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Christian Constantin

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Swiss architect

Christian Constantin
Personal information
Date of birth (1957-01-07) 7 January 1957 (age 67)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1977–1979 Neuchâtel Xamax 0 (0)
1979–1980 FC Lugano 0 (0)
1981–1982 FC Monthey 0 (0)
1983–1984 FC Martigny-Sports 0 (0)
Total 0 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Christian Constantin (born 7 January 1957) is a Swiss architect and former goalkeeper. He is also the owner and Chairman of Swiss football club FC Sion. He bought the club, which had neared bankruptcy and was relegated from the Swiss Super League, in 2003.

Controversies

During his ownership of FC Sion, Constantin has made upwards of 50 managerial changes and appointed himself as manager in 2008 and 2021. He once fired a head coach because of his scent and allegedly assaulted Swiss league referee Markus von Känel in 2004 during a live match broadcast. In 2017, he kicked Austrian pundit and former coach Rolf Fringer down to the ground on live television during a Swiss league match for which he received a 14-month ban.

In 2023, he fired Sion's then-manager David Bettoni at half-time during a match against Servette before forcing him to stand on the side lines for the remainder of the game. In a separate episode, he verbally confronted Mario Balotelli (whom he had signed). In 2011, Constantin signed six players under a transfer ban because of what happened with Essam El-Hadary’s transfer, and appeared on live TV on a horse.

Career

Yet under his presidency, the club also experienced considerable success, such as winning the Swiss Cup in 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2015.

Constantin was formerly a goalkeeper who played for Neuchâtel Xamax (1977–1979), FC Lugano (1979–1980), FC Monthey (1981–1982) and FC Martigny-Sports (1983–1984).

In March 2020, Constantin sacked 9 of his FC Sion first-team players after they refused to take a pay cut after the outbreak of the COVID-19 and suspension of the Swiss Super League.

In 2014, Constantin appointed his son Barthélémy as Sporting Director of FC Sion, a position he has held ever since.

References

  1. ^ McGuire, Annie (17 August 2011). "Sion president the embodiment of a controversial club". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  2. "Ambitious FC Sion President Divides Swiss Opinion". Inside Futbol. 2010-12-13. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  3. zentralplus, Redaktion (22 September 2017). "Constantin-Skandal: Der Wiederholungstäter". zentralplus (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  4. "FC Sion president vows to defy ban for attacking TV commentator". The Guardian. Reuters. 13 October 2017. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  5. "Christian Constantin: Sion chief gets 14-month ban for slapping Rolf Fringer". BBC. 12 October 2017. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  6. Wettstein, Mischi. "FC Sion: Wild-West-Szenen in der Kabine – CC dreht komplett durch". Nau (in German). Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  7. "Celtic get Europa League lifeline after Sion expelled". BBC Sport. BBC. 2 September 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  8. Weltfussball
  9. "Swiss club sacks players who refused coronavirus pay cut". ESPN. 27 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  10. Feller, Bastien (20 May 2024). "Sion est de retour en Super League". Blick. Retrieved 12 September 2024.

External links

FC Sion – managers


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