Christian Constantin

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.^[1] He is also the owner and Chairman of Swiss football club FC Sion.^[2] He bought the club, which had neared bankruptcy and was relegated from the Swiss Super League, in 2003.^[1]

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.^[3] 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.^[4] ^[5]

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.^[6] 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,^[7] 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).^[8]

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.^[9]

In 2014, Constantin appointed his son Barthélémy as Sporting Director of FC Sion, a position he has held ever since. ^[10]

References

^ ^a ^b McGuire, Annie (17 August 2011). "Sion president the embodiment of a controversial club". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
^ "Ambitious FC Sion President Divides Swiss Opinion". Inside Futbol. 2010-12-13. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
^ zentralplus, Redaktion (2017-09-22). "Constantin-Skandal: Der Wiederholungstäter". zentralplus (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 2024-09-13.
^ Reuters (2017-10-13). "FC Sion president vows to defy ban for attacking TV commentator". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-09-13. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
^ "Christian Constantin: Sion chief gets 14-month ban for slapping Rolf Fringer". BBC. 12 October 2017. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
^ Wettstein, Mischi. "FC Sion: Wild-West-Szenen in der Kabine – CC dreht komplett durch". Nau (in German). Retrieved 2024-09-13.
^ "Celtic get Europa League lifeline after Sion expelled". BBC Sport. BBC. 2 September 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
^ Weltfussball
^ "Swiss club sacks players who refused coronavirus pay cut". ESPN. 27 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
^ Feller, Bastien (20 May 2024). "Sion est de retour en Super League". Blick. Retrieved 12 Sep 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)