All of Life, All of the Game

EvilDave · April 23, 2020

Shortly after 8am on March 19th 1978, with only his exhausted parents and two equally-tired midwives for company, Raphael Stephane Lavergne entered the world. He entered it, as many a child does, kicking and screaming, not wanting for a moment to be wiped down by the lead midwife but settling instantly when placed tenderly in the arms of his weeping mother.

For Helene Lavergne and her husband Stephane, they were tears of relief as much as joy. Her labour had taken no fewer than 14 hours, all of which had taken place in the confines of their flat just a few minutes from the shores of Lake Geneva. After two previous stillbirths and a further miscarriage, there had been several moments when Raphael’s young life had been precarious indeed. But he had made it and, to his adoring parents, that was all that mattered.

Stephane’s first reaction, as it had been his entire life, was to pray. Sitting beside his wife with his head on his knees in communion with his Creator, the minister silently poured out his heart in praise and in prayer. He had waited so long for this moment, and now knew not what to do.

Helene, on the other hand, did not worry about what she ought or ought not to do. Holding his child close to her chest, she did not need to wait to be asked what her newborn was to be called – a name had been ready for many a year. As his crying died down, his mother glanced over at her husband, still silently conversing with the Almighty, and smiled. In the midwives’ respectful silence, she was content. Spent, exhausting, and aching in a way she had not known possible – but content.

Raphael was a small child, and would remain so throughout his life – as a full-grown adult, he would barely reach 5’7 – and his diminutive stature coupled with only child status ensured that he would be smothered in love by his mother, who saw it as her personal duty to reinforce his value and worth on a daily basis. Whilst he would go on to take a great deal from his father’s example – not least the spirituality that would see him seek out a church every Sunday come what may – Raphael would always be a mummy’s boy.

But in these first moments, even an adoring mother and devout father could not imagine how their bundle of joy would touch the lives of so many both in his home nation and elsewhere, and through a medium the two of them barely understood. For Helene, football was something that boys played, while for Stephane the notion of professional sport was something a long way from his own holy calling. He had no great disagreement with the principle, but could not imagine his own son being paid to play for a living.

And yet, by the end of his three careers in the game, the name of Raphael Lavergne would be synonymous with it, whether as a feted name in the stands of a former club, or in the corridors of power at the very pinnacle of the sport, the name of Lavergne would, years from now, be respected and admired almost universally. It is an unlikely story, one his own parents would struggle to believe, and it is this story we shall explore now.
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It was only ever a matter of time. Lockdown has given me writing time once more, and I've got enough of a backlog to feel ready to post. I'm trying something a little different here so do bear with me, other please sit back and enjoy!

mark wilson27 · April 24, 2020

Its always good to have another EvilDave story on the go, as with all your stories you have a follower here

EvilDave · April 27, 2020

Thanks Mark - it's good to be back and glad to have you on board!
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For a minister and his wife, Montreux was not a place to bring up a child. While the church supported their shepherds well, the costs of living in what was effectively a resort town were simply too high to be sustainable. Outside of the big cities, Stephane missed out on the increased stipend of a Bern, Lausanne, Zurich or Geneva, and he couldn’t help but feel that interest in the gospel message of life beyond the present was minimal in such an affluent area. It was a field that needed harvesting, but he was not the man with the tools.

And so in 1982, with young Raphael just four years old – and already babbling away in French and German – the family left Lake Geneva for Geneva itself. The big city would be a greyer, harsher place for a child of Raphael’s age, but would at least provide better schooling, improved amenities, and higher security for his father’s ministry. After all, in a town full of bankers and diplomats, a minister of truth would always be in high demand.

This did not matter one jot to the young boy whose life was packed up and moved 60 miles to the other end of the water he was already so familiar with. As children often do at such a young age, he questioned very little of what his parents had decided, and before long was making friends in his new neighbourhood. With the denomination providing accommodation for the family close to the local church, concerns over finance were over for the time being. They would soon resurface, but in an altogether different context.

In the meantime, Raphael spent his pre-school days almost exclusively in the care of Helene, with his father either locked away for long hours in his study, or diligently visiting the homes of his congregation for prayer and encouragement. He took his job seriously, perhaps too seriously at times, and occasionally to the detriment of family life, but when he was around he could never be accused of being absent. In the rare personal interviews he gave later in life, Raphael would often speak of happy childhood memories and times spent with his father – stories read, holidays in the mountains, family meals. The home was a happy one, even if further upheaval was on the horizon.

