Mickaël Facchinetti (born 15 February 1991) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays for Swiss Promotion League Paradiso. Facchinetti primarily plays as a left back, but has been known to play at left midfield and centre back.

Mickaël Facchinetti
Personal information
Date of birth (1991-02-15) 15 February 1991 (age 33)
Place of birth Neuchâtel, Switzerland
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Left-back
Team information
Current team
Paradiso
Number 9
Youth career
–2008 Team Vaud U21
2008–2011 Neuchâtel Xamax
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2012 Neuchâtel Xamax 45 (0)
2012 Lugano 0 (0)
2012Chievo (loan) 0 (0)
2012–2014 Lausanne-Sport 64 (0)
2014–2016 St. Gallen 35 (0)
2016 Neuchâtel Xamax 14 (0)
2016–2019 Thun 42 (1)
2019 APOEL 4 (0)
2019–2020 Sion 15 (1)
2020–2023 Lugano 59 (2)
2024– Paradiso 11 (0)
International career
2009–2012 Switzerland U20 10 (1)
2012– Switzerland U21 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10 November 2024

Career

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Club

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Facchinetti made his professional debut for Neuchâtel Xamax on 30 May 2009, when he was substituted on by coach Jean-Michel Aeby in the last game of the 2008/09 season against Lucerne. It was not until the 2010/2011 season when he would become a regular starter. It was during this season that he appeared in the 2011 Swiss Cup final, in which Xamax lost to FC Sion.

After the club were made bankrupt and removed from the Super League,[1] he transferred to FC Lugano in 2012 but after not receiving any game time, he spent half a season at Chievo Verona on loan. However he would also not make any appearances for the Italian club. He transferred to Super League at Lausanne Sport, playing regularly when the team were relegated at the end of the 2013/14 season. After relegation with Lausanne, Facchinetti moved to FC St. Gallen for the 2014/15 season. Facchinetti would become a journeyman player over the next five years playing for five different clubs including returning to Xamax and playing in Greece with APOEL Nicosia.[2]

Facchinetti was released by FC Sion at the start of the 2020/21 season when the club could not afford to pay his full salary during the coronavirus-enforced stoppage of football.[3] He was picked up on a free transfer by previous club FC Lugano.

National team

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Facchinetti represented Switzerland at U20 and U21 level. His first U20 game was against Germany which the Swiss lost 2-0 on 7 October 2010. His sole international goal was against the Italian U20 team in a 3-2 victory on 31 August 2011.

Personal life

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When Facchinetti was 18, his mother committed suicide and he had to take care of his siblings. He is of Italian descent, and of German descent through his grandmother.[4] Facchinetti is a grandson of long-time President of Neuchâtel Xamax Gilbert Facchinetti.[5]

Honours

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APOEL

Lugano

References

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  1. ^ agencies, swissinfo ch and (26 January 2012). "Game over as Neuchâtel Xamax declared bankrupt". SWI swissinfo.ch. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  2. ^ "Mickaël Facchinetti - FIRST". facchinettimickael.firs1.com. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  3. ^ "FC Sion release Alex Song and eight other players for refusing to take pay cuts". MARCA in English. 20 March 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  4. ^ Arn, Martin. "Traurige Schicksalsschläge von Thuns Facchinetti".
  5. ^ ATS (13 January 2020). "Mickaël Facchinetti prolonge son contrat à Lugano". ArcInfo. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  6. ^ svizzera, RSI Radiotelevisione. "Tripudio bianconero, la Coppa è del Lugano!". rsi.
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