Adrian Kunz (born 7 July 1967) is a Swiss former footballer and an ex-manager of several Swiss clubs, most recently Swiss Challenge League side FC Wohlen in 2011–12. Kunz played as a forward in a playing career that included spells at domestic clubs such as BSC Young Boys, FC Sion and FC Aarau, as well as two seasons at German side Werder Bremen.

Adrian Kunz
Personal information
Date of birth (1967-07-07) 7 July 1967 (age 57)
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1987–1989 Neuchâtel Xamax 14 (0)
1989–1991 FC Bulle 74 (34)
1991–1994 Young Boys 100 (31)
1994–1995 Sion 32 (9)
1995–1998 Neuchâtel Xamax 90 (40)
1997–1999 Werder Bremen 16 (1)
1999 FC Zürich 10 (3)
1999–2000 FC Aarau 12 (0)
2000–2002 SC Düdingen
2004 FC Langenthal 1 (0)
International career
1992–1998 Switzerland 13 (2)
Managerial career
2003–2004 FC Langenthal
2006 Thun
2007–2008 SC Düdingen
2008–2009 Fribourg
2009–2010 FC Breitenrain
2011–2012 FC Wohlen
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

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Kunz started his career with Neuchâtel Xamax in the 1987–88 season.[1] He made nine appearances in his first season as Xamax finished as league champions of the Nationalliga A, the country's top division.[2] The following season, Kunz played five league games for Xamax and also made his debut in Europe, coming on as a late substitute for Philippe Perret in Xamax's 5–0 second-leg defeat to Turkish giants Galatasaray on 9 November 1988 in the second round of the competition, a defeat that meant Xamax were eliminated on aggregate.[3]

Kunz left for FC Bulle of the Nationalliga B midway through the season, and scored five times in thirteen games for his new club, with Bulle finishing fifth in the league.[4] The 1989–90 season saw greater success for both player and club; Bulle finished as runners-up of the Nationalliga B West but ended up missing out on promotion by five points, while Kunz scored 15 goals in 32 league appearances, making him the joint-third top scorer in Bulle's promotion group.[5] Kunz also netted 15 times in the following season, but did so in three fewer league games as Bulle slipped to eighth in the Nationalliga B, narrowly avoiding relegation to the third tier. Scoring six times in just ten games, Kunz was the second-top scorer in Bulle's relegation group, beaten only by teammate Andre Magnin.[6]

With Bulle in decline, Kunz joined top-flight side BSC Young Boys ahead of the 1991–92 campaign. Ironically, Kunz found playing time easier to come by at his new, more successful club, playing all but three of 36 league games as the club finished in fourth place. The forward also scored twelve league goals – almost a quarter of Young Boys' collective tally for the season.[7] Although Young Boys enjoyed more success in the 1992–93 season, finishing as league runners-up, Kunz only managed to score six goals in 32 appearances.[8]

However, Kunz recovered to score 13 league goals for the club in the 1993–94 campaign, ending the season as the Swiss top-flight's joint-fifth top-scorer and recording the league's joint-third highest assist count in the first stage of the season.[9] With Young Boys slipping to a disappointing sixth-placed finish, Kunz transferred to third-placed FC Sion in time for the 1994–95 season.

He played for Werder Bremen between 1997 and 1999, winning the 1998 UEFA Intertoto Cup.[10]

Honours

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Neuchâtel Xamax

FC Sion

Werder Bremen

References

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  1. ^ a b "Adrian Kunz". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
  2. ^ Garin, Erik (31 October 2006). "Switzerland 1987/88". RSSSF. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
  3. ^ "UEFA Champions League 1988–89 - History - Xamax". UEFA.com. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
  4. ^ Garin, Erik (10 October 2006). "Switzerland 1988/89". RSSSF. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
  5. ^ Garin, Erik (10 October 2006). "Switzerland 1989/90". RSSSF. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
  6. ^ Garin, Erik (10 October 2006). "Switzerland 1990/91". RSSSF. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
  7. ^ Garin, Erik (26 October 2006). "Switzerland 1991/92". RSSSF. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
  8. ^ Garin, Erik (26 October 2006). "Switzerland 1992/93". RSSSF. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
  9. ^ Garin, Erik (10 October 2006). "Switzerland 1993/94". RSSSF. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
  10. ^ "FK Vojvodina 1–1 Werder Bremen". leballonrond.fr. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  11. ^ "Switzerland Super Cup Finals". RSSSF. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  12. ^ "Coupe de Suisse: Christophe Bonvin, le recordman du FC Sion". rts.ch. Retrieved 22 February 2022.