Liechtenstein national football team

Liechtenstein
Nickname(s) The Blues-Reds
Association Liechtenstein Football Association
(Liechtensteiner Fussballverband)
Confederation UEFA (Europe)
Head coach Rene Pauritsch
Captain Michele Polverino
Most caps Peter Jehle (132)
Top scorer Mario Frick (16)
Home stadium Rheinpark Stadion
FIFA code LIE
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 178 Increase 2 (20 September 2018)
Highest 118 (January 2008, July 2011, September 2011)
Lowest 191 (July 2017)
Elo ranking
Current 169 Increase 3 (10 September 2018)
Highest 150 (September 2011)
Lowest 184 (September 2004)
First international
 Liechtenstein 1–1 Malta 
(Daejeon, South Korea; 14 June 1981)
Biggest win
 Luxembourg 0–4 Liechtenstein 
(Luxembourg, Luxembourg; 13 October 2004)
Biggest defeat
 Liechtenstein 1–11 Macedonia 
(Eschen, Liechtenstein; 9 November 1996)

The Liechtenstein national football team (German: Liechtensteinische Fußballnationalmannschaft) is the national football team of the Principality of Liechtenstein and is controlled by the Liechtenstein Football Association. The organisation is known as the Liechtensteiner Fussballverband in German. The team's first match was an unofficial match against Malta in Seoul, a 1–1 draw in 1981. Their first official match came two years later, a 0–1 defeat from Switzerland. Liechtenstein's largest win, a 4–0 win over Luxembourg in a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier on 13 October 2004, was both its first ever away win and its first win in any FIFA World Cup qualifier. Liechtenstein suffered its biggest ever loss in 1996, during qualification for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, with an 11–1 thrashing by Macedonia, the result also being Macedonia's largest ever win to date.

History

Liechtenstein are only a relatively recent affiliate to FIFA, and did not participate in any qualifying series until the UEFA Euro 1996 qualifiers. There they managed to surprise the Republic of Ireland by holding them to a 0–0 draw on 3 June 1995. On 14 October 1998, they managed their first victory in a qualifying campaign after winning 2–1 against Azerbaijan in a Euro 2000 qualifying match.

Since then, the presence of Liechtenstein clubs in the Swiss league system and of a handful of professional players (most notably Mario Frick) has seen the side's competitiveness improve enormously. The Euro 2004 qualifiers saw Liechtenstein improve to the extent they restricted England to 2–0 wins. The 2006 World Cup qualifiers, however, brought even better results as two wins over Luxembourg and draws against both Slovakia and Portugal meant that Liechtenstein finished with 8 points.

In the Euro 2008 qualifiers, Liechtenstein beat Latvia through a solitary goal from Mario Frick. The result caused the Latvian manager to resign after the match. They repeated their heroics against Iceland managing to beat them 3–0 on 17 October 2007 for their second qualifying group win. On the 26 March 2008 Liechtenstein had an embarrassing 7–1 loss to fellow small nation in Europe, Malta. This was recorded as Malta's largest win.

The Liechtensteiner Fussballverbund voted Rainer Hasler to be their "Golden Player" — their best player over the last 50 years — to mark UEFA's golden jubilee.

In the 2010 World Cup qualifiers Liechtenstein secured a scoreless draw against Azerbaijan and a 1–1 draw against Finland, finishing bottom of Group 4 on two points.

In the Euro 2012 qualifiers, Liechtenstein were narrowly beaten 2–1 by Scotland in Hampden Park thanks to a goal by Stephen McManus in the seventh minute of additional time.[1] They produced a shock 2–0 win at home against Lithuania; their goals were scored by Philippe Erne and Michele Polverino.[1] In the following qualifying game they managed a scoreless draw away to Lithuania.[1]

