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Franco Foda
Foda in 2018
Personal information
Date of birth (1966-04-23) 23 April 1966 (age 57)
Place of birth Mainz, West Germany
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Kosovo (manager)
Youth career
1973–1979 SV Weisenau
1979–1981 Mainz 05
1981–1984 1. FC Kaiserslautern
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1983–1984 1. FC Kaiserslautern 3 (0)
1984–1985 Arminia Bielefeld 43 (8)
1985–1987 1. FC Saarbrücken 52 (3)
1987–1990 1. FC Kaiserslautern 87 (5)
1990–1994 Bayer Leverkusen 113 (10)
1994–1996 VfB Stuttgart 69 (0)
1997 Basel 13 (0)
1997–2001 Sturm Graz 99 (1)
Total 479 (27)
International career
1985–1987 West Germany U21 7 (1)
1987 West Germany 2 (0)
Managerial career
2001–2002 Sturm Graz (amateurs)
2002 Sturm Graz (assistant)
2002–2003 Sturm Graz
2003–2006 Sturm Graz II
2006–2012 Sturm Graz
2012–2013 1. FC Kaiserslautern
2014–2018 Sturm Graz
2018–2022 Austria
2022 Zürich
2024– Kosovo
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Franco Foda (born 23 April 1966) is a German football manager and former player who is the manager of Kosovo national team.[1]

Playing career

Foda appeared in over 400 top-flight matches in (West) Germany, Switzerland and Austria.[2] During his second spell with 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the 1980s he won two caps with the West Germany national team under coach Franz Beckenbauer; Foda played against Argentina and Brazil in late 1987.[3] During his first ever international appearance, on 12 December 1987 in Brasilia against Brazil, Foda was at the centre of controversy. Both at the reading of the team names and later when he was substituted in, he was met with great applause by the Brazilian fans. Foda only found out the next day that this was due to his name translating to "free intercourse" in Portuguese.[4]

Foda joined FC Basel's first team during the winter break of their 1996–97 season under head coach Karl Engel. Foda played his domestic league debut for his new club in the home game in the St. Jakob Stadium on 2 March 1997 as Basel won 1–0 against Zürich.[5] During his few months with the club, Foda played a total of 15 games for Basel, without scoring a goal. 13 of these games were in the Nationalliga A, one was in the Swiss Cup and the other one was a friendly game.[6]

Coaching career

Early career

Foda in 2009

Foda moved into coaching with Sturm Graz as an assistant coach. He had been interim head coach between 20 September 2002[7] until November 2002.[8] At this point, Foda became the permanent head coach until they hired Gilbert Gress to become the head coach on 4 June 2003.[8] He then went on to coach the reserve team immediately after to when he was promoted to head coach of the first team on 1 June 2006.[9] Sturm Graz won the 2010–11 Bundesliga[10] and the 2009–10 Austrian Cup[11] under Foda. He was originally scheduled to leave after the 2011–12 season.[12] However, he ended up being sacked on 12 April 2012 after the club was knocked–out of the Austrian Cup.[13]

1. FC Kaiserslautern

On 22 May 2012, Foda was announced as new head coach of 1. FC Kaiserslautern, who had just been relegated to the second division after two seasons in the top flight.[14] On 29 August 2013, he was sacked as head coach with immediate effect.[15]

Return to Sturm Graz

Foda returned to Sturm Graz on 30 September 2014[16] and won his first match in–charge on 4 October 2014 against Grödig.[17]

Austria national team

In October 2017 it was announced that Foda would become manager of the Austria national team, with effect from January 2018.[18] Foda resigned from the position in March 2022, following their failure to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup after the defeat to Wales in Cardiff.[19]

FC Zürich

On 8 June 2022, he was announced as the new head coach of Swiss champions FC Zürich, replacing André Breitenreiter.[20] Foda was sacked by Zürich on 21 September.[21]

Kosovo national team

On 17 February 2024, Kosovo appointed Foda after agreeing to a contract until February 2026, this happened after the former coach Primož Gliha decided to resign after weak results in November 2023.[1]

Personal life

Foda is of Italian descent through his father.[22] His son Sandro (born 1989) first appeared professionally with Sturm Graz in 2007, when his father was head coach.[23]

