Johan Vonlanthen

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Johan Vonlanthen
Personal information
Date of birth	February 1, 1986 (1986-02-01) (age 22)
Place of birth	Santa Marta, Colombia
Height	175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Red Bull Salzburg
Number	10
Youth clubs
1998–1999 1999–2001	FC Flamatt BSC Young Boys
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
2001–2003 2003–2006 2005 2005–2006 2006–	BSC Young Boys PSV →Brescia (loan) →NAC Breda (loan) Red Bull Salzburg	37 (6) 29 (6) 09 (0) 32 (6) 39 (6)
National team2
2004-	Switzerland	22 (5)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15 May 2007. 2 National team caps and goals correct as of 7 August 2007. * Appearances (Goals)

Johan Vonlanthen Benavidez (born 1 February 1986 in Santa Marta, Colombia) is a Swiss international footballer. Vonlanthen is a striker for Red Bull Salzburg and Switzerland. His stepfather is a Swiss national, giving him the right to play for that country.

[edit] Club career

Vonlanthen played as a junior for BSC Young Boys in Switzerland. In the 2001–02 season, he made his debut as a 16 year-old in the National League starting eight games and appearing once as a substitute. In the summer of 2003, he was transferred to the Dutch Eredivisie where he would play for PSV Eindhoven. He became the vice captain for the team and qualified for the UEFA Champions League.

After a year on loan at Brescia in Italy, Vonlanthen moved on to NAC Breda in the Dutch Eredivise where he would play on loan for the 2005–06 season.

In the summer of 2006, Vonlanthen was transferred away from PSV Eindhoven, having completed loan spells at Brescia and NAC Breda, he now plays for Red Bull Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga.

[edit] International career

On 6 June 2004, Vonlanthen made his debut for the Swiss National Team against Liechtenstein. He came on as a substitute in the 81st minute to replace Alexander Frei. Switzerland went on to beat Liechtenstein 1-0.

In the 2004 European Championships, Vonlanthen became the second youngest player to play in the tournament when he came on as a substitute against England. On 21 June 2004, Vonlanthen became the youngest scorer ever in the championship when he equalised against France, beating the record (set only four days earlier by Wayne Rooney in the England-Switzerland match) by three months.^[1]

Since the European Championships in Portugal, Vonlanthen has managed to hold a regular position in the national team and as well as playing frequently in the under 21's side.

Vonlanthen was called up to the Swiss squad to play in 2006 FIFA World Cup, however, he was not able to participate due to a hamstring injury.

He has been selected to represent Switzerland at UEFA Euro 2008 and will be under pressure to produce following the loss of Alexander Frei.

[edit] External links

• Vonlanthen's official site
• News about Vonlanthen in the Swiss Newspapers

v • d • e Switzerland squad - UEFA Euro 2004 1 Stiel • 2 Haas • 3 Berner • 4 Henchoz • 5 Murat Yakin • 6 Vogel • 7 Cabanas • 8 Wicky • 9 Frei • 10 Hakan Yakin • 11 Chapuisat • 12 Zuberbühler • 13 Zwyssig • 14 Magnin • 15 Gygax • 16 Celestini • 17 Spycher • 18 Huggel • 19 Barnetta • 20 Müller • 21 Rama • 22 Vonlanthen • 23 Roth • Coach: Kuhn

v • d • e Switzerland squad - UEFA Euro 2008 1 Benaglio • 2 Djourou • 3 Magnin • 4 Senderos • 5 Lichtsteiner • 6 Huggel • 7 Cabanas • 8 İnler • 9 Frei • 10 Hakan Yakin • 11 Streller • 12 Derdiyok • 13 Grichting • 14 Gygax • 15 G. Fernandes • 16 Barnetta • 17 Spycher • 18 Zuberbühler • 19 Behrami • 20 Müller • 21 Jakupović • 22 Vonlanthen • 23 P. Degen • Coach: Kuhn