Even at four, football was yet to enter the young boy’s life. The Spanish World Cup of 1982 passed the Lavergnes by entirely, and with the Swiss national team failing to qualify, only those with either a keen interest in the game or a particularly strong loyalty to France, Germany or Italy paid particularly close attention. In the end it would be celebration for the Italians as they overcame West Germany in the final, but the mark it left on Raphael’s consciousness was non-existent. By 1986, it would be an entirely different story.

For now though, Raphael’s time was occupied in much the same way that any other child’s would be – time with his parents, time at school, and time at play. He would aimlessly dribble a small ball around in his playroom, but of more importance was his fledgling literacy, tying his shoelaces, and expanding his vocabulary. While the dribbling would increase and grow more controlled over the next couple of years, his routines would barely change – until, that is, the letter which would change the lives of him and his parents forever.

gavrenwick · April 27, 2020

You're one of those writers where it just flows and reads wonderfully. :applause:

EvilDave · April 29, 2020

Thank you Gav, that's very kind of you to say so! Glad to have you following along.
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“It is with great pleasure that I, and all at the Bible Churchmen’s Missionary Society, invite you to join as full members, with the intention of commissioning you as overseas missionaries in the near future…”

The letter from BCMS was, for Stephane and Helene, the culmination of a lengthy process, and yet represented an entirely new beginning for the Lavergne family. Stephane in particular, while satisfied with his work in the towns and cities of French-speaking Switzerland, and long felt a calling to serve overseas, to see the faith he held so dear to him shared with those who might otherwise never hear. The selection process had been gruelling – references, theological essays, psychological testing, intense interviews – but that single letter made it all possible.

Six short months later, the family were on the move for the second time in Raphael’s young life. Having moved from Montreux to Geneva at the age of four, two years later his father’s work would take him not to another Swiss metropolis, but to another continent entirely. With Stephane’s introduction to local culture involving teaching at a local theological college, the Lavergnes made their humble home at the outskirts of Abidjan. The city had not long been deposed the nation’s capital by Yamoussoukro, but on the ground there was little evidence to suggest that Abidjan was anything other than the centre of politics, economics and culture in Cote D’Ivoire.

For six-year-old Raphael, the move was a seismic shift. Montreux to Geneva had been less than 100km – the move to Africa may as well have been to another planet. The lake he had known his entire life was replaced by the Atlantic Ocean, the Swiss lilt to the French of his classmates by the local take on the language, the moderate climes of Switzerland with the equatorial setting of Abidjan. Back in Switzerland, he had blended in – here, the very colour of his skin made him acutely aware of just how different he was.

The Ivorian chapter of Raphael’s was notable, therefore, for two things – football, and sadness. The former proved to be his escape from the latter, his racial isolation and lack of friends at the fledgling international school overcome by his determination to join in with the other boys’ games, and his skills made him a popular team-mate. With the majority of players in their after-school games intent on chasing the ball forward in search of glory, Raphael’s combination of speed and clever positioning made him a valuable defensive addition to the group. He grew too in strength, eager not to be bullied off the ball by his larger classmates.

The sadness came persisted however, despite his growing talent with a ball and his commendable academic success. He never felt at home in Abidjan, never truly made friends, and when not at school or playing football, he became rather withdrawn – much to the dismay of his mother, who gave all the time she was not teaching to trying to draw her little boy back out of his shell. It was not shyness or a desire to be alone, simply a recognition that here he would always be unusual. He wanted to go home, but not this home.

Just over two years after their arrival in Abidjan, Raphael would have his wish, but in the most tragic of circumstances. When driving with a BCMS colleague across the city on a visit to the tribal village he had been working with, Stephane’s vehicle was hit side-on by a military truck ignoring a traffic signal. With the driver’s side bearing the brunt of the impact, Stephane was killed instantly by the crash, while his colleague’s injuries would prove fatal several days later.

It took four hours for the Ivorian police to inform Helene of her husband’s death, and the funeral took place within 48 hours. Three days later, without having left the house and still wallowing in grief and despair, the newly-widowed Helene Lavergne boarded a plane with her son and returned to Switzerland. She would never set foot on African soil again.

