Gilles Yapi Yapo

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Gilles Donald Yapi Yapo (born 30 January 1982) is an Ivorian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.

Gilles Yapi Yapo
Yapi Yapo with the Ivory Coast in 2007
Personal information
Full name Gilles Donald Yapi Yapo[1]
Date of birth (1982-01-30) 30 January 1982 (age 42)
Place of birth Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Height 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
–2001 ASEC Mimosas
2001–2004 Beveren 67 (13)
2004Nantes (loan) 15 (1)
2004–2006 Nantes 45 (2)
2006Young Boys (loan) 16 (2)
2006–2010 Young Boys 115 (15)
2010–2013 Basel 58 (3)
2013–2014 Dubai 12 (1)
2014–2018 Zürich 49 (2)
2017–2018Aarau (loan) 19 (0)
2018–2019 Basel II 11 (0)
International career
2000–2010 Ivory Coast 46 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 October 2021

Club career

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Born in Abidjan, Yapi Yapo started his career at ASEC Mimosas and then moved to Europe with Beveren. He joined Nantes on a loan contract in January 2004, and on 17 May, he signed a three-year contract,[2] because his contract with Beveren was due to expire in the summer.[3] At this stage of his career, he played as an attacking midfielder. He was on the fringe at Nantes in the 2005–06 season, prompting a loan move to Young Boys.[4] He then joined Young Boys on a permanent basis, where he played as a defensive midfielder and playmaker.[5]

On 15 February 2010 FC Basel announced that they had signed Yapi Yapo as from 1 July on a three-year contract.[6] He joined Basel's first team during their 2010–11 season under head coach Thorsten Fink. After playing in eight test games Yapi Yapo played his domestic league debut for his new club in the home game in the St. Jakob-Park on 20 July 2010 as Basel won 3–2 against FC Zürich.[7] He scored his first goal for his new club in the home game on 1 August 2010 as Basel won 3–0 against FC St. Gallen.[8]

Basel started in the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round and advanced to the group stage, but ended the group in third position. Therefore they dropped to the 2010–11 Europa League knockout phase, but here they were eliminated by Spartak Moscow due to a last minute goal against them.[9] Yapi Yapo played in 11 of the 12 European matches. With Basel, Yapi Yapo won the Swiss Championship at the end of the 2010–11 season topping the table just one point clear of rivals Zürich.[10]

To the beginning of their 2011–12 season Yapi Yapo was a member of the Basel team that won the 2011 Uhrencup, beating both Hertha Berlin 3–0 and West Ham United 2–1 to lead the table on goal difference above Young Boys.[11] During just the second league game of the 2011–12 Super League season, Yapi Yapo suffered a rupture of the cruciate ligament,[12] and this kept him out of the game for six months. He returned to the team for the away draw in the Stade de Suisse against Young Boys on 16 February 2012 as he was substituted in during the 65th minute.[13] At the end of the 2011–12 season he won the Double with his new club. They won the League Championship title with 20 points advantage.[14] The team won the Swiss Cup, winning the final 4–3 in a penalty shootout against Luzern.[15]

Basel had started in the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League in the qualifying rounds. But were knocked out of the competition by CFR Cluj in the play-off round. They then continued in the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League group stage. Ending the group in second position, Basel continued in the knockout phase and advanced as far as the semi-finals, there being matched against the reigning UEFA Champions League holders Chelsea. Chelsea won both games advancing 5–2 on aggregate, eventually winning the competition.[16] In the early stages of the season Yapi Yapo came to regular playing time, but following an injury in August, his appearance time diminished. At the end of the Swiss Super League season 2012–13 he won the Championship title with the team.[17] In the 2012–13 Swiss Cup Basel reached the final, but were runners up behind Grasshopper Club, being defeated 4–3 on penalties, following a 1–1 draw after extra time.[18]

Yapi Yapo appeared in just four games in the second half of the season. But because head coach Murat Yakin no longer considered Yapi Yapo within his plans, the contract between club and player was not prolonged and he departed as free agent. During his time with the club, Yapi Yapo played a total of 119 games for Basel scoring a total of nine goals. 58 of these games were in the Swiss Super League, seven in the Swiss Cup, 15 in the UEFA competitions (Champions League and Europa League) and 39 were friendly games. He scored three goals in the domestic league and the other nine were scored during the test games.[19]

In August 2013 Yapi Yapo signed for Dubai CSC.[20]

On 22 June 2014 it was announced that Yapi Yapo had signed with Zürich on a one-year contract.[21]

On 9 November 2014, Aarau player and former Basel teammate Sandro Wieser committed a knee-high challenge on Yapi Yapo in a league match, leaving the latter's career in serious doubt.[22] He suffered torn anterior and cruciate ligaments, a torn meniscus, a torn kneecap tendon, serious cartilage damage and deep bruising to his thigh.[23] Wieser was shown a straight red card for the tackle, and was later suspended for six matches by the Swiss league.[24] With Yapi Yapo highly unlikely to ever play again, Zürich president Ancillo Canepa launched legal proceedings against Wieser.[25]

Yapi Yapo did eventually return to action as a first-half substitute, in a 3–3 draw against FC Thun at the Letzigrund on 13 September 2015, scoring the third Zürich goal in the process.

