Benjamin Huggel

Benjamin " Beni " Huggel (* July 7, 1977 in Dornach ) is a former Swiss football player. His position was the defensive midfield. He is a citizen of Munich stone and grew up there as well. Huggel was relatively late age of 21 professional football. Previously, he had completed a training as a landscape gardener. He conquered soon a regular place at FC Basel, was with this seven times Swiss champion, five times Swiss Cup winner and played several times in the UEFA Champions League.

Club career

Huggel began with the football game at FC Munich stone and also played two years at FC Arlesheim. He moved to FC Basel in 1998 and was 21 years old until relatively late professional football. He conquered soon a regular place at FC Basel and was with this seven times Swiss champion, five times Swiss Cup winner and played several times in the UEFA Champions League.

From 2005 to 2007 the German first division Huggel was Eintracht Frankfurt under contract. After he was first team regular, he lost his place in the starting line again. After he had become accustomed to the pace of the Premier League, he managed to regain his lost regular place in midfield, also favored by injuries several players. On May 5, 2007 game against Alemannia Aachen him his first Bundesliga goal succeeded in his 51st game.

For the season 2007/ 08 Huggel moved for presumed 400,000 euros back to FC Basel, where he signed a three-year contract until 2010. This was extended on 18 November 2009 ahead of schedule by two years.

At the end of the 2011/12 season Huggel won with the FCB the championship and the Cup victory and his fourth double and he ended his career as a professional footballer.

Since July 2012, he is the assistant coach of the FCB FCB U -21 team and is eligible to play as an amateur player there.

National

Huggel denied since August 20, 2003 41 appearances for the Swiss national football team. On the occasion of World Cup qualifying game against Luxembourg on 10 October 2009, he scored the 1000th goal of the Swiss national football team. 14 November 2009 Huggel took over after the substitution of Alexander Frei and the absence of Christoph Spycher first time the captain's armband in the national team. At the " Night of Swiss Football " in 2010 Benjamin Huggel was voted the best Swiss National Player of the Year 2009. After the Football World Cup 2010 in South Africa Huggel announced his retirement from international football.

Barrier

After the scandalous incidents in the crucial World Cup qualifier against Turkey Benjamin Huggel was closed on 7 February 2006 by FIFA for six national team duty games. This lock was in retrospect, however, such as, reduced to other players so that Huggel has been banned for four games. As Switzerland had qualified for the first knockout round of the 2006 World Cup, this lock was already served. He was therefore eligible to play again at the 2008 European Championships in the country and was in the squad Switzerland. This mission would have been compromised at six match suspension, since Switzerland had to incur no qualifiers as an organizer. On 26 March 2008 Huggel was first used since the scandal back in an international match for Switzerland: He came on in the 88th minute in the match against Germany.

Achievements

Basel

• Swiss champion: 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012
• Swiss Cup Winner: 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2012
• Uhrencupsieger: 2003, 2008, 2011