EvilDave · May 2, 2020

Back in Geneva, football was now Raphael’s primary escape from the world. At home he was loved, almost to a fault at times, by his mother, and he was excelling in the classroom, but the sudden loss of his father and the isolation he had experienced in Africa made it difficult for the young boy to engage with the world. With a ball at his feet, however, he came alive, and it did not take long for others to notice.

After a school tournament at the end of one summer term, Raphael was handed a letter from one of the organisers after playing a key role in his team’s victory. In the seven games over the course of the day, only a single goal had come down his left flank, and he had contributed well going forward to boot. That letter, which he handed to his mother as soon as he arrived home, was an invitation to a trial for the academy of Servette FC, one of Switzerland’s most successful clubs.

Helene did not, at first, want to see her son attend the trial. She already felt alone in the world after Stephane’s death, and could not bear the thought of Raphael being taken from her too. However, her love for the boy won out over her own defensive instincts, and she was well aware of the joy that football seemed to bring him. She would rather, of course, that he take up a legitimate career in medicine or law, but Servette would ensure he maintained high academic standards in case his sporting career failed to take off. After all, he was only nine years old, and it was only a trial.

But it was a trial that he flew through, the coaches at Servette pencilling Raphael in for an academy deal after the first half of the day. His technical ability on the ball needed some work, but his footballing intelligence seemed remarkable for a child so young, and very few of the right-sided wingers on the day could find a way past him. He needed no convincing, and after his mother eventually relented, he would officially become a part of the youth system of the 15-time Swiss champions.

Any doubts Helene Lavergne had about her little boy abandoning his studies were misguided however – Servette insisted on a strong academic attainment, and would take players out of training if their school reports were found wanting. Determined to maximise his time on the field, Raphael pushed himself even harder in the classroom, and was regularly singled out for praise. Languages were a particular forte of his, and before long he was adding Italian and English to his fluent French and German.

None of which is to say that football had in any way replaced his father – far from it. While he built up good relationships with the coaches at Servette, Raphael found himself jealous of other boys’ stories about their own dads. The one and only time he was ever involved in a fight came after he was taunted about his own father’s death, and he felt the loss deeply. So much so, in fact, that the possibility of anyone attempting to replace Stephane left him feeling angry and betrayed.

EvilDave · May 6, 2020

As such, his mother’s new relationship, with the director of the local hospital by the name of Robert Favre, was not looked upon kindly by Raphael. Seven years had passed since his father’s death, and Helene had grieved slowly, but she had not sought out romance. The two had met in the waiting room of a counselling service, where it emerged that Robert, like Helene, was mourning the death of a spouse. He had waited for her appointment to finish and walked her home in the rain, and within six months the two were engaged.

Raphael was furious. Robert was a decent man and treated his mother well, but he was not his dad, and at 13 years old he lacked the emotional maturity to see beyond that solitary issue. Robert understood his concerns and did his best to take an interest in his future stepson’s life – even becoming an ardent fan of Servette in the process – but the door was well and truly shut. Robert could be mum’s friend, but he could never be Dad.

Six weeks before the proposed wedding date – the ceremony to be a small, civic affair with few guests – Robert disappeared. Or at least, that was how it appeared to Raphael. He had in fact been headhunted for a job across the border in Marseille, and after agonising discussions with Helene, who was unwilling to uproot her small family yet again, he chose his career over a future family. Raphael’s mother was left grieving a second husband, this time before ever even becoming his wife.

At the same time, romance was blossoming for the younger Lavergne. Now 14, and caught up in a cavalcade of unfamiliar hormones and emotions, Raphael’s eye was drawn to a classmate, Steffi Bauer. Her father was a minister, and perhaps this understanding drew the two of them together, but of more relevance was likely her flowing blonde hair, large brown eyes and early development. As the star of the school football team – no mean feat for a left-back – and an intelligent, gentle boy, Steffi was taken in by his charms, and for the first time in his life, Raphael Lavergne was in love.