On 26 August 2017 FC Aarau announced that they had signed Yapi Yapo on a loan period for one season.[26][27]

On 20 July 2018 it was announced that Yapi Yapo would return to FC Basel. Preparing for a course as trainer, he was to help with the Basel U-21 team in the Promotion League, the third tier of Swiss football. In the announcement it was also suggested that he could help with the coaching team.[28]

International career

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Yapi Yapo was part of the Ivory Coast team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. He was also selected in the preliminary Ivory Coast squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but was eventually dropped along with Bakari Koné and Emerse Faé, who played with him in the 2006 World Cup.[29][30] He retired from the Ivory Coast national team after this.

Honours

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ASEC Mimosas

Basel

FC Zürich

Ivory Coast

References

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  1. ^ "2006 FIFA World Cup Germany: List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. 21 March 2014. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  2. ^ "Nantes wants Ivorian duo". BBC News. 12 April 2004.
  3. ^ "Nantes sign Yapi Yapo". Sky Sports.
  4. ^ "Yapi Yapo on the move". Sky Sports.
  5. ^ "Switzerland Reflect on Stars of 2009/10 - Inside Futbol | Latest Football News, Transfer Rumours & Articles » Football - » Features | Inside Futbol - Online World Football Magazine".
  6. ^ FC Basel 1893 (15 February 2010). "Gilles Yapi ab Juli 2010 beim FCB". Gilles Yapi from Juli 2010 by FCB (in German). FC Basel 1893 AG. Archived from the original on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv” (20 July 2010). "FC Basel - FC Zürich 3:2 (2:2)". Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv”. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  8. ^ Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv” (1 August 2010). "FC Basel - FC St. Gallen 3:0 (2:0)". Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv”. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  9. ^ van Poortvliet, Richard. "Spartak shake off Basel revival". UEFA.com. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  10. ^ Zea, Anthony (2012). "Switzerland 2010/2011". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  11. ^ Garin, Erik (2011). "Coupe Horlogère - Uhren Cup (Switzerland)". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  12. ^ FC Basel 1893 (2011). "Gilles Yapi erlitt einen Kreuzbandriss" (in German). FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 26 July 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ Meister, Remo (2012). "Der FC Basel holt bei den Young Boys in extremis ein gutes 2:2-Unentschieden" (in German). FC Basel 1893. Archived from the original on 1 January 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  14. ^ Stokkermans, Karel (2017). "Switzerland 2011/12" (in French). Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  15. ^ Swiss Football Verband (SFV) (16 May 2012). "FC Basel - FC Luzern 4:2 n.P. (1:1, 1:1, 0:0)". Swiss Football Verband (SFV) internet. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  16. ^ Haylett, Trevor (3 May 2013). "Basel take heart after Chelsea defeat". UEFA.com. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  17. ^ Stokkermans, Karel (2017). "Switzerland 2012/13" (in French). Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  18. ^ ASF/SFV (20 May 2013). "FC Basel - Grasshopper Club 3:4 n.P. (1:1, 1:1, 0:0)" (in German). ASF/SFV. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  19. ^ Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv” (2019). "Gilles Yapi Yapo - FCB statistic". Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv”. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  20. ^ (Keystone-SDA). "Gilles Yapi wechselt nach Dubai". Gilles Yapi moves to Dubai (in German). Swissinfo.ch. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  21. ^ BaZ (22 June 2014). "Gilles Yapi wechselt zum FCZ". Gilles Yapi moves to FCZ (in German). Basler Zeitung. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  22. ^ Chowdhury, Saj (12 November 2014). "FC Zurich start legal action for tackle on Gilles Yapi-Yapo". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  23. ^ De Menezes, Jack (11 November 2014). "Video: FC Zurich launch legal proceedings against FC Aarau's Sandro Wieser after horror tackle threatens Gilles Yapi-Yapo's career". The Independent. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  24. ^ "Zurich want assault case against Wieser for horror tackle on Yapi-Yapo". ESPN FC. 9 December 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  25. ^ "FC Zurich begin legal action after horror tackle on Gilles Yapi-Yapo". The Guardian. 11 November 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  26. ^ FC Aarau. "Gilles Yapi wechselt auf Leihbasis zum FC Aarau". Gilles Yapi is moving to FC Aarau on loan (in German). FC Aarau. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  27. ^ Ruedi Kuhn, Sebastian Wendel. "Die ersehnte Leaderfigur ist da: Gilles Yapi kommt zum FC Aarau". The long-awaited leader is here: Gilles Yapi is coming to FC Aarau (in German). Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  28. ^ sda (20 July 2018). "Yapi kehrt zu Basel zurück". Yapi returns to Basel (in German). Telebasel. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  29. ^ "Sven Goran-Eriksson settles on his Ivory warriors". thetelegraph.com.au. Archived from the original on 26 September 2012.
  30. ^ FIFA.com
  31. ^ "African Nations Cup 2006".
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