Wikipedia

Michael Lang (footballer, born 1991)

For the Austrian defender, see Michael Lang (footballer, born 1998).

Michael Rico Lang (born 8 February 1991) is a Swiss former professional footballer, best known for his time as defender of Swiss Super League club FC Basel, for whom he's played 263 games.[3] He also played for FC St. Gallen and Grasshopper Club Zürich in Switzerland, as well as Borussia Mönchengladbach and Werder Bremen in Germany.

Michael Lang
Lang with Switzerland at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name Michael Rico Lang[1]
Date of birth (1991-02-08) 8 February 1991 (age 33)
Place of birth Egnach, Switzerland
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[2]
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
2000–2006 FC St. Gallen
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2011 St. Gallen 66 (4)
2011–2015 Grasshopper Club Zürich 127 (12)
2015–2018 Basel 87 (16)
2018–2021 Borussia Mönchengladbach 17 (1)
2019–2020 → Werder Bremen (loan) 9 (0)
2021–2024 Basel 64 (5)
Total 370 (38)
International career
2005–2007 Switzerland U16 11 (1)
2007–2008 Switzerland U17 19 (2)
2008–2009 Switzerland U18 7 (0)
2009–2010 Switzerland U19 16 (3)
2010–2012 Switzerland U20 11 (3)
2013–2023 Switzerland 31 (3)
Managerial career
2024– Wil (sporting director)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 May 2024

Internationally, Lang played for Switzerland at every youth level between under-16 and under-20. He represented his country's senior side between 2013 and 2019, achieving 31 caps for his country.

He is currently the sporting director of Swiss Challenge League side FC Wil.[4]

Club career

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St. Gallen

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In the year 2000 Lang joined the youth department of FC St. Gallen and in 2006 he advanced to play in their U-21 team, who played in the 1. Liga, at that time the third tier in the Swiss football league system. On the last matchday of the 2006–07 Swiss Super League season, on 24 May 2007, he played his domestic league debut for the first team in the away game as FCSG played a 1–1 draw against Aarau. He played his first league match at age 16, making him one of the youngest debut players in the Swiss Super League to that date. Lang remained with the U-21 team, but came to three appearances in their first team in the 2007–08 Swiss Super League, however FCSG suffered relegation. The following season FCSG won the 2008–09 Swiss Challenge League and as division champions won immediate promotion. Lang had nine appearances and scored one goal that season.[5]

Lang remained with the club for two further seasons. During his time with them he played 66 first team matches and scored four goals for them.[6]

Grasshopper Club

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In the summer 2011 he signed a four-year contract with Grasshopper Club Zürich, the Swiss record football champion. The Swiss Cup one of the semi-finals was the derby between Zürich and Grasshopper Club. FCZ went ahead in the first half, but GC were able to draw level before half time. No further goals fell and so the game went into extra time. Izet Hajrović scored the winning goal in the 94th minute and GC advanced to the final. This was played in the Stade de Suisse, Wankdorf, Bern on 20 May 2013 and FCB played against GC. In the 71st minute Markus Steinhöfer put Basel a goal up, but Izet Hajrović was able to equalise just four minutes later. No further goals fell, not during extra time either. It came to a penalty shootout and despite the fact that Lang himself didn't net his spot kick, GC won the shootout 4–3 and lifted the trophy.[7]

The Grasshopper Club played two unsuccessful consecutive seasons in the UEFA Champions League qualifications: in 2013–14 first leg 1–0 away from home and second leg also 1–0 at home against Lyon and 2014–15, first leg 2–0 at home and second leg with a 1–1 draw away against Lille OSC.

In his four seasons with GC, Lang played 127 domestic league matches and he scored 12 goals.

Basel

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On 1 June 2015, Lang joined Basel on a free transfer.[8] He joined Basel's first team for their 2015–16 season under new head coach Urs Fischer. After playing in three test games, Lang made his first team league debut on 19 July 2015 in the 2–0 home win against Vaduz.[9] He scored his first goal for his new team just one week later on 25 July during the away game against his old club Grasshopper Club. It was the last goal of the game and Basel won 3–2.[10] Under trainer Urs Fischer Lang won the Swiss Super League championship at the end of the 2015–16 Super League season[11] During that season Lang had 22 league appearances, one in the Swiss Cup, four in that season's Champions League qualifying phase and ten appearances in the Europa League. He scored seven goals in these games.

In the 2016–17 Super League season Lang would celebrate success with the team. This was the club's eighth consecutive title and their 20th overall championship title.[12] They also won the Swiss Cup beating Sion 3–0 in the final on 25 May, which meant they had won the double.[13] Lang had played 31 games in the league, five in the domestic Cup and five in the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League. He scored six league goals and three in the cup.

