Christian Constantin

Christian Constantine (born 7 January 1957) is a Swiss architect.[1] He is the owner and president of Swiss football club FC Sion.[2] He bought the club, which had previously neared bankruptcy and was relegated from the Swiss Super League, in 2003.[1]

Christian Constantine
Personal information
Date of birth (1957-01-07) 7 January 1957
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1977–1979 Neuchâtel Xamax 0 (0)
1979–1980 FC Lugano 0 (0)
1981–1982 FC Monthey 0 (0)
1983–1984 FC Martigny-Sports 0 (0)
Total 0 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

During his ownership of FC Sion, Constantine has made 50 managerial changes, appointed himself as manager in 2008 and 2021, fired a former head coach because of his smell, allegedly kicked a referee in 2007 forcing the referee to retire three months later, before then kicking and taking down a Swiss pundit live on TV. More recently, and he fired a manager at the half time break before forcing that head coach to stand on the sidelines, even though he didn’t have a job, and confronted Mario Balotelli when he found out he wasn’t pleased with the decision, signed six players under a transfer ban because of what happened with Essam El-Hadary’s transfer,[3] and even appeared on live TV on a horse. Yet under his presidency, the club also experienced considerable success, such as its Swiss Cup titles in 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2015.

Constantine was formerly a goalkeeper who played for Neuchâtel Xamax (1977–1979), FC Lugano (1979–1980), FC Monthey (1981–1982) and FC Martigny-Sports (1983–1984).[4]

On 12 October 2017, Constantine was given a 14-month ban for striking former Switzerland coach Rolf Fringer.[5]

In March 2020, Constantine sacked 9 of his FC Sion first-team players after they refused to take a pay cut after the outbreak of the COVID-19 and suspension of the Swiss Super League.[6]

References
  1. McGuire, Annie (17 August 2011). "Sion president the embodiment of a controversial club". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  2. "Ambitious FC Sion President Divides Swiss Opinion". Inside Futbol. 2010-12-13. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  3. "Celtic get Europa League lifeline after Sion expelled". BBC Sport. BBC. 2 September 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  4. Weltfussball
  5. "Christian Constantin: Sion chief gets 14-month ban for slapping Rolf Fringer". BBC. 12 October 2017. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  6. "Swiss club sacks players who refused coronavirus pay cut". ESPN. 27 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020.


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