Stéphane Henchoz is a Swiss footballer and manager born in 1974.
Henchoz played as a centre-back and was capped 72 times for the Switzerland national team.
He notably played for Liverpool F.C. from 1999 to 2005, contributing to their historic treble in 2001.
Biography
Early Life
Stéphane Henchoz was born in 1974 in Billens, Switzerland. He began his football journey at Neuchâtel Xamax FCS, where he played from 1991 to 1995, showcasing his skills as a defender and catching the attention of scouts in the Bundesliga.
Club Career
Henchoz made a significant move to Hamburger SV in 1995, marking the start of his professional career in Germany. After two seasons, he transferred to Blackburn Rovers in 1997 for £3 million, where he quickly became a key player, helping the team finish sixth in the Premier League during his debut season. In 1999, he joined Liverpool F.C. for £3.5 million, where he solidified his reputation as a reliable centre-back. His time at Liverpool was marked by a historic treble in 2001, although he faced challenges, including injuries that limited his appearances in later seasons. After a brief stint at Celtic and Wigan Athletic, he returned to Blackburn Rovers before retiring from professional play.
International Career
Henchoz was a stalwart for the Switzerland national team, earning 72 caps from 1993 to 2006. He represented Switzerland in two European Championships, Euro 1996 and Euro 2004, and was expected to participate in the 2006 FIFA World Cup before health issues led to his retirement from international football.
Coaching Career
Following his playing career, Henchoz transitioned into coaching, starting with Blackburn Rovers' U18 team. He later managed FC Bulle and served as assistant manager at Neuchâtel Xamax, eventually taking over as head coach in 2019. His coaching journey continued with a brief tenure at Sion before returning to Neuchâtel Xamax in 2020. Henchoz's contributions to football, both on and off the pitch, have left a lasting impact on the clubs he has been part of.
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Gallery
Career & Clubs
After retiring, Henchoz became manager of Blackburn Rovers's U18 team which he was until June 2009. He then became manager of FC Bulle for the 2009–10 season. In December 2015, he was appointed assistant manager of Neuchâtel Xamax. On 6 February 2019, the club announced, that they had sacked Michel Decastel and Henchoz would take charge of the club for the rest of the season. At the end of March 2019, the club confirmed that Henchoz would leave his position at the end of the season. On 27 May 2019, Henchoz was appointed manager of Sion for the upcoming 2019–20 season. He resigned on 4 November 2019 following a 3–0 loss to St. Gallen, which was the fifth loss in six league games. In July 2020, he returned to Neuchâtel Xamax.
Henchoz earned 72 caps for the Switzerland national team from his debut in 1993. He played for the country at Euro 96 and Euro 2004. He was expected to play in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, but due to health problems he retired from international football on 31 March 2006.
Early career
Born in Billens, Switzerland, Henchoz first came to notice playing in the German Bundesliga for Hamburger SV.
Blackburn Rovers
In June 1997, he turned down an opportunity to join Manchester United, instead signing for Blackburn Rovers for a fee of £3 million. Henchoz enjoyed a very successful debut Premiership season as Rovers finished sixth in 1997–98, although they were then relegated at the end of the 1998–99 season. Henchoz, however, remained in the Premiership, after being purchased for £3.5 million by Liverpool.
Liverpool
At Liverpool, Henchoz became a regular member of the first team during his five-and-a-half-year stay at Anfield. Henchoz proved to be an inspirational signing and was popular with the Liverpool fans. He formed an effective central defensive partnership with Sami Hyypiä. This partnership played an important part in Liverpool's historic cup treble in 2001, although it was Henchoz's clumsy challenge on Martin O'Connor in the 90th minute of the League Cup final against Birmingham City that led to extra time (the match itself was only settled on penalties). Henchoz is also remembered for inadvertently blocking a goalbound Thierry Henry shot with his arm in the 17th minute of that year's FA Cup final, Liverpool then went on to win the match with two Michael Owen finishes. His last two seasons were interrupted due to spells of injury, but he still surpassed the 200 mark of games for Liverpool in 2003–04. With injury…
- Club
- Liverpool F.C. (1999–2005)
- Club
- Hamburger SV (1995–1997)
- Club
- Blackburn Rovers F.C. (1997–1999)
- Club
- Neuchâtel Xamax FCS (1991–1995)
- Club
- Celtic F.C. (2005–2005)
- Club
- Wigan Athletic F.C. (2005–2006)
- Club
- Blackburn Rovers F.C. (2006–2007)
- League
- Bundesliga
- League
- Premier League
- National team
- Switzerland
- Club
- Switzerland men's national football team (1993–2005)
Legacy
Liverpool
FA Cup: 2000–01 Football League Cup: 2000–01, 2002–03 FA Charity Shield: 2001 UEFA Cup: 2000–01 UEFA Super Cup: 2001 Celtic
Scottish Cup: 2004–05 Wigan Athletic
Football League Cup runner-up: 2005–06 Individual
Credit Suisse Player of the Year: 2001, 2002
Clubs
- Neuchâtel Xamax FCS1991–1995
- Switzerland men's national football team1993–2005
- Hamburger SV1995–1997
- Blackburn Rovers F.C.1997–1999
- Liverpool F.C.1999–2005
- Celtic F.C.2005–2005
- Wigan Athletic F.C.2005–2006
- Blackburn Rovers F.C.2006–2007
Played together with
A. N. HornbyBlackburn Rovers F.C.
Aaron DoranBlackburn Rovers F.C. · 2008–2011
Aaron HuntHamburger SV · 2015
Aaron MokoenaBlackburn Rovers F.C. · 2005–2009- Aaron OpokuHamburger SV · 2022
Aaron SinclairWigan Athletic F.C. · 2014–2015- Abdelfettah RhiatiNeuchâtel Xamax FCS · 1989–1990
Abdou Kader ManganeNeuchâtel Xamax FCS · 2001–2007- Abdou Rahman DamphaNeuchâtel Xamax FCS · 2009–2012
- Abdulla Baba FatadiNeuchâtel Xamax FCS · 2009–2010
- Abdullah OmarNeuchâtel Xamax FCS · 2009–2012
- Abe HartleyLiverpool F.C. · 1897–1898
Archive
Passport
Identifiers & aliases
Stéphane Henchoz is a Swiss football coach and a former professional player who played as a centre-back, most notably for the English club Liverpool. He was capped 72 times and played for the Switzerland national team from his debut in 1993, and played at Euro 1996 and Euro 2004.
Opinions of fans — not verified facts.
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