Christian Constantin

Last updated
Christian Constantine
Personal information
Date of birth (1957-01-07) 7 January 1957 (age 66)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(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)
Total0(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Christian Constantine (born 7 January 1957) is a Swiss architect. [1] He is the owner and president of Swiss football club FC Sion. [2] He bought the club, which had previously neared bankruptcy and was relegated from the Swiss Super League, in 2003. [1]

During his ownership of FC Sion, Constantine has made 50 managerial changes, appointed himself as manager in 2008 and 2021, fired a former head coach because of his smell, allegedly kicked a referee in 2007 forcing the referee to retire three months later, before then kicking and taking down a Swiss pundit live on TV. More recently, and he fired a manager at the half time break before forcing that head coach to stand on the sidelines, even though he didn’t have a job, and confronted Mario Balotelli when he found out he wasn’t pleased with the decision, signed six players under a transfer ban because of what happened with Essam El-Hadary’s transfer, [3] and even appeared on live TV on a horse. Yet under his presidency, the club also experienced considerable success, such as its Swiss Cup titles in 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2015.

Constantine 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). [4]

On 12 October 2017, Constantine was given a 14-month ban for striking former Switzerland coach Rolf Fringer. [5]

In March 2020, Constantine 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. [6]

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References

  1. 1 2 McGuire, Annie (17 August 2011). "Sion president the embodiment of a controversial club". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  2. ↑ "Ambitious FC Sion President Divides Swiss Opinion". Inside Futbol. 2010-12-13. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  3. ↑ "Celtic get Europa League lifeline after Sion expelled". BBC Sport. BBC. 2 September 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  4. ↑ Weltfussball
  5. ↑ "Christian Constantin: Sion chief gets 14-month ban for slapping Rolf Fringer". BBC. 12 October 2017. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  6. ↑ "Swiss club sacks players who refused coronavirus pay cut". ESPN. 27 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020.


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