Liechtenstein all-time record against all nations

Competitive record

World Cup record

Year Round Position W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 to United States 1994Did not enter
France 1998Did not qualify6th, last (qualifying)0010352
South Korea Japan 20025th, last (qualifying)008023
Germany 20066th out of 7 (qualifying)2281323
South Africa 20106th, last (qualifying)028223
Brazil 20146th, last (qualifying)028425
Russia 20186th, last (qualifying)0010139
Qatar 2022To be determinedTo be determined–––––
Canada Mexico United States 2026To be determinedTo be determined–––––
Total 0/21 2 6 52 23 184

European Championship record

Year Round Position W D L GF GA
France 1960 to Sweden 1992Did not enter
England 1996Did not qualify6th, last (qualifying)019140
Belgium Netherlands 20006th, last (qualifying)118239
Portugal 20045th, last (qualifying)017222
Austria Switzerland 20087th, last (qualifying)219932
Poland Ukraine 20125th, last (qualifying)116317
France 20165th out of 6 (qualifying)127226
Europe 2020To be determinedTo be determined–––––
Total 0/15 5 7 46 19 176

Recent results and forthcoming fixtures

2017

2018

Manager history

Rene Pauritsch, the team manager since 2013.

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League D matches against Macedonia and Gibraltar on 13 and 16 October, 2018 respectively.[2]
Caps and goals are current as of 13 October 2018 after the match against Macedonia.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Benjamin Büchel (1989-07-04) 4 July 1989 18 0 Liechtenstein Vaduz
1GK Thomas Hobi (1993-06-20) 20 June 1993 0 0 Austria VfB Hohenems
1GK Justin Ospelt (1999-09-07) 7 September 1999 0 0 Liechtenstein Vaduz II
2DF Michele Polverino (Captain) (1984-09-26) 26 September 1984 68 6 Liechtenstein Balzers
2DF Daniel Kaufmann (1990-12-22) 22 December 1990 49 1 Liechtenstein Balzers
2DF Sandro Wieser (1993-02-03) 3 February 1993 46 2 Liechtenstein Vaduz
2DF Martin Rechsteiner (1989-02-15) 15 February 1989 37 0 Liechtenstein Balzers
2DF Seyhan Yildiz (1989-04-30) 30 April 1989 32 1 Liechtenstein Balzers
2DF Maximilian Göppel (1997-08-31) 31 August 1997 18 1 Liechtenstein Vaduz
2DF Andreas Malin (1994-01-31) 31 January 1994 11 0 Austria Dornbirn
2DF Fabian Eberle (1992-07-27) 27 July 1992 4 0 Switzerland Konolfingen
3MF Martin Büchel (1987-02-19) 19 February 1987 72 2 Switzerland Zurich II
3MF Nicolas Hasler (1991-05-04) 4 May 1991 54 2 United States Chicago Fire
3MF Robin Gubser (1991-04-17) 17 April 1991 30 1 Liechtenstein Eschen/Mauren
3MF Sandro Wolfinger (1991-08-24) 24 August 1991 25 2 Liechtenstein Eschen/Mauren
3MF Aron Sele (1996-09-02) 2 September 1996 10 0 Liechtenstein Vaduz
3MF Vinzenz Flatz (1994-07-05) 5 July 1994 3 0 Switzerland Konolfingen
3MF Livio Meier (1998-01-10) 10 January 1998 3 0 Liechtenstein Eschen/Mauren
3MF Marco Wolfinger (1989-04-18) 18 April 1989 0 0 Liechtenstein Balzers
4FW Philippe Erne (1986-12-14) 14 December 1986 33 1 Liechtenstein Balzers
4FW Dennis Salanović (1996-02-26) 26 February 1996 28 2 Switzerland Thun
4FW Marcel Büchel (1991-03-18) 18 March 1991 12 0 Italy Empoli
4FW Niklas Kieber (1993-03-04) 4 March 1993 11 0 Liechtenstein Eschen/Mauren

