Fossils

Bonjour, to you all and it is time for yet another post on the old blog. Old being the word for the day because this will be the first installment in a series I like to call the Fossils. It is final step in a players playing life where we get to reflect on what his career was and what it should have been. I'm a big fan of this segment because it answers the question what ever hapen to that guy and it gives exposure to footballers whose monthly salary wasn't more than most African nations GPD, insert google here. If you know me personally you know I have a definite soft spot for the elderly so doing this series always brings a smile hopefully it will bring one to yours as well. Feel free to drop a comment anytime critics are most certainly welcomed.






Name: Stephane Chapuisat



D/O/H: 06/28/1969 (age 39)



Place of Hatching: Lausanne, Switzerland



Position: Striker (Centre Foward)



Prefered Claw: Right



Height: 5'11 ft/inches



National Team: Switzerland



Caps: 103



Club Teams: Lausanne Sport (1987-90), Bayer Uerdingen (1991), Borussia Dortmund (1991-99), Grasshoppers (1999-2002), Young Boys (2002-05), Lausanne Sport (2005-06)



Decompositon: 2006

The first time I heard of Stephane Chapuisat was on FIFA 98 on Nintendo 64, you guys remember the only FIFA game to date to have Vanuatu and Tuvalu on the games' roster this shows two things I remeber the weirdest things and how remarkable Chapuisat really was. At the age of ten and me only liking the game and not a huge football fan at the time knew who he was. A man from through my eyes at the time coming from an unfashionable international team in Switzerland sure I knew of Brazil and her players Bebeto and Romario they stick out in my mind the most and even the Laudrup brothers of Denmark but Chapuisat I actually knew which I find a bit interesting.
Stephane Chapuisat was born in Lausanne, Switzerland on the 28th of June 1969. Chappi as known to his team mates was a profilic goal scorer where ever he played. The Chapstick as I like to call him began his playing career at his hometown club of Lausanne Sport in 1987 until 1990 where he made a little more than a century in apperances all while netting 36 goals in his first stint with the club. What seems to be a certain trend with Swiss footballers is the migration north to Germany a trend Chappi followed with great earnest linking up with his first German club Bayer Uerdingen in 1991 but injuries plagued the foward's first season in the German League and he was relegated to only ten apperances but with a fantastic goal ratio of four in ten. This was enough to convince German giants Borussia Dortmund to take a gamble on the now 39 year old, a gamble that payed off for both parties. Chappi was elevated to cult status in Dortmund with good reason from 1991 to 98 he made a staggering 218 appearances firing home 102 goals guiding the yellow and black claded German outfit and guided them to back to back German titles, the first coming in the 94/95 season followed by the second in 95/96. After his eight year hiatus in Germany it was back the Cantons of Switzerland this time with the bizarrely named Grasshoppers from 1999 to 2002 where he raised the Swiss league title. Being a firm believer in the nomadic lifestyle this old boy joined up with Young Boys,Young Boys FC that is in 2002 until 2005 where his goal tally was 53 in 100 appearances not bad for a man in the twillight of his career at the time. The final denouement in his club career saw the prodigal son return to where it all started Lausanne where he end his days in the climax of the 2006 season ever the poacher he netted himself 16 goals in 32 games for the Vaud based club.
Internationaly Stephane made 103 appearances for the "Schweizer Nati," netting 21 goals between 1989 and 2004. He was Switzerland's player of the year four times and played in the 1994 World Cup and Euro 96 and 2004. Stephane because of Switzerland's inability to craft another striker of any great calibre found himself often starting games alone up top for many years thus hampering his natural ability to dribble and to produce the goals his country needed. All that being said Chappi is a great example to the young players coming through Swiss ranks not only for his durability but his style of play. Not a very big man actually him and I are the same height but can be regarded as a fox in the box player if I had to compare him to a modern day player it would have to Michael Owen, when Michael Owen was actually a footballer. Stephane no doubt has had an impact on present day Swiss strikers the likes of Marco Streller, Jonathan Volanthen, Eren Derdyok and in my opinion a mirror image of himself Alexander Frei, if you never saw Chappi played watch Frei and you yourself will see a throwback to the old days. As for Chappi you have been fun to watch thanks for the memories. Caio.
Reptile