In the 2017–18 FC Basel season Raphaël Wicky was hired as new head coach but ended that season as runners-up. Lang scored his first Champions League goal in the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League group stage home game on 27 September against Benfica. It was the first goal of the game that Basel went on to win 5–0.[14] Following this, on 22 November, in the home game against Manchester United he scored the winning goal in the 89th minute as Basel won 1–0 to end the group in second position and advance to the next round.[15] In the knockout phase, when playing Manchester City, Lang again scored the winning goal in the 71st minute as Basel won 2–1 and ended their opponent's 15-month unbeaten home run.[16] Lang had 34 league appearances, two in the cup and eight in the Champions League. He scored a total of ten goals in these three competitions.

In the 122 games that he had played for RotBlau, across all competitions, Lang had scored 26 goals and had prepared another 18.

Borussia Mönchengladbach

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In June 2018, Lang joined Borussia Mönchengladbach for their 2018–19 season having agreed a four-year contract. The transfer fee paid to Basel was reported as €2.8 million.[17] During the season Lang had 17 league appearances, scoring one goal in the 4–1 win over Hannover 96 on 25 November.[18] He also had one appearance in the 2018–19 DFB-Pokal, a 5–0 home defeat against Bayer Leverkusen on 31 October.[19]

Werder Bremen (loan)

On 29 August 2019, Lang joined SV Werder Bremen on a season-long loan deal for the 2019–20 Bundesliga season with an option to buy included.[20] Initially Lang arrived as replacement for the injured Theodor Gebre Selassie and played four consecutive games for over 90 minutes from the third to the sixth matchday, but after that he was hardly used anymore. That season Lang played nine times for Werder in the Bundesliga and once in the DFB Cup. After the loan ended, the option that he could he permanently signed was not exercised.[21][22]

After his loan period Lang went back returned to Gladbach for another season, however, it was a season to forget. He played only in two DFB Cup matches, both times coming on a substitute and once in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League also as substitute in the away match against Shakhtar Donetsk.[23]

Return to Basel

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On 19 July 2021 FC Basel announced, that Lang had moved back to them, with immediate effect. The 30-year-old right-back signed a contract until the summer of 2023, with an option for a further year.[24] He joined Basel's first team for their 2021–22 season under head coach Patrick Rahmen. The team started well into the league season with seven victories and five draws before their first defeat. They ended the campaign as runners-up, they had achieved 15 victories and were defeated only four times. However, they had given away too many points, because they could only achieve a draw on 17 occasions.[25] In the 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League they won their group, but were knocked out in the round of 16 losing twice against Marseille.[26] Lang totaled 39 appearances, 26 League, one Cup and 12 Conference League. He scored six goals in these matches.[27]

For their Basel's 2022–23 season Alexander Frei was hired as new head coach. However, the season didn't start well for the team, two defeats and three draws in the first six matches and things continued in that manor. In February Frei was replaced through Heiko Vogel, but at the end of the season Basel were in fifth position.[28] Lang had 27 appearances, mainly in the starting eleven, scoring one goal. In the 2022–23 Swiss Cup the team advancedas far as the semi-finals. Lang had four appearances, also scoring once. In the 2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League the team were runners-up in their group, but advanced via the play-offs to the knockout phase, and then advanced as far as the semi-finals. Here they were matched against Fiorentina, winning the first leg 2–1 away, they lost the second leg at home in the St. Jakob-Park by the same score, thus they went into extra time. In the tenth minute of the added over-time in the second half of the extra time Basel conceded the decisive goal and were knocked out in the most bitter of ways.[29] Lang had 15 appearances, scoring one goal here as well.

On 25 July 2024 Basel announced that by mutual agreement Lang and the club had terminated their contract.[30] It therefore turned out, that the last match of their 2023–24 season against Yverdon-Sport, which ended in a goalless draw on 21 May 2024, had been his last competitive game with the team.[31] Between the years 2015 to 2018 and again from 2021 to 2024, Lang played a total of 263 games for Basel scoring a total of 36 goals. 151 of these games were in the Swiss Super League, 14 in the Swiss Cup, 56 in the UEFA competitions (Champions League, Europa League and Conference League) and 42 were friendly games. He scored 21 goals in the domestic league, six in the cup, eight in the European games and the other was scored during the test games.[3]

Retirement

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On 12 November 2024, he was announced as the new sporting director of Swiss Challenge League side FC Wil,[6] thus ending his active playing career. The current sporting director, Jan Breitenmoser, will work with Lang to ensure a seamless transition, before finally departing in the summer of 2025.

