Serge Muhmenthaler
Encyclopedia
Serge Muhmenthaler is a retired Swiss
football
player and referee. He played as a midfielder
and defender
during the 1970s and 1980s. As referee he is known for having refereed a Swiss Cup Final, a UEFA Cup Final and one match in the 1996 UEFA European Football Championship
.
and started his football with the youth teams of the local football club FC Grenchen
. He also played in their first team in the Nationalliga B and they won promotion to the Nationalliga A
in the 1970-71 season. The team also won the Uhrencup
that year and Muhmenthaler scored the first goal in the final, as they beat FC Basel
3:1. In the summer of 1972 Muhmenthaler transferred to BSC Young Boys
and he played there as Striker for three years. With the Young Boys Muhmenthaler won the Uhrencup 1973 and he scored a goal in the semifinal against his previous club Grenchen.
In 1975 Muhmenthaler transferred with a two year contract to FC Basel
. He made his team debut in the 5:1 home win against Grasshopper Club Zürich and Muhmenthaler scored three of the goals. He was part of the title winning
team in the 1976-77 football season. During a cup match in February 1976 he suffered a meniscus rupture
. Nevertheless, Basel extended his contract despite the fact that Muhmenthaler had to undergo three operations within the following two years. Muhmenthaler reached his third Uhrencup Final with his third club in 1977 but was unable to repeat the success, the final ended in a 6:1 defeat against Neuchâtel Xamax
. Reaching the final again in the next year, Basel won the 1978 Uhrencup 2:1 against the same finalists.
Serge Muhmenthaler he was forced to terminate his playing career early due to his injury.
. His career in brief: 1980/81: 3. Liga. 1981 to 1984: 2. Liga
. From the season 1984/85: referee in the Swiss Football Association
. From 1989: FIFA
-Referee.
From 1980 until the end of his career in December 1997 he conducted about 250 Swiss and some 75 international games. Amongst these he describes as one of his personal highlights the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
match on 11 November 1997 between Italy
and Russia
(1-0) in front of 80 000 spectators at the Stadio San Paolo
, Naples
. As part of the then practiced German-Swiss referee exchange 1988-1990, Muhmenthaler led four games in the Bundesliga
.
BSC Young Boys
Basel
as Referee
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player and referee. He played as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
and defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
during the 1970s and 1980s. As referee he is known for having refereed a Swiss Cup Final, a UEFA Cup Final and one match in the 1996 UEFA European Football Championship
1996 UEFA European Football Championship
The 1996 UEFA European Football Championship was hosted by England, who won the right to host the tournament ahead of bids from Austria, Portugal and the Netherlands. It was the tenth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. It was the first to use the...
.
Career as Player
Muhmenthaler was brought up in GrenchenGrenchen
Grenchen is a municipality in the district of Lebern in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland.It is located at the foot of the Jura mountains between Solothurn and Biel. With over 16,000 inhabitants, it is one of the larger towns of the canton of Solothurn...
and started his football with the youth teams of the local football club FC Grenchen
FC Grenchen
FC Grenchen is a Swiss football club, based in Grenchen. They currently play in the 1. Liga, and play their matches at the Brühl Stadium.-History:FC Grenchen was founded in 1906...
. He also played in their first team in the Nationalliga B and they won promotion to the Nationalliga A
Swiss Super League
The Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
in the 1970-71 season. The team also won the Uhrencup
Uhrencup
The Uhrencup is a club football tournament, held annually in Switzerland.The tournament usually features four teams , each playing two matches, and is held in July at Stadion Brühl in Grenchen. As a friendly tournament, the format tends to be fluid...
that year and Muhmenthaler scored the first goal in the final, as they beat FC Basel
FC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel is a Swiss football club based in Basel. They are one of the most successful clubs in Swiss football, having won the Swiss Super League 14 times, the third most for any Swiss club. They were most successful in the late 1960s and 1970s, winning the...
3:1. In the summer of 1972 Muhmenthaler transferred to BSC Young Boys
BSC Young Boys
Berner Sport Club Young Boys 1898 is a Swiss sporting club based in the capital city of Bern. The name is often abbreviated to YB . Abroad, YB is often referred to as Young Boys Bern. The club's colors are yellow and black....
and he played there as Striker for three years. With the Young Boys Muhmenthaler won the Uhrencup 1973 and he scored a goal in the semifinal against his previous club Grenchen.
In 1975 Muhmenthaler transferred with a two year contract to FC Basel
FC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel is a Swiss football club based in Basel. They are one of the most successful clubs in Swiss football, having won the Swiss Super League 14 times, the third most for any Swiss club. They were most successful in the late 1960s and 1970s, winning the...
