Christian Constantin

{{short description|Swiss architect}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox football biography |name = Christian Constantin |birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1957|1|7|df=yes}} |birth_place = |death_date = |death_place = |position = [[Goalkeeper (association football)|Goalkeeper]] |years1 = 1977–1979 |clubs1 = [[Neuchâtel Xamax FCS|Neuchâtel Xamax]] |caps1 = 0 |goals1 = 0 |years2 = 1979–1980 |clubs2 = [[FC Lugano]] |caps2 = 0 |goals2 = 0 |years3 = 1981–1982 |clubs3 = [[FC Monthey]] |caps3 = 0 |goals3 = 0 |years4 = 1983–1984 |clubs4 = [[FC Martigny-Sports]] |caps4 = 0 |goals4 = 0 |totalcaps = 0 |totalgoals = 0 }} '''Christian Constantin''' (born 7 January 1957) is a Swiss architect and former goalkeeper.<ref name = "bbc"/> He is also the owner and Chairman of Swiss football club [[FC Sion]].<ref>[http://www.insidefutbol.com/2010/12/13/ambitious-fc-sion-president-divides-swiss-opinion/34028/ "Ambitious FC Sion President Divides Swiss Opinion"]. ''Inside Futbol''. 2010-12-13. Retrieved 2010-12-17.</ref> He bought the club, which had neared bankruptcy and was relegated from the [[Swiss Super League]], in 2003.<ref name = "bbc">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/14547523|title=Sion president the embodiment of a controversial club|first=Annie|last=McGuire|work=BBC Sport|publisher=BBC|date=17 August 2011|access-date=18 August 2011}}</ref>

== Controversies == During his ownership of FC Sion, Constantin has made upwards of 50 managerial changes and appointed himself as manager in 2008 and 2021. He once fired a head coach because of his scent and allegedly assaulted Swiss league referee Markus von Känel in 2004 during a live match broadcast.<ref>{{Cite web |last=zentralplus |first=Redaktion |date=2017-09-22 |title=Constantin-Skandal: Der Wiederholungstäter |url=https://www.zentralplus.ch/news/constantin-skandal-der-wiederholungstaeter-800607/ |access-date=2024-09-13 |website=zentralplus |language=de-CH}}</ref> In 2017, he kicked Austrian pundit and former coach [[Rolf Fringer]] down to the ground on live television during a Swiss league match for which he received a 14-month ban.<ref>{{Cite news |agency=Reuters |date=2017-10-13 |title=FC Sion president vows to defy ban for attacking TV commentator |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/oct/13/sion-president-christian-constantin-ban-attacking-tv-commentator |access-date=2024-09-13 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=12 October 2017 |title=Christian Constantin: Sion chief gets 14-month ban for slapping Rolf Fringer |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41595351 |accessdate=27 March 2020 |website=BBC}}</ref>

In 2023, he fired Sion's then-manager [[David Bettoni]] at half-time during a match against [[Servette FC|Servette]] before forcing him to stand on the side lines for the remainder of the game.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wettstein |first=Mischi |title=FC Sion: Wild-West-Szenen in der Kabine – CC dreht komplett durch |url=https://www.nau.ch/sport/fussball/fc-sion-wild-west-szenen-in-der-kabine-cc-dreht-komplett-durch-66496350 |access-date=2024-09-13 |website=Nau |language=de}}</ref> In a separate episode, he verbally confronted [[Mario Balotelli]] (whom he had signed). In 2011, Constantin signed six players under a transfer ban because of what happened with [[Essam El-Hadary]]’s transfer,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/14754447|title=Celtic get Europa League lifeline after Sion expelled|work=BBC Sport|publisher=BBC|date= 2 September 2011 |access-date=3 September 2011}}</ref> and appeared on live TV on a horse.

== Career == Yet under his presidency, the club also experienced considerable success, such as winning the [[Swiss Cup]] in 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2015.

Constantin was formerly a [[goalkeeper (association football)|goalkeeper]] who played for [[Neuchâtel Xamax FCS|Neuchâtel Xamax]] (1977–1979), [[FC Lugano]] (1979–1980), [[FC Monthey]] (1981–1982) and [[FC Martigny-Sports]] (1983–1984).<ref>[https://www.weltfussball.de/spieler_profil/christian-constantin/ Weltfussball]</ref>

In March 2020, Constantin sacked 9 of his FC Sion first-team players after they refused to take a pay cut after the outbreak of the [[COVID-19 pandemic|COVID-19]] and suspension of the Swiss Super League.<ref name="corona">{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/fc-sion/story/4079092/swiss-club-sacks-players-who-refused-coronavirus-pay-cut|title=Swiss club sacks players who refused coronavirus pay cut|website=ESPN|date=27 March 2020|accessdate=27 March 2020}}</ref>

In 2014, Constantin appointed his son Barthélémy as Sporting Director of FC Sion, a position he has held ever since.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Feller |first=Bastien |date=20 May 2024 |title=Sion est de retour en Super League |url=https://www.blick.ch/fr/sport/football/challenge-league/sion-est-de-retour-en-super-league-barthelemy-constantin-jai-remis-le-club-o-il-doit-etre-id19756710.html |access-date=12 Sep 2024 |website=Blick}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

== External links == * {{Official website|https://web.archive.org/web/20110818063906/http://www.christian-constantin.ch:80/en/Accueil}} {{in lang|en}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Constantin, Christian}} [[Category:1957 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:People from Martigny]] [[Category:Swiss men's footballers]] [[Category:Men's association football goalkeepers]] [[Category:Neuchâtel Xamax FCS players]] [[Category:FC Monthey players]] [[Category:FC Lugano players]] [[Category:FC Martigny-Sports players]] [[Category:Swiss architects]] [[Category:Swiss football managers]] [[Category:Swiss football chairmen and investors]] [[Category:FC Sion managers]] [[Category:Footballers from Valais]] [[Category:20th-century Swiss sportsmen]]