Recent call-ups

The following players were called up in the last 12 months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Lorenzo Lo Russo (1993-07-08) 8 July 1993 0 0 Switzerland Linth 04 v.  Gibraltar, 9 September 2018
GK Peter Jehle RET (1982-01-22) 22 January 1982 132 0 Liechtenstein Vaduz v.  Faroe Islands, 25 March 2018
GK Claudio Majer (1996-03-23) 23 March 1996 0 0 Liechtenstein Balzers v.  Andorra, 21 March 2018 PRE
DF Ivan Quintans (1989-10-15) 15 October 1989 29 0 Liechtenstein Eschen/Mauren v.  Gibraltar, 9 September 2018
DF Mathias Sele (1992-05-28) 28 May 1992 6 0 Liechtenstein Balzers v.  Gibraltar, 9 September 2018
DF Daniel Brändle (1992-01-23) 23 January 1992 19 0 Germany Pullach v.  Faroe Islands, 25 March 2018
DF Jens Hofer (1997-10-01) 1 October 1997 0 0 Switzerland Düdingen v.  Andorra, 21 March 2018 PRE
MF Philipp Ospelt (1992-10-07) 7 October 1992 4 0 Liechtenstein Vaduz v.  Faroe Islands, 25 March 2018
MF Fabio Wolfinger (1996-05-11) 11 May 1996 1 0 Switzerland Ostermundigen v.  Andorra, 21 March 2018 PRE
FW Simon Kühne (1994-04-30) April 30, 1994 19 0 Liechtenstein Eschen/Mauren v.  Gibraltar, 9 September 2018
FW Franz Burgmeier RET (1982-04-07) 7 April 1982 112 9 Liechtenstein Vaduz v.  Faroe Islands, 25 March 2018
FW Ridvan Kardesoglu (1996-10-12) October 12, 1996 0 0 Liechtenstein Eschen/Mauren v.  Andorra, 21 March 2018 PRE

Notes:

  • PRE = Preliminary squad

2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers

{{2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group G table |show_matches=yes|showteam=LIE}}

2016 UEFA European Championship qualification

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification Austria Russia Sweden Montenegro Liechtenstein Moldova
1  Austria 10 9 1 0 22 5 +17 28 Qualify for final tournament — 1–0 1–1 1–0 3–0 1–0
2  Russia 10 6 2 2 21 5 +16 20 0–1 — 1–0 2–0 4–0 1–1
3  Sweden 10 5 3 2 15 9 +6 18 Advance to play-offs 1–4 1–1 — 3–1 2–0 2–0
4  Montenegro 10 3 2 5 10 13 −3 11 2–3 0–3[lower-alpha 1] 1–1 — 2–0 2–0
5  Liechtenstein 10 1 2 7 2 26 −24 5 0–5 0–7 0–2 0–0 — 1–1
6  Moldova 10 0 2 8 4 16 −12 2 1–2 1–2 0–2 0–2 0–1 —
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
Notes:
  1. ↑ The Montenegro v Russia match was awarded as a 3–0 win to Russia after being abandoned at 0–0 due to crowd violence and a scuffle between players.

2018–19 UEFA Nations League

Group 4

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion Republic of Macedonia Gibraltar Armenia Liechtenstein
1  Macedonia 4 3 0 1 8 5 +3 9 Promotion to League C — 19 Nov 2–0 4–1
2  Gibraltar 4 2 0 2 3 5 −2 6[lower-alpha 1] 0–2 — 16 Nov 2–1
3  Armenia 4 2 0 2 6 4 +2 6[lower-alpha 1] 4–0 0–1 — 2–1
4  Liechtenstein 4 1 0 3 5 8 −3 3 16 Nov 2–0 19 Nov —
Updated to match(es) played on 16 October 2018. Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Notes:
  1. 1 2 Head-to-head points: Gibraltar 3, Armenia 0.

Player history

As of 13 October 2018

In literature

Prompted by the team's poor record in competitive games, British writer Charlie Connelly followed the entire qualifying campaign for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. As recorded in the subsequent book Stamping Grounds: Liechtenstein's Quest for the World Cup, Liechtenstein lost all eight games without scoring a goal.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Liechtenstein missing goal hero Philippe Erne". BBC Sport. BBC. 27 September 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  2. ↑ "Liechtenstein squad for Macedonia and Gibraltar UEFA Nations League matches" (PDF).
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