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Stephan Lichtsteiner (Switzerland). Photo by Steindy.

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Stephan Lichtsteiner

Stephen Lichtsteiner is a Swiss former professional footballer. He was born on 16 January 1984. He was an attacking right &back or wing-back player.

 Stephen was known for his energetic runs down the right wing. He was also known for his stamina and athleticism. This earned him two Nicknames. The Forrest Gump and The Swiss Express.

His debut in his football career was with Grasshopper. He won a league title from 2002 to 2003. In 2005 he transferred to Lille. He helped the French club to the Champions League qualification in his first season with the Lille team.

In 2008, Stephen joined the Italian Club Lazio. After joining the club, he won both the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana the following year.

He sighed for Juventus for a fee of €10 million. This was in 2011. He played 257 total games for Juventus over seven years. Stephen won 14 trophies while in Turin. Moreover, the Serie A title in each of his seasons with the Team.

He was signed by Premier League side Arsenal. This was in the summer of 2018. However, he spent a season.

After Arsenal, he moved to German club Augsburg the following summer. However, he announced his retirement from football after a season at the club.

1. Football was not His Initial Career

Stephen completed a banking apprenticeship with Credit Suisse. However, he chooses a career in football.

During his early years, he played for the local football club. Later, he left his home as a teenager to play for Grasshopper Zurich. This is where he began his football career during the 2001-02 season.

However, he made one league appearance. The following season, he began to establish himself as a first-team regular and helped the club to the league title.

2. He Helped a French Club to Champions League Qualification in his First Season

Stephen Lichtsteiner moved to Lille OSC from 2004 to 2005. He was one of five Swiss players to enter Ligue 1 during the summer of 2005.

 He was regular in his first season. He helped the club to Champions League Qualification in his first season with the team.

However, his last season ended disappointingly. Lille finished seventh in the league. The team missed out on European football next season by a point. However, he ended the season with 4 goals.

3. He Claimed the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana

Stephan Lichtsteiner and sports night organizer. Author Davos, Schweiz.

Stephen scored his first goal in this club against cross-city rivals Roma and put Lazio 3-1. However, the game ended in a 4-2 win to Lazio. This resulted in numerous bookings.

During the season, Lichtsteiner formed an attacking tandem down the flanks with Serbian international full-back Aleksandar Kolarov. However, Lazio finished tenth.

They ended the season on a high by winning the Coppa Italia. The team earned a place in the UEFA Europa League the next season.

Stephen led Lazio to success. This after scoring in the penalty shoot-out against Sampdoria in the final. The team claimed the Supercoppa Italiana at the beginning of the next season.

4. Juventus FC signed Him for €10 million payable over three years

Singapore Selection vs Juventus. Author Svetlana Beketova.

Marked his debut with Juventus on 11 September 2011 against Parma. He scored the first goal in the 4-1 home victory. He also played a vital part in the club’s defensive record in the win over scudetto.

During the 2013-14 season, he played fewer matches due to injuries. Howey, he contributed three goals in all competitions. He won his third consecutive Serie A title.

They played their 250th match for Juventus on March 7, 2018, in the UEFA Champions League against Tottenham, in a 2-1 victory. He played his 200th match of Serie A with the club in the 3-1 win at Bologna at home on May 5, 2018. After, the player announced he would leave the club at the end of the season.

5. He Flopped during his Season Stint at Arsenal

Stephan Lichtsteiner at the training camp of the Swiss national soccer team before Euro 2008.Author Reto Stauffer

He sighed for Arsenal on 5 June 2018 on a free transfer. He made his Arsenal debut on 12 August.

On 31 October, Lichtsteiner scored his only goal for Arsenal in the first half of a 2–1 home win over Blackpool in the fourth round of the 2018–19 EFL Cup. On 3 June 2019, it was announced that Lichtsteiner would leave Arsenal after just one season at the club.

6. The Oldest Player at the FC Augsburg Club

FC Augsburg of the Bundesliga confirmed the acquisition of Lichtsteiner on a free transfer. This was for the 2019–20 campaign on August 19, 2019. At 36 years, and 6 months he made his debut 5 days later in a 1–1 home tie with 1. FC Union Berlin, marking the club’s oldest player ever.

7. He became the Fourth Swiss Player to Reach 100 Caps

He made his senior debut versus Brazil in a match on November 11, 2006, which resulted in a 2–1 defeat. Despite missing out on the 2006 World Cup, Lichtsteiner was allowed to establish himself as a first-team right defender.

Lichtsteiner played seven games in UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying. However Swiss failed to reach the finals in Poland and Ukraine.

He scored his first international goal on 11 October 2010 in the final game, a 2–0 win over Montenegro in Basel. He played eight full matches in a successful campaign during the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification. He scored two first-half goals on 6 September 2013 in a 4–4 draw with Iceland at the Stade de Suisse.

In the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, Lichtsteiner scored in home wins over the Faroe Islands, Andorra and Hungary. He was named in Petković’s 23-man squad for the finals in Russia.

On 8 2018 June, he became the fourth swiss to earn 100 international caps in the 2-0 victory. This was in the final warm-up game against Japan.

8. Stephen was a Dynamic and Versatile Defender

Lichtsteiner was capable of taking any position along the right flank. He was a dynamic, hard-working, consistent and versatile defender.

Moreover, he was deployed as an attacking full-back or Wing-back in a four-man back-line.

Stephen was well known for his energetic runs up and down the wing. This enabled him to exploit spaces and get on to the end of the long balls.

 His stamina, dedication and athleticism earned him the nicknames Forrest Gump and The Swiss Express. He was capable of linking up teammates and making attacking runs to get on the end of passes.

 This enabled him to get into positions from which he could create chances for strikers with crosses from the touchline. It also helped him to score goals himself.

9. A Professional Watchmaker

After retirement from football, he began studying to become a watchmaker. He did a six-month apprenticeship at Maurice de Mauriac in Zurich.

During his internship, he claimed he would create a watch that would be sold for charity. After that, he was considering becoming a full-time watchmaker,

10. Lichtsteiner was appointed as Basel under 15s Team Coach

Stephen was appointed as Basel Under 15s team Coach. He was appointed on 1 February 2022. He takes care of the defensive part in all the youth teams.