu-grenoble/ | title = Charles Pickel wechselt zu Grenoble | format = | work = Charles Pickel joins Grenoble | publisher = gcz.ch | language = de | access-date = 2022-11-16}}

On 22 July 2022, it was announced that Pickel had joined newly promoted Serie A club Cremonese.{{Cite web |date=22 July 2022 |title=Pickel nuovo calciatore della Cremonese |url=https://www.uscremonese.it/pickel-nuovo-calciatore-della-cremonese/ |access-date=22 July 2022 |website=U.S. Cremonese |trans-title=Pickel is the new player of Cremonese |archive-date=11 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811012003/https://www.uscremonese.it/pickel-nuovo-calciatore-della-cremonese/ |url-status=dead }}

International career

Born in Switzerland, Pickel is of Congolese and Swiss descent.{{Cite web|url=https://leopardleader.com/2019/05/15/portrait-de-charles-pickel/|title=Portrait de Charles Pickel|first=par|last=Kad|date=15 May 2019|access-date=23 February 2020|archive-date=1 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221001044920/https://leopardleader.com/2019/05/15/portrait-de-charles-pickel/|url-status=dead}} Pickel played one international game for the Swiss U-15. He played his debut for the Swiss U-18 as midfielder on 2 September 2014 as they drew 2–2 with the Swedish U-18. He played his debut for the Swiss U-19 as defender on 1 September 2015 as they drew 1–1 with Portugal U-19.{{cite web | last = SFV | author-link = | year = 2015 | url = http://www.football.ch/de/SFV/Nationalteams/U-19/Das-Team-U-19.aspx/p-628840 | title = Kader U-19 Charles Pickel | format = | publisher = SFV | access-date = 1 September 2015}} His last game for the Switzerland U-20 was on 27 March 2018 in the away game against Italy U-20, where Pickel played as right-back and the Swiss won 3–2.

Pickel was called up to the DR Congo national team for a set of 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches in September 2023.{{cite web | url=https://actualite.cd/index.php/2023/08/24/elimcan-2023-avec-pelly-ruddock-mpanzu-et-charles-monginda-pickel-la-liste-de-sebastien | title=Elim/CAN 2023 : avec Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu et Charles Monginda Pickel, la liste de Sébastien Desabre pour le Soudan | date= 24 August 2023 }} He debuted with them in a 2–0 win over Sudan on 9 September 2023, assisting his side's first goal.{{Cite web|url=https://supersport.com/football/africa-cup-qual/news/f6a00aa8-5799-413d-b9bd-8af43438b9e9/dr-congo-secure-afcon-qualification|title=DR Congo secure Afcon qualification|website=SuperSport}}

Honours

FC Basel

Swiss Super League: 2015–16, 2016–17

References

External links

{{Soccerway|372395}}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20160528202232/http://www.sfl.ch/superleague/klubs/fc-basel-1893/player/charles-pickel/season/201516/ Profile season 2015/16 on the Swiss Football League homepage]

Category:1997 births

Category:Living people

Category:Footballers from Solothurn

Category:Democratic Republic of the Congo men's footballers

Category:Democratic Republic of the Congo men's international footballers

Category:Swiss men's footballers

Category:Switzerland men's youth international footballers

Category:Democratic Republic of the Congo people of Swiss descent

Category:Swiss people of Democratic Republic of the Congo descent

Category:Men's association football defenders

Category:Men's association football midfielders

Category:Swiss Super League players