Lia Wälti

Lia Joëlle Wälti (born 19 April 1993) is a Swiss football midfielder currently playing for Arsenal. She previously played in Switzerland for YB Frauen, where she won the Nationalliga A and debuted in the UEFA Champions League in 2011,[3] and Turbine Potsdam.

Lia Wälti
Wälti during a press conference with Switzerland in 2017
Personal information
Full name Lia Joëlle Wälti[1]
Date of birth (1993-04-19) 19 April 1993
Place of birth Langnau im Emmental, Switzerland
Height 167 cm (5 ft 6 in)
Playing position(s) Midfielder, Centre back
Club information
Current team
 Arsenal
Number 13
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2009 Köniz
2009–2013 YB Frauen
2013–2018 Turbine Potsdam 98 (7)
2018– Arsenal 22 (0)
National team‡
2011– Switzerland 81[2] (5)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 27 April 2020 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 13 November 2018

She is a member of the Swiss national team since August 2011.[4] As an Under-19 international she played the 2009 U-19 European Championship[5] and the 2010 U-20 World Cup.[6]

Club career

Early career

In 2002, at the age of 8, Wälti started playing for FC Langnau, a boys team coached by her father. In 2007 she was admitted to the Huttwill Training Centre and, half a year later, she joined Team Bern West. In 2009 she moved to BSC Young Boys, where she played for a year in the U16 boy's team.

FC Köniz (2008-2009)

At the same time she played for Team Bern West, Wälti joined FC Köniz of the Swiss Challenge League.

BSC YB Frauen (2009-2013)

In 2009, Wälti joined BSC YB Frauen, where, in 2011, she won the Nationalliga A. In the same year, she debuted in the UEFA Women's Champions League.[7]

Lia Wälti for Turbine Potsdam

Turbine Potsdam (2013-2018)

In 2013 Wälti signed a contract with 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam of the Frauen-Bundesliga.[8] A few years later, she became captain of the team.

Arsenal (2018-)

After 98 appearances with the German team, Wälti signed a contract with Arsenal in July 2018.[9] In April 2019, she suffered a LCL injury which kept her out of football for 9 months. [10] [11] On 13 December 2019, Wälti signed a long-term contract with the club. [12]

International career

Youth

Wälti played in the 2008 UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship. She also played for the Switzerland U19 team in 2008 and 2009. She reached the semifinals in the 2009 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship. The next year, she joined the U20 team at the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.

Senior

On 21 August 2011, Wälti made her debut for the Switzerland senior team in a match against Scotland.

In 2015, she played at the World Cup.

References
  1. "List of Players - Switzerland" (PDF). FIFA. 30 May 2015. p. 22. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  2. "Former Potsdam captain to join Arsenal Women - She Kicks Women's Football Magazine". 2 July 2018.
  3. Profile in UEFA's website
  4. Profile in the Swiss Football Association's website
  5. French and Swiss advance to semis. UEFA
  6. Statistics in FIFA's website
  7. "Lia Wälti".
  8. "Lia Wälti wechselt zu Turbine Potsdam". Archived from the original on 2013-07-30.
  9. "Lia Walti joins the club".
  10. "Lia Walti undergoes knee surgery, likely out 9 months".
  11. "Lia Walti injury update".
  12. "Lia Walti commits her future to the club".
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