By his 16^th birthday, Raphael – now going by the much cooler ‘Rafa’ thanks to Steffi’s friends – was doing as well as he could have hoped for. There was talk of him being offered professional terms with Servette as soon as he was eligible, and off the field he continued to earn grades comparable with the highest achievers in his class. He was soon to hit another important milestone - at an unofficial 16^th birthday party, an older friend from the football club had managed to source alcohol. Outside of communion wine, it would be Rafa’s first drink.

By the end of the night, his birthday had been ruined. While he had been content to stop at two beers, Steffi had not – resulting in her leaving with one of the few former team-mates he had kept in touch with. To her credit, she begged his forgiveness the following morning, but Rafa’s acute sense of betrayal made it too much for him to grant. He was once again plain Raphael, and it would take him some time to get over his first love.

EvilDave · May 9, 2020

A day short of one year later, Raphael received the best birthday present he could have asked for. Servette boss Guy Mathez would be making sweeping changes to the regular team for a cup tie away at lowly FC Monthey, and Raphael was to be in the travelling party – in line to make his debut. Before the squad left Geneva for the journey, the manager announced his starting line-up, and there at left-back was one Raphael Lavergne. Not only would he be making his debut a day before his 17^th birthday, he would be starting.

The first 45 minutes flew by before Raphael really knew what was going on, although he was still able to make two important tackles and complete the majority of his passes. Just before half-time his side took the lead, and as the second half began he half-expected to be replaced, his thoughts being that the manager would want to bring on more experienced players to see the game out.

The substitution never came, but a flurry of goals did. A penalty conceded by the Servette goalkeeper handed the hosts an equaliser, and five minutes later they were ahead after a headed cross from the opposite flank to Raphael. With 10 minutes remaining, he played a simple pass infield to a team-mate, and 10 seconds later the ball was in the net for 2-2. Extra time would be needed to separate the sides.

Still Mr Mathez kept faith in his young full-back, and it would soon be rewarded. In possession in the opposing half and with no obvious options, Raphael swung a deep cross into the Monthey penalty area. A poor defensive header resulted in the Servette striker winning the ball inside the box, and he duly fired home for a 3-2 lead. Five minutes later a counter-attack sealed a 4-2 victory, and Raphael’s first team debut ended in victory. He could barely have been happier.

A day later, on his birthday itself and with his mother joining him in the club offices, Raphael signed a four-year professional contract with the club. He would make five further appearances in the 94/95 season – two from the start in the cup and two off the bench in the league – and his position as one of the academy’s leading lights was confirmed. He was now a professional footballer, and he felt as if he had the world at his feet.

By the end of the campaign, he was also back on his feet in another area of life. Elise Thevenet was a year older than Raphael, quick-witted and not afraid to speak her mind, tall and slim with raven-black hair and mesmeric green eyes. The two were not the most obvious of matches to the outside observer, but her sharp tongue and his gentleness played off one another, and the two seemed to fit against the odds. Elise would not be the stereotypical footballer’s girlfriend, but she was the right match for Rafa – once again, his change of romantic fortune had earned him his old pet name.

EvilDave · May 12, 2020

With Elise a regular in the stands at Servette and his name increasingly regular in new manager Gerard Castella’s squads, Raphael Lavergne was finally beginning to feel like himself – as if he had figured out who he was. It was a bold claim for a boy still in his teenage years, but with a girlfriend and a career he felt something of an identity, and with that came confidence. That confidence resulted in better performances on the field too, and his manager paid attention – by the end of the 95/96 campaign, ‘Rafa’ had made 16 further appearances, 12 as starting left-back, and was a regular in the Switzerland under-21 squad.

That alone allayed his mother’s fears about his choice of career – being called up to a national team, for her, meant he was talented enough to make things work. Certainly his wages did not allow for a lavish lifestyle, but he was able to pay his own way, and a renegotiated deal at the end of the season more than doubled his earnings. Moreover, she had finally seen her son emerge into a man, and that he remained a good man was all that she could have asked for.

He was the object of his team-mates’ mockery for attending church even on trips away with the national age group team, but his faith gave him a solid grounding and an inner confidence that was visible to those looking – it had been part of his appeal to Elise. On the field, he began to build on the attacking side of his game, developing his crossing in particular, without sacrificing his defensive foundations. While never confirmed, there were rumours that rivals Grasshopper Zurich had made a bid for his services that was swiftly rejected by his club.

