Gilles Yapi Yapo

Gilles Yapi Yapo

Gilles Yapi Yapo (February 2007)
Personal information
Full name Gilles Donald Yapi Yapo
Date of birth (1982-01-30) 30 January 1982
Place of birth Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
Height 1.71 m (5 ft 7 1⁄2 in)
Playing position Defensive midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Zürich
Number 37
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
0000–2001 ASEC Mimosas
2001–2004 Beveren 67 (13)
2004 → Nantes (loan) 15 (1)
2004–2006 Nantes 45 (2)
2006 → Young Boys (loan) 16 (2)
2006–2010 Young Boys 115 (15)
2010–2013 Basel 58 (3)
2013–2014 Dubai 12 (1)
2014– Zürich 18 (1)
National team‡
2000–2010 Côte d'Ivoire 46 (3)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15 April 2015.
† Appearances (goals)

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 30 June 2010

Gilles Donald Yapi Yapo (born 30 January 1982 in Abidjan) is an Ivorian footballer who currently plays in midfield for Zürich in the Swiss Super League. He has represented Ivorian national team.

Club career

Yapi Yapo started his career at ASEC Mimosas and then moved to Europe with Beveren. He joined Nantes on a loan contract in Januar 2004 and on 17 May he signed a three-year contract[1] because his contract with Beveren was due to expire in the summer.[2] At this stage of his career, he played as an attacking midfielder. He was on the fringe at Nantes in the 2005–06 season, prompting a loan move to Young Boys.[3] He then joined Young Boys on a permanent basis, where he played as a defensive midfielder and playmaker.[4]

Yapi Yapo then moved to Basel in the summer of 2010 on a free transfer, penning a three-year contract.[5] He played his club debut on 20 July 2010 in the 3:2 home win against FC Zürich. He scored his first goal for the club on 1 August 2010 in the 3:0 home win against FC St. Gallen.[6] With Basel Gilles Yapi Yapo won the Swiss Championship at the end of the 2010–11 season.

During just the second game of the 2011–12 Swiss Super League season Yapi suffered a rupture of the cruciate ligament[7] and didn't play again until the away draw in the Stade de Suisse, Wankdorf against Young Boys on 16 February 2012.[8] At the end of the 2011–12 season Yapi won the Double, the League Championship title[9] and the Swiss Cup[10] with Basel.

At the end of the Swiss Super League season 2012–13 he won the Championship title[11] and was Swiss Cup runner up with Basel.[12] In the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League Basel advanced as far as the semi-finals, there being matched against the reigning UEFA Champions League holders Chelsea, but were knocked out being beaten 2–5 on aggregate.[13]

On 9 November 2014, Aarau player and former Basel teammate Sandro Wieser committed a knee-high challenge on Yapi Yapo in a league match, leaving the latter's career in serious doubt.[14] He suffered torn anterior and cruciate ligaments, a torn meniscus, a torn kneecap tendon, serious cartilage damage and deep bruising to his thigh.[15] Wieser was shown a straight red card for the tackle, and was later suspended for six matches by the Swiss league.[16] With Yapi Yapo highly unlikely to ever play again, Zürich president Ancillo Canepa launched legal proceedings against Wieser.[17]

Yapi did eventually return to action as a first-half substitute in a 3–3 draw against FC Thun at the Letzigrund on 13 September 2015, scoring the third Zürich goal in the process.

International career

Yapi Yapo was part of the Côte d'Ivoire team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. He was also selected in the preliminary Côte d'Ivoire squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but was eventually dropped along with Bakari Kone and Emerse Fae, who played with him in the 2006 World Cup.[18][19] Yapi Yapo retired from the Côte d'Ivoire national team after this.

Honours

ASEC Mimosas
Basel

References

  1. ↑ "Nantes wants Ivorian duo". BBC News. 12 April 2004.
  2. ↑ "Nantes sign Yapi Yapo". Sky Sports.
  3. ↑ "Yapi Yapo on the move". Sky Sports.
  4. ↑ http://www.insidefutbol.com/2010/05/28/switzerland-reflect-on-stars-of-200910/23120/
  5. ↑ http://www.insidefutbol.com/2010/08/13/new-look-young-boys-ready-to-win-spurs/28432/
  6. ↑ FC Basel 1893 (2010). "FCB gewinnt gegen St. Gallen souverän mit 3:0" (in German). FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
  7. ↑ FC Basel 1893 (2011). "Gilles Yapi erlitt einen Kreuzbandriss" (in German). FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
  8. ↑ Meister, Remo (2012). "Der FC Basel holt bei den Young Boys in extremis ein gutes 2:2-Unentschieden" (in German). FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  9. ↑ "Jetzt hat Basel den Titel auf sicher" (in German). football.ch. 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  10. ↑ "Matchtelegram FC Basel 1893 5:3 FC Luzern" (in German). football.ch. 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  11. ↑ Schifferle, Michael (2013). "Season review: Switzerland". Eufa. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
  12. ↑ SFV (2013). "Telegramm Schweizer Cup Final" (in German). Schweizerischer Fussballverband. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  13. ↑ Haylett, Trevor (2013). "Basel take heart after Chelsea defeat". Eufa. Retrieved 2013-05-03.
  14. ↑ Chowdhury, Saj (12 November 2014). "FC Zurich start legal action for tackle on Gilles Yapi-Yapo". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  15. ↑ De Menezes, Jack (11 November 2014). "Video: FC Zurich launch legal proceedings against FC Aarau's Sandro Wieser after horror tackle threatens Gilles Yapi-Yapo's career". The Independent. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  16. ↑ "Zurich want assault case against Wieser for horror tackle on Yapi-Yapo". ESPN FC. 9 December 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  17. ↑ "FC Zurich begin legal action after horror tackle on Gilles Yapi-Yapo". The Guardian. 11 November 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  18. ↑ http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/world-cup-2010/sven-goran-eriksson-settles-on-his-ivory-warriors/story-fn5c8hri-1225874238346
  19. ↑ http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/newsid=1222500/index.html

External links

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