International career

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Lang with Switzerland in 2015

Lang made his first senior international appearance for Switzerland on 14 August 2013 in the friendly against Brazil.[32] He came on as a second-half substitute for Stephan Lichtsteiner as the team won 1–0 at St. Jakob-Park.[32] He scored his first goal in his second appearance later on 11 October in the 2–1 win against Albania in match 9 of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification Group E; this win clinched Switzerland's place at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.[33]

Lang was called by manager Ottmar Hitzfeld in the squad of 23 players for the final tournament.[34] He played his first and only match of the campaign in the final Group E game against Honduras, entering in the final 13 minutes.[35] Switzerland was eventually knocked out of the tournament by Argentina in the round of 16.[36]

He was part of the squad for the 2016 European Championships where the team achieved the best result reaching round of 16.[37]

He was included in Switzerland's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.[38] He was sent off in Switzerland's 1–0 defeat to Sweden in the round of 16 for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity in the 90+4th minute, becoming the only player in to tournament to be sent off in the knockout stage

In May 2019, he played in 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals, where his team finished 4th.[39]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of 12 November 2024[40]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Europe Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
St. Gallen 2009–10 Swiss Super League 22 1 2 1 — 24 2
2010–11 31 2 1 0 — 32 2
Total 53 3 3 1 — 56 4
Grasshopper 2011–12 Swiss Super League 26 1 2 0 — 28 1
2012–13 33 3 5 0 — 38 3
2013–14 34 3 3 1 4[b] 0 41 4
2014–15 35 5 3 0 4[b] 1 42 6
Total 128 12 13 1 8 1 149 14
Basel 2015–16 Swiss Super League 22 5 1 0 14[c] 2 37 7
2016–17 31 6 4 3 5[d] 0 40 9
2017–18 34 5 2 2 8[d] 3 44 10
Total 87 16 7 5 27 5 121 26
Borussia Mönchengladbach 2018–19 Bundesliga 17 1 1 0 — 18 1
2020–21 0 0 2 0 1[d] 0 3 0
Total 17 1 3 0 1 0 21 1
Werder Bremen (loan) 2019–20 Bundesliga 9 0 1 0 — 10 0
Basel 2021–22 Swiss Super League 26 4 1 0 12[e] 2 39 6
2022–23 27 1 4 1 15[e] 1 46 3
2023–24 11 0 1 0 2[e] 0 14 0
Total 64 5 6 1 29 3 99 9
Career total 358 37 33 7 58 9 451 54
  1. ^ Includes Swiss Cup, DFB-Pokal
  2. ^ a b Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League
  3. ^ Four appearances and one goal in UEFA Champions League, ten appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa League
  4. ^ a b c Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League
  5. ^ a b c Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League

International

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As of 18 November 2019[41]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Switzerland 2013 4 1
2014 4 0
2015 5 1
2016 7 0
2017 1 0
2018 9 1
2019 1 0
Total 31 3
As of 15 October 2018. Switzerland score listed first, score column indicates score after each Lang goal.[41]
International goals by date, venue, cap, opponent, score, result and competition
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1 11 October 2013 Qemal Stafa Stadium, Tirana, Albania 2   Albania 2–0 2–1 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
2 9 October 2015 AFG Arena, St. Gallen, Switzerland 10   San Marino 1–0 7–0 UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying
3 15 October 2018 Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík, Iceland 29   Iceland 2–0 2–1 2018–19 UEFA Nations League A