The following season he would draw interest from even further afield, as Rafa proved a bright light in a dark year for Servette. While the club would finish down in 9^th place and with little to celebrate, he would make 28 appearances out of a possible 36 in the league, grabbing his first professional goal in the process and adding two more later in the season. The club determined to hold onto him however, and the following season he played an integral part in their revival, an ever-present performer as the club recovered to finish runners-up to Grasshopper in the race for the title.

Another new contract followed, and in the 98/99 season, the boy became a man. Now a regular for Switzerland under-21s and with rumours swirling around a call-up to the senior side, his influence at both left-back and occasionally at left midfield was critical to Servette’s title challenge. In the end, goal difference was all that could separate Rafa’s side from Grasshopper, but those three all-important goals meant that at the age of 21, Raphael Lavergne was champion of Switzerland.

A winner’s medal was not all he had gained from the season, however. Now 21, he was acutely aware of the need to move out and live independently of his mother, as much as he loved her and she would have been happy to keep him around. Equally, other clubs were increasingly aware of Raphael’s talents, and scouts had been regularly seen at Servette’s games throughout the campaign. By the end of the season, with the bidding finally at level deemed acceptable by the club’ higher-ups, Rafa had options.

After lengthy conversations with his manager, his mother, and with Elise, he put an end to the speculation. Representatives from Rennes, Cercle Brugge and Austria Wien were thanked for their offers but rejected, leaving a straight choice between Monaco and 1860 Munich. With everything weighed in the balance, it was ultimately the Cote D’Azur that won out, and within days Raphael would be photographed with a smiling Claude Puel as Monaco’s first signing of the summer.

There was one more thing to consider – Elise. The two had been an item for four years already, and the future had long been a topic of discussion. They were committed to one another, but had already resolved not to be separated by Raphael’s line of work. That meant her moving with him – her legal career was the more easily transferable of the two – but her own family were less than convinced by their commitment. Those doubts were laid to rest when, days before his move to Monaco and after discussing it earnestly with Elise’s father, Raphael got down on one knee on one of the couple’s walks by Lake Geneva. As well as a winner’s medal and a new job, he had gained a fiancée.

EvilDave · May 15, 2020

Servette were one of the biggest teams in Switzerland, but French football was another game entirely. The numbers in the stands, the attention in the press, the expectations on the players – France had hosted and won a World Cup just a year ago, and football fever still had a firm hold on the French public. Monaco had finished third in the previous season, and Claude Puel’s men were expected to be in the title picture once again as the season straddled two millennia, placing them firmly in the spotlight.

Raphael featured intermittently in pre-season, before establishing himself as second-choice left-back behind recognised starter Philippe Leonard. He would have to wait several weeks to make his debut, on from the bench in a 3-0 home win against newly-promoted Troyes – his 24 minutes were tidy if unspectacular, and the fans in the Stade Louis II gave their new Swiss recruit a hearty round of applause as he entered the fray. It was his first taste of the big leagues, and he wanted more.

In the meantime, Raphael and Elise set about making Monaco their home. For the first year of a player’s contract, the club offered to provide accommodation with the understanding that they would search for their own place thereafter, and the newly-engaged couple determined to use as much of the year as possible. Their club flat was small but stylish, a one-bedroom apartment on the fourth floor with a balcony from which you could almost see the club’s home ground – and as they figured out what life together might look like, were forced to adapt a fairly minimal lifestyle amidst the rich and powerful of the principality.

Lavergne was not yet a household name, and his full debut came in the eighth game of the season, Puel resting Leonard for a trip to the capital and Paris Saint-Germain. A clean sheet and 3-0 win was as good a start as he could have hoped for, and he kept his place for the following match and another victory, a 1-0 win over Lyon thanks to Marcelo Gallardo’s early strike. Monaco were keeping pace with the early leaders, and the 13,000 or so turning up week by week were beginning to get excited – with a firm defence, a midfield boasting the likes of Gallardo, Sabri Lamouchi and fan favourite Ludovic Giuly, and World Cup winner David Trezeguet firing in goals up front, they were genuine contenders.