. He made his team debut in the 5:1 home win against Grasshopper Club Zürich and Muhmenthaler scored three of the goals. He was part of the title winning
Swiss Super League
The Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
team in the 1976-77 football season. During a cup match in February 1976 he suffered a meniscus rupture
Tear of meniscus
In sports and orthopedics, a tear of a meniscus is a rupturing of one or more of the fibrocartilage strips in the knee called menisci. When doctors and patients refer to "torn cartilage" in the knee, they actually may be referring to an injury to a meniscus at the top of one of the tibiae. Menisci...
. Nevertheless, Basel extended his contract despite the fact that Muhmenthaler had to undergo three operations within the following two years. Muhmenthaler reached his third Uhrencup Final with his third club in 1977 but was unable to repeat the success, the final ended in a 6:1 defeat against Neuchâtel Xamax
Neuchâtel Xamax
Neuchâtel Xamax Football Club is a Swiss football club, based in Neuchâtel. It was created in 1970 through a merger between FC Cantonal and FC Xamax . The club plays in red shirts, black shorts and red socks and are currently in the Axpo Super League, the highest Swiss football league. They play...
. Reaching the final again in the next year, Basel won the 1978 Uhrencup 2:1 against the same finalists.
Serge Muhmenthaler he was forced to terminate his playing career early due to his injury.
Career as Referee
After his time as an active player Muhmenthaler became referee in the Swiss Football LeagueSwiss Football League
The Swiss Football League is organised in several leagues.-Proposed system from 2012-13 season onwards:-External links:* * * * *...
. His career in brief: 1980/81: 3. Liga. 1981 to 1984: 2. Liga
2. Liga Interregional
2. Liga Interregional is the fourth tier of the Swiss Football League. The division is split into 6 groups of 14 teams, by geographical region.- Group 1 :- Group 2 :- Group 3 :- Group 4 :- Group 5 :- Group 6 :- External links :*...
. From the season 1984/85: referee in the Swiss Football Association
Swiss Football Association
The Swiss Football Association is the governing body of football in Switzerland. It organizes the football league, the Swiss Football League, and the Switzerland national football team. It is based in Bern....
. From 1989: FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
-Referee.
From 1980 until the end of his career in December 1997 he conducted about 250 Swiss and some 75 international games. Amongst these he describes as one of his personal highlights the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
-Qualified teams:The following 32 teams qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup: - qualified automatically as hosts - qualified automatically as defending champions-Notes:...
match on 11 November 1997 between Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
and Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
(1-0) in front of 80 000 spectators at the Stadio San Paolo
Stadio San Paolo
Stadio San Paolo is a multi-purpose stadium in the western suburb of Fuorigrotta in Naples, Italy, and is the third largest football stadium in Italy after the San Siro and Stadio Olimpico. For the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, it hosted the football preliminaries. It is currently used mostly for...
, Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
. As part of the then practiced German-Swiss referee exchange 1988-1990, Muhmenthaler led four games in the Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
.
Honours and Titels
Grenchen- Promotion to Nationalliga ASwiss Super LeagueThe Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
: 1970-71 - Uhrencup WinnerUhrencupThe Uhrencup is a club football tournament, held annually in Switzerland.The tournament usually features four teams , each playing two matches, and is held in July at Stadion Brühl in Grenchen. As a friendly tournament, the format tends to be fluid...
: 1971
BSC Young Boys
- Uhrencup Winner: 1973
Basel
- Coppa delle AlpiCoppa delle AlpiCoppa delle Alpi , was a football tournament, first organized by the Italian national league to start 1960 and then aided by the Swiss League in 1962 for the reason that the majority of the Alps are in Switzerland...
Finalist: 1975 - Swiss National ChampionshipSwiss Super LeagueThe Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
: 1977 - Uhrencup Winner: 1978
as Referee
- Swiss Referee of the Year: 1989, 1998
- 15 May 1989 Swiss Cup Final: Grasshopper Club Zürich - FC AarauFC AarauFC Aarau is a Swiss football club, based in Aarau. They play in the Swiss Challenge League.-History:FC Aarau was formed on 26 May 1902 by workers from a local brewery. The early days of the club were a success and they won the Swiss championship in 1911/12 and then again in 1913/14...
(2:1) - 1 May 1996 UEFA Cup Final1996 UEFA Cup FinalThe 1996 UEFA Cup Final was played on May 1, 1996 and May 15, 1996 between Bayern Munich of Germany and FC Girondins de Bordeaux of France. Bayern Munich won the two matches 5–1 on aggregate.-First leg:-Second leg:...
: Bayern Munich - FC Girondins de BordeauxFC Girondins de BordeauxFootball Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season....
(2:0) - 11 June 1996 1996 UEFA European Football Championship Group D: TurkeyTurkey national football teamThe Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
- CroatiaCroatia national football teamThe Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
(0:1) - 5 February 1997 1996 UEFA Super Cup Second leg: Juventus Turin - Paris Saint-Germain (3:1)