Biography
Who is Stephan Lichtsteiner?
Early life and career beginnings
Born in Adligenswil, Stephan Lichtsteiner began his path in football by playing for his local club. As a teenager, he moved away from home to join Grasshopper Club Zürich to pursue a professional career. While living in Zürich, he balanced his training with a banking apprenticeship at Credit Suisse, though he eventually decided to focus entirely on sports. He debuted for the Grasshopper first team during the 2001-02 season. By the following year, he became a regular fixture and helped the team secure a league title in the 2002-03 campaign.
Club career in Europe
In 2005, Stephan moved to France to join Lille OSC, where he helped the team secure Champions League qualification during his first season. He played for the club until 2008. That summer, he signed with the Italian club SS Lazio. During his time in Rome, he won the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana. He scored his first goal for the team during a derby match against Roma.
In 2011, he joined Juventus for a fee of 10 million euros. His debut for the club in September 2011 saw him score the first league goal in their new stadium. Over seven years in Turin, Stephan Lichtsteiner played 257 games and helped the club win 14 trophies, including seven consecutive Serie A titles. He was a key part of the team's defensive structure, often operating as an attacking wing-back. Under Antonio Conte, he thrived in a 3-5-2 formation, utilizing his crossing abilities and attacking runs to support teammates like Andrea Pirlo. He finished the 2013-14 season as one of the team's top assist-makers. In 2015, he played in the UEFA Champions League Final against Barcelona. Despite the team's defeat, he played a crucial role throughout that tournament campaign. In 2015, he underwent heart surgery to correct a cardiac arrhythmia but returned to the pitch later that year. He left Juventus after the 2017-18 season.
International football career
Stephan Lichtsteiner represented his home country of Switzerland on the international stage from 2006 to 2019. During his career, he earned 108 caps, which made him the third most-capped player in the history of the Swiss national team at the time. He participated in two UEFA European Championships and three FIFA World Cups. In 2015, his performance on the field earned him the title of Swiss Footballer of the Year. Throughout his playing days, his stamina and energetic runs down the right wing earned him nicknames like The Swiss Express.
Birthday and age
Stephan Lichtsteiner was born on January 16, 1984, which makes Stephan 42 years old today. That birthday falls under the Capricorn sign. Stephan shares the date with 52 other famous people.
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