By the time the season has reached its conclusion, Monaco were more than contenders – they were champions. Raphael picked up his second winners medal in as many seasons, and across two different countries, having started 13 of the 34 games and made nine further substitute appearances. A solitary goal – a late header in a 4-2 defeat at Marseille – marked his record, but it was in subsequent seasons that Raphael’s real opportunities would come.

Before then, he would become a full international. Switzerland’s caretaker boss Hans-Peter Zaugg used the disappointment of being out of contention for qualification for Euro 2000 by blooding a number of younger players in friendlies, and Raphael was to be among them. Two months into the new millennium, Raphael Lavergne started at left-back in a 4-1 home win over Oman, and then earned his second cap as a substitute four days later in a frustrating 1-0 defeat to the United Arab Emirates. Injury forced him to withdraw from the squad which faced Germany in April, but he was now an international footballer – he would remain so for some time to come.

With Switzerland’s schedule emptier than they might have hoped in the summer, Raphael and Elise returned home for the offseason break. At least, that was the club’s take on things – the couple themselves had far more important matters to deal with. The day before France added the European title to their global crown with a Golden Goal win over Italy, Raphael Lavergne and Elise Thevenet were married in Geneva. Elise’s parents maintained their composure but couldn’t hide their pride, while Helene Lavergne made no such efforts – her smiling face was covered in tears for most of the day. The couple themselves were exhausted by the end of the day, and their hotel bed couldn’t come soon enough. The following day they flew to the Azores for a blissful honeymoon, and their new life together and well and truly began.

EvilDave · May 19, 2020

The new Lavergne family returned to Monaco and an altogether cheaper apartment, Raphael resisting the temptation to try and compete with some of his better-paid team-mates and instead securing a similarly-sized flat a little further out of the centre of Monte Carlo. It did not come cheap, but it would prove a valuable investment for him in future, and in the meantime would do the young couple just fine.

Although she had no great need to work, Elise had found a position across the border in Nice, and while her commute brought precisely no pleasure, the work itself was enjoyable and it brought her a great sense of achievement to not be entirely dependent on her husband, even if their bank accounts were now shared. The two of them had, of course, discussed the idea of starting a family, but at 22 and newly-married neither of them felt any particular rush – they could enjoy one another’s company just fine without the responsibility of parenthood for the time being.

Besides, Raphael had increasing responsibilities at Monaco. Their league title, combined with rumours of financial unrest at the club, saw other sides swoop in and take their prized assets. A single summer saw Trezeguet leave for Juventus, Lamouchi head to Parma, starting right-back Willy Sagnol bought by Bayern Munich, and goalkeeper Fabien Barthez move to Manchester United. Combined with a lengthy injury sustained by Philippe Leonard in pre-season, it meant five members of the title-winning first team were absent from the first day of the new campaign. Their replacement were not of the same calibre – no disrespect to Shabani Nonda, Stephane Porato and Franck Jurietti – and so those remaining carried a great weight on their shoulders.

By the time Leonard recovered, his left-back spot was firmly in Raphael’s possession. Lavergne’s defensive showings were the highlight of a poor season for the Monegasques – they would finish only 11^th in Ligue 1 and crashed out of a Champions League group featuring Rangers, Galatasaray and Sturm Graz – and his performances rightly earned him the club’s Player of the Year accolade. His displays played him firmly into starting line-up for Switzerland in the process, even if his nation’s performances were no better than his club’s – the World Cup in Japan and South Korea was another target missed by the side after a disappointing qualification campaign.

If Monaco’s title defence was poor, the subsequent season was even worse. Once again it was a summer of upheaval – title-winning central defensive pair Phillip Christanval and Martin Djetou moved to Barcelona and Parma respectively, with team-mates Costinha and Marco Simone leaving for Porto and Milan, and Sagnol’s replacement Christian Panucci himself joining Roma. There was some quality coming in – a 33-year-old Oliver Bierhoff, future club hero Flavio Roma in goal, and later in the year a young Jerome Rothen – but on the whole the standard had lowered once more, and Monaco would finish 15^th, just six points clear of relegation – an inauspicious start to the managerial career of French World Cup hero Didier Deschamps.

