Stefan Schwoch
Encyclopedia
Stefan Schwoch is an Italian
retired football striker
. He is currently working as sporting director of Vicenza.
(a German
-speaking province in the north east of the country). His surname is Polish
, inherited from his grandfather, who emigrated to Italy in during World War II
.
side Spal 1907
. Playing on the wing he scored one goal in 24 games.
Returning to the amateur scene with Crevalcore
in 1990, he became top scorer for two consecutive seasons on the team, scoring 12 goals (in 29 games) in the first season, and 18 goals (in 30 games) in the second. This earned him a move back to Serie C2, with Pavia
. He scored seven goals (in 29 games) in his first season with the club and 12 goals (in 21 games) the following year. In 1994–95 he was signed to Livorno
, again in Serie C2, where he scored 19 goals in 33 matches, leading the team to the playoffs, before the promotion race ended with defeat in Castel di Sangro
.
Sold to Ravenna Calcio
of Serie C1
, he hit 21 goals in 33 games, leading the club to promotion. The following year, in 1996, the Ravenna finished eighth, thanks to the playmaker Lamberto Zauli Schwoch and Schwoch's eight goals in 38 matches. He then moved on to Venezia
, where his 17 goals (in 36 games) helped the team to break into Serie A
.
At the age of 30 he made his debut in the top tier. After two goals in 14 games, he returned to Serie B with Napoli
in January 1999, where he scored six goals in 22 matches. In the 1999–2000 season, Schwoch hit 22 goals in 35 games, a club record, as the team won promotion to the top-flight. In 2000, Schwoch, signed with Serie B
side Torino
, scoring eight goals in 31 matches. The following season he hit 13 goals in 31 matches. In 2002–03, he hit 19 goals in 33 games. The next season he hit seven goals in 24 appearances. In 2004–05, his rediscovered his scoring form, hitting 12 goals (in 35 games), but the team suffered relegation to Serie C1.
Aged 36 he continued to play, but the first part of the 2005–06 season appeared to be his swan song. Suffering with injuries, he made disappointingly few appearances. Yet he recovered by the season's end to once again produce some fine performances.
His form continued in the 2006–07 season, as he became the club's fourth all-time scorer, surpassing the legendary Pablito Rossi.
In 2007–08, his age finally caught up with him, and on 1 June 2008, Schwoch played his last game.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
retired football striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
. He is currently working as sporting director of Vicenza.
Early life and family
Stefan Schwoch was born in South TyrolSouth Tyrol
South Tyrol , also known by its Italian name Alto Adige, is an autonomous province in northern Italy. It is one of the two autonomous provinces that make up the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. The province has an area of and a total population of more than 500,000 inhabitants...
(a German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
-speaking province in the north east of the country). His surname is Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, inherited from his grandfather, who emigrated to Italy in during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Playing career
Schwoch began his career with Meran in the inter-league in 1987. He scored four goals in 25 matches. The following year he signed with Benacense Riva, where he hit nine goals in 31 appearances. He turned professional in 1989 with Serie C2Serie C2
Lega Pro Seconda Divisione is the name of the fourth highest football league in Italy, the lowest with a professional status. Usually it consists of 54 teams, but in the season 2010–11 the teams are only 49 divided geographically into three divisions of 17, 16 and 16 teams each...
side Spal 1907
Spal 1907
SPAL 1907 is an Italian football club, based in Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna. The club was founded in 1907 as Società Polisportiva Ars et Labor and was refounded in 2005....
. Playing on the wing he scored one goal in 24 games.
Returning to the amateur scene with Crevalcore
Crevalcore
Crevalcore is a town and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region near Bologna, Italy.-External links:*...
in 1990, he became top scorer for two consecutive seasons on the team, scoring 12 goals (in 29 games) in the first season, and 18 goals (in 30 games) in the second. This earned him a move back to Serie C2, with Pavia
A.C. Pavia
Associazione Calcio Pavia is an Italian football club, based in Pavia, Lombardy. Pavia currently plays in Lega Pro Prima Divisione group A, having last been in Serie B in 1955.- History :The club was founded in 1911....
. He scored seven goals (in 29 games) in his first season with the club and 12 goals (in 21 games) the following year. In 1994–95 he was signed to Livorno
A.S. Livorno Calcio
Associazione Sportiva Livorno Calcio is an Italian football club based in Livorno, Tuscany. The club was formed in 1915 and currently plays in Italian Serie B. The team's colors are dark red or maroon...
, again in Serie C2, where he scored 19 goals in 33 matches, leading the team to the playoffs, before the promotion race ended with defeat in Castel di Sangro
Castel di Sangro
Castel di Sangro is a city and comune of 6,109 people in the Province of L'Aquila, in Abruzzo, southern Italy. It is the central city of the Alto Sangro e Altopiano delle Cinque Miglia.-Geography:...
.
Sold to Ravenna Calcio
Ravenna Calcio
Ravenna Calcio is an Italian association football club, based in Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna. The club was founded in 1913 and refounded in 2001....
of Serie C1
Serie C1
Lega Pro Prima Divisione is the name of the third highest football league in Italy. It consists of 36 teams, divided geographically into two divisions of 18 teams each. Until 2008 it was known as Serie C1....
, he hit 21 goals in 33 games, leading the club to promotion. The following year, in 1996, the Ravenna finished eighth, thanks to the playmaker Lamberto Zauli Schwoch and Schwoch's eight goals in 38 matches. He then moved on to Venezia
F.B.C. Unione Venezia
Football Club Unione Venezia , commonly referred to as simply Venezia, is an Italian football club from Venice, Veneto....
, where his 17 goals (in 36 games) helped the team to break into Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
.
At the age of 30 he made his debut in the top tier. After two goals in 14 games, he returned to Serie B with Napoli
S.S.C. Napoli
Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....
in January 1999, where he scored six goals in 22 matches. In the 1999–2000 season, Schwoch hit 22 goals in 35 games, a club record, as the team won promotion to the top-flight. In 2000, Schwoch, signed with Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
side Torino
Torino F.C.
Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino, is a professional Italian football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that was founded in 1906. The club has spent most of its history in the top tier in Italian football....
, scoring eight goals in 31 matches. The following season he hit 13 goals in 31 matches. In 2002–03, he hit 19 goals in 33 games. The next season he hit seven goals in 24 appearances. In 2004–05, his rediscovered his scoring form, hitting 12 goals (in 35 games), but the team suffered relegation to Serie C1.
Aged 36 he continued to play, but the first part of the 2005–06 season appeared to be his swan song. Suffering with injuries, he made disappointingly few appearances. Yet he recovered by the season's end to once again produce some fine performances.
His form continued in the 2006–07 season, as he became the club's fourth all-time scorer, surpassing the legendary Pablito Rossi.
In 2007–08, his age finally caught up with him, and on 1 June 2008, Schwoch played his last game.