Honours

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St. Gallen

Grasshopper

Basel

Individual

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References

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  1. ^ "2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil: List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. 11 June 2014. p. 30. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  2. ^ "2018 FIFA World Cup Russia – List of Players" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 4 June 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  3. ^ a b Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv” (2024). "FCB-Statistik". Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv”. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  4. ^ "Sportchef Breitenmoser tritt im Sommer 2025 zurück – Michael Lang übernimmt". FC Wil. 12 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  5. ^ Stokkermans, Karel (2013). "Switzerland 2008/2009". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  6. ^ a b "FCB verpflichtet Nationalspieler Michael Lang". FC Basel. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  7. ^ Swiss Football Verband (SFV) (20 May 2013). "FC Basel - Grasshopper Club 3:4 n.P. (1:1, 1:1, 0:0)" (in German). Swiss Football Verband (SFV) website. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  8. ^ "FCB verpflichtet Nationalspieler Michael Lang". FC Basel. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  9. ^ Marti, Caspar (2015). "Auftakt geglückt – 2:0 Sieg gegen den FC Vaduz". FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  10. ^ Marti, Caspar (2015). "Der FCB gewinnt bei GC ein unterhaltsames Spiel mit 3:2". FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  11. ^ Marti, Casper (2016). "Es ist vollbracht ! Der FCB ist zum 19. Mal Meister". FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  12. ^ Marti, Casper (2017). "Der Saisonabschluss im Zeitraffer". FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
  13. ^ a b "Swiss football: FC Basel wins 3-0 over Sion in Geneva;". allaboutgeneva.com. 25 May 2017. Archived from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  14. ^ FC Basel 1893 (2017). "5:0 – ein entfesselter FCB landet gegen Benfica einen Kantersieg". FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 27 September 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ FC Basel 1893 (2017). "Grandios! Lang schiesst den FCB in letzter Minute zum Sieg". FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 22 November 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ UEFA (2018). "City ease through but Basel loss mutes celebrations". UEFA. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  17. ^ ""Schnäppchen" Lang unterschreibt bis 2022 in Gladbach". kicker Online (in German). 29 June 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  18. ^ red. DFB (25 November 2018). "Mönchengladbach 4-1 Hannover" (in German). dfb.de. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  19. ^ red. DFB (31 October 2018). "Mönchengladbach 5-0 Bayer Leverkuse" (in German). dfb.de. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  20. ^ "Twitter". mobile.twitter.com. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  21. ^ Wegmann, Michael (16 March 2020). "Bundesliga: Michael Lang bei Werder Bremen aussortiert" [Bundesliga: Michael Lang sorted out by Werder Bremen] (in Swiss High German). blick.ch. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  22. ^ Sander, Carsten (15 June 2020). "Werder-aus für Michael Lang: keine verlängerung nach der Leihe" [Werder out for Michael Lang: no extension after the loan] (in German). deichstube.de. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  23. ^ uefa.com (3 November 2020). "Shakhtar Donetsk 0–6 Mönchengladbach". uefa.com. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  24. ^ FC Basel 1893 (19 July 2021). "Michael Lang kehrt zum FCB zurück" [Michael Lang returns to FCB] (in Swiss High German). FC Basel 1893 AG. Retrieved 16 November 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  25. ^ Stokkermans, Karel; Rohrer, Niklaus (2022). "Switzerland 2021/2022". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  26. ^ uefa.com (17 March 2022). "FC Basel - Olympique de Marseille 1:2 (0:0)". uefa.com. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  27. ^ Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv” (2022). "Michael Lang - statistics 2021/22". Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv”. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  28. ^ Stokkermans, Karel (2023). "Switzerland 2022/23". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  29. ^ uefa.com (18 May 2023). "FC Basel - ACF Fiorentina 1:3 n.V. (1:2, 0:1)". uefa.com. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  30. ^ FC Basel 1893 (25 July 2024). "Im gegenseitigen Einvernehmen: Vertragsauflösung mit Michael Lang" [By mutual agreement: termination of contract with Michael Lang] (in Swiss High German). FC Basel 1893 AG. Retrieved 25 July 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  31. ^ FC Basel 1893 (21 May 2024). "FC Basel - Yverdon-Sport FC 0:0 (0:0)". FC Basel 1893 AG. Retrieved 21 May 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  32. ^ a b "Switzerland 1-0 Brazil: Alves own goal hands Hitzfeld's men famous win". Goal.com. 14 August 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  33. ^ "World Cup qualifier: Switzerland book World Cup spot with 2-1 win over Albania". Sky Sports. 11 October 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  34. ^ "World Cup 2014: Pajtim Kasami on standby for Switzerland". BBC Sport. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  35. ^ Alan Smith (25 June 2014). "Switzerland ease past Honduras courtesy of Xherdan Shaqiri hat-trick". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  36. ^ Ian Herbert (1 July 2014). "Argentina vs Switzerland match report World Cup 2014: Angel di Maria leaves it late to breach the Swiss red wall". Independent. Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  37. ^ "Switzerland include three teenagers in final squad for Euro 2016". ESPN FC. 30 May 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  38. ^ "Switzerland opts for experience in World Cup squad". Washington Post. 4 June 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.[dead link‍]
  39. ^ "Pickford the hero in England shootout win". BBC Sport.
  40. ^ Michael Lang at Soccerway. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  41. ^ a b "Michael Lang – National Football Team Player". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  42. ^ "SAFP GOLDEN 11 2017 - Die Gewinner". Golden11. 31 January 2018. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  43. ^ "Super League - Salah zum SL-"Spieler des Jahres" gewählt". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) (in German). 27 January 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  44. ^ "Gashi footballeur de l'année 2014". Len (in French). 2 February 2015. ISSN 1018-3736. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  45. ^ "Das ist der neue Meisterpokal der Super League – Embolo und GC räumen bei SFL Award Night ab". Watson (in German). Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  46. ^ "SAFP Golden 11 2016". Golden11. 30 January 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  47. ^ "SAFP GOLDEN 11 2017 - Die Gewinner". Golden11. 31 January 2018. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  48. ^ "Das SFL-Team der Saison 2022/23" (in German). Swiss Football League. 29 June 2023.
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