With financial uncertainty continuing to surround the club, the writing appeared to be on the wall for the club. While hindsight would prove them wrong – the following year Monaco would lift the Coupe de la Ligue and a year later reach the Champions League final under Deschamps – a move away was nevertheless an attractive option for a Swiss international in a team fighting relegation. Once again there would be plenty of suitors, but it was a personal visit from Thomas Schaaf, who travelled to Monaco to meet with Raphael to convince him – and crucially his wife – on his club’s vision, that won the day.

EvilDave · May 21, 2020

Raphael’s mother wept when he told her he would be moving to northern Germany – in Monaco he was able to visit Geneva fairly regularly, and that would certainly change – but there was no changing his or Elise’s mind. Bremen would be dramatically different to Monaco – a weathered industrial city as opposed to the glitz and glamour of the tax haven – but while Monaco looked to be on the decline, Schaaf’s Werder were a club on the rise. Not only that, but Schaaf himself – an equally weathered one-club man who had dragged the club from the brink of relegation into Europe – seemed an excellent manager for Raphael to be playing his football under.

On arrival, the first order of business would be to deal with the ribbing from those of his new team-mates who had been fortunate enough to go to the World Cup at Switzerland’s lack of participation. He was not the only one however, and even those whose nations had travelled had not been selected – a sore point for a few of the native Germans. However, it was all in good humour, and through it all Raphael quickly formed a friendship with fellow newcomer Johan Micoud, the other man in the squad with French as a mother tongue. The two would remain close throughout their time in Bremen, and indeed beyond.

Thereafter, the Lavergnes had a new country to settle in, a new home to make their own, and new jobs to learn. Raphael’s contract once again reduced the need for Elise to work, but she remained keen to do so, while learning how his new team-mates worked was the order of the day for Raphael. He was the only new member of a settled first-choice defence, and while the language barrier was non-existent, learning a new system was a challenge for any professional, let alone with new team-mates. He would do so admirably, cementing his position in the team in a solid defensive line in front of Pascal Borel, and helping Werder to another 6^th place finish in the Bundesliga. It would lay the foundations for a spectacular second campaign.

Unlike in Monaco, where wholesale change every summer had become the norm, Thomas Schaaf favoured a policy of constant evolution. Centre-back Valerien Ishamel and right-sided Turkish international Umit Davala joined the side, while of the departures only defender Frank Verlaat could really have been considered a regular squad member. It was a close group, a talented group, and a group that would take Germany by storm.

After the fourth round of Bundesliga fixtures, Raphael’s Werder were tied with the mighty Bayern Munich on goal difference atop the table. By the time the two teams met in game 15 – a 1-1 draw at the Weserstadion – Thomas Schaaf’s side had a four-point advantage over the Bavarians, trailing an unbeaten Stuttgart by two points at the league’s summit. Two weeks later at the winter break, Stuttgart had suffered consecutive defeats to Bayern and Leverkusen, while Werder had themselves won at the BayArena before triumphing 3-0 in a Hanseatic derby with Hansa Rostock. The four point gap to Bayern was now their league lead at the halfway point, and Raphael would return in the new year in a bid to claim Werder’s first title for over a decade.

Before then however, Raphael would have far more to think about than simple football.

EvilDave · May 27, 2020

Towards the end of the Lavergne family’s first footballing year in Northern Germany, Raphael and Elise would discover something wonderful – at the end of April, a pregnancy test showed that Elise was indeed expecting, and the couple would, assuming all went well, become parents for the first time early the following year.

It was news they received with joy, although perhaps not as obviously as the two grandmothers-to-be, both of whom were practically dancing around their Swiss homes by the end of the phonecalls. Nevertheless, after learning of his own mother’s difficulties with pregnancy and childbirth, Raphael in particular grew somewhat nervous about the prospect, becoming increasingly protective of Elise to the point of the occasional frustration.

His concerns were baseless, but the precautions were in place nonetheless – Elise did not wait to give birth before taking maternity leave, instead utilising her husband’s well-paid job and simply quitting. She could afford to do so, and the stress she would miss out on was, by their logic, a huge boost to baby’s wellbeing. She did less around the home, the couple hiring a cleaner to keep on top of their Bremen house, and it was only at the four-month mark, rather than the traditional three, that the pair felt comfortable telling anyone outside their closest family.

