Alain Sutter

Alain Sutter (born 22 January 1968) is a Swiss former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is currently the sporting director of Grasshopper Club Zurich.

Playing career Born in Bern, Sutter played youth football for SC Bümpliz 78, before beginning his professional career in 1985 with Grasshoppers, one of Switzerland's most storied clubs. After spending the 1987–88 season on loan at BSC Young Boys, he was ready to take his place in the Grasshoppers first team, where he remained until the 1993–94 season, when he decided to move to Germany to play with 1. FC Nürnberg.

After Sutter's impressive performances during the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Germany's most successful club, Bayern Munich, quickly signed the midfielder where he played for one season, In 1997, he transferred to Major League Soccer in the United States, where he signed for the Dallas Burn (now FC Dallas). He played one season in Dallas but his tenure there was cut short when, during training in early 1998, he stepped awkwardly in a hole of the practice field (the Burn was using the facilities of a high school at that time) and the injury forced him to retire. He ended his career with 68 caps and five goals for the Swiss national team.

Retirement Sutter was a football expert and commentator for Swiss television from 1998 to 2017.

He became the sporting director of FC St. Gallen on 3 January 2018.

On 5 May 2025, he was appointed as sporting director of Grasshopper Club Zurich.

Controversies Sutter was the main force behind a controversy in 1995. Before an important match for the Swiss team, he unfolded a banner to protest against France testing the atom bomb.

Honours Grasshoppers Swiss Championship: 1989–90, 1990–91 Swiss Cup: 1988–89, 1989–90 Swiss Super Cup: 1989

Bayern Munich UEFA Cup: 1995–96 Individual

MLS All-Star: 1997

International

International goals for Switzerland Score and results list Switzerland's goal tally first. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 21 September 1988 Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg, Luxembourg 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification 2. 14 November 1990 Stadio Olimpico, Serravalle, San Marino UEFA Euro 1992 qualification 3. 25 March 1992 Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland Friendly 4. 22 June 1994 Pontiac Silverdome, Detroit, United States 1994 FIFA World Cup 5. 6 September 1994 Stade de Tourbillon, Sion, Switzerland Friendly

Published works