Coaching record

As of match played 18 September 2022
Team From To Record
G W D L Win % Ref.
Sturm Graz 20 September 2002[7] 4 June 2003[8] 33 13 4 16 039.39 [24]
Sturm Graz II 4 June 2003[9] 1 June 2006[9] 93 34 24 35 036.56
Sturm Graz 1 June 2006[9] 12 April 2012[13] 258 117 65 76 045.35 [25][26][27][28][29][30]
1. FC Kaiserslautern 22 May 2012[14] 29 August 2013[15] 44 20 13 11 045.45 [31][32]
Sturm Graz 30 September 2014[16] 1 January 2018 141 71 28 42 050.35
Austria 1 January 2018 29 March 2022 47 26 6 15 055.32
FC Zürich 8 June 2022 21 September 2022 19 5 4 10 026.32
Kosovo 17 February 2024 present 0 0 0 0 !— [1]
Total 635 286 144 205 045.04

Honours

Player

1. FC Kaiserslautern

Bayer Leverkusen

Sturm Graz

Manager

Sturm Graz

References

  1. ^ a b c "Franco Foda përzgjedhës i ri i Kosovës: Bashkërisht do të jemi të suksesshëm" [Franco Foda, new selector of Kosovo: Together we will be successful] (in Albanian). Football Federation of Kosovo. 17 February 2024.
  2. ^ Arnhold, Matthias (22 November 2018). "Franco Foda - Matches and Goals in Bundesliga". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  3. ^ Arnhold, Matthias (22 November 2018). "Franco Foda - International Appearances". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  4. ^ "Warum Franco Foda Brasilianer erheitert" (in German). Kleine Zeitung. 10 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  5. ^ Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv” (2 March 1997). "FC Basel - FC Zürich 1:0 (0:0)". Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv”. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  6. ^ Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv” (1997). "Franco Foda -FCB statistic". Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv”. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  7. ^ a b Winklbauer, Hubert (22 September 2002). "Franco Foda sammelt fleißig Pluspunkte". kicker (in German). Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  8. ^ a b c "Gress trainiert Sturm Graz". kicker (in German). 4 June 2003. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  9. ^ a b c d "Rückkehr auf die Grazer Trainerbank: Franco Foda neuer Coach des SK Sturm". news.at (in German). 1 June 2006. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  10. ^ "tipp3 - Bundesliga - Spieltag / Tabelle" (in German). kicker. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  11. ^ "Sturm Graz - SC Wiener Neustadt" (in German). kicker. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  12. ^ "Foda muss gehen - Nachfolge offen". kicker (in German). 19 March 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  13. ^ a b "Sturm Graz beurlaubt Foda". kicker (in German). 12 April 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  14. ^ a b "Foda wird neuer Trainer beim 1. FC Kaiserslautern". Die Welt (in German). 22 May 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  15. ^ a b "Paukenschlag beim FCK: Franco Foda sofort weg!". kicker (in German). 29 August 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  16. ^ a b "Franco Foda kehrt zu Sturm Graz zurück" (in German). Österreich. 30 September 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  17. ^ "Sturm triumphiert bei Foda-Rückkehr" (in German). Österreich. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  18. ^ "Franco Foda wird ÖFB-Teamchef: Österreichs Neuer ist ein Piefke". 30 October 2017 – via Spiegel Online.
  19. ^ Coyle, Andy (28 March 2022). "Austria coach resigns at press conference ahead of Scotland friendly". STV Sport. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  20. ^ "Der FC Zürich stellt Franco Foda als neuen Trainer vor". bluewin.ch (in German). 8 June 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  21. ^ "Football: Franco Foda n'est plus l'entraîneur du FC Zurich". lematin.ch (in French). 21 September 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  22. ^ "Im Namen des Vaters (4) – Die Drechsels, die Fodas, die Drazans und viele mehr! » abseits.at". 21 October 2013.
  23. ^ "Was macht eigentlich? Franco Foda" (in German). fluesterer.com. Archived from the original on 27 April 2009.
  24. ^ "Sturm Graz » Fixtures & Results 2002/2003" (in German). World Football. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  25. ^ "Sturm Graz" (in German). kicker. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  26. ^ "Sturm Graz" (in German). kicker. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  27. ^ "Sturm Graz" (in German). kicker. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  28. ^ "Sturm Graz" (in German). kicker. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  29. ^ "Sturm Graz" (in German). kicker. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  30. ^ "Sturm Graz" (in German). kicker. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  31. ^ "1. FC Kaiserslautern" (in German). kicker. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  32. ^ "1. FC Kaiserslautern" (in German). kicker. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  33. ^ a b c d "Franco Foda". Eurosport. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  34. ^ "Austria » ÖFB-Cup 1998/1999 » Final » Sturm Graz - LASK Linz 4:2". World Football. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  35. ^ "Supercup 1999 - Finale". Austria Soccer. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  36. ^ a b "F Froda". Soccerway. Retrieved 18 October 2014.

External links

Austria squad – UEFA Euro 2020
Franco Foda managerial positions
Authority control databases
Categories