From a footballing point of view, Elise’s pregnancy was well-timed – her due date was January 17^th, firmly in the middle of the Bundesliga’s winter break. These things are never perfectly accurate however, and six days beforehand she was admitted to the maternity ward of a local private hospital. She was afforded every luxury a footballer’s wife could expect in the circumstances, and the following afternoon, the youngest member of the Lavergne family was brought into the world.

Their little boy was perfectly healthy, and as happy as you would expect a newborn to be as he got to grips with his limited world. Names were something Raphael and Elise had discussed several times over the course of the pregnancy, and in both of their minds there was only ever one name they felt able to give to a male child. With the spelling changed slightly to reflect his German birthplace, Stefan Nicolas Lavergne would forever be a tribute to the life of Raphael’s own tragic father.

With Raphael returning to training after being given a month off for paternity leave during the break, Elise’s own mother would join the three of them in Bremen for a couple of weeks to lend a hand and provide welcome relief for the new parents. While some of her advice was questionable to the point of frustration, Elise reasoned that she had turned out OK, and was frankly pleased to have someone else about with Raphael so busy with his football. When her mother left, there was genuine sadness in the parting, and it was resolved that, if at all possible, Stefan would be brought up with many happy memories of his grandparents – not just the occasional phone call at birthdays and Christmas.

However, Raphael’s break from football could not continue for very long – not with Werder chasing the Bundesliga title, Switzerland pushing to qualify for Euro 2004, and him playing a key role in both teams. On the final day of January, he was named in the line-up for the 18^th game of the league season – a resounding 4-0 home win over Hertha Berlin in which he assisted goals for both Micoud and Brazilian striker Ailton – and with media attention back on his club, he had to be on top of his game.

EvilDave · June 2, 2020

Three days later, Raphael watched from the bench as a changed Werder side edged past second-tier Greuther Furth in the quarter final of the DFB Pokal, and the double dream lived on. Week by week Thomas Schaaf’s men continued to pick up the points, a strong defence laying the platform for the likes of Micoud, Ailton and Ivan Klasnic to unleash their attacking threat. They would simply refuse to lose, and an unbeaten streak stretching back to the ninth game of the season at Stuttgart would see them enter the business end of the season in pole position to claim the title.

With three games to go before the end of the season, Werder travelled to Munich to face Bayern with a lead of six points over their Bavarian rivals. Their hosts had eaten into their lead a little in recent weeks, picking up wins when Werder could only draw, but the equation was a simple one – a win for Bremen, and they would be crowned champions. With nerves entering the equation and Bayern coming into form however, many had the Munich side as favourites to overhaul them at the crucial moment.

Despite the pressure bearing down on them, Werder took the game to the hosts, and from the moment Oliver Kahn spilled a through-ball into the path of Klasnic for the opening game after 19 minutes, the title was only ever going back to Bremen. A stunning piece of attacking play saw Micoud double the lead and silence the Olympiastadion with a fine lobbed finish, and before the break Ailton sealed the championship with the pick of the bunch, the Brazilian grabbing his 27^th goal of the season with a curling effort from the edge of the area. Roy Makaay pulled one back for the hosts in the second period, but it was little more than a scant consolation – Werder Bremen were the 2004 German champions, and Raphael Lavergne had his third different league winner’s medal. It would very quickly find its way to the neck of his four-month-old child.

Raphael was rested for the final two games of the league season, in preparation for the Pokal final against unfancied Alemannia Aachen. The second tier side had stunned Bayern in the quarters and Monchengladback in the semis to make it to Berlin, but a double from Tim Borowski and a red card for George Mbwando saw the final hurdle prove too much for them, another late goal for either side seeing a 3-2 final scoreline in favour of the Bundesliga side. Werder had won the double, and deservedly so.

For Raphael to lift a third trophy of the year, he would have to be part of an even bigger shock – for the first time in his career, Switzerland would head to a major finals. They had not made it easy for themselves, losing 4-1 in Moscow in the penultimate round of qualifying meaning they needed to match the Russians’ result in the final games, but while Russia did their bit by edging past Georgia, goals from Hakan Yakin and Alexander Frei were enough to see of Ireland and earn a coveted spot at Euro 2004 in Portugal.

Drawn in Group B along with Croatia, England and defending champions France, Switzerland were heavy underdogs to progress to the knockout stages. But with Elise and Stefan in the stands, Raphael did his best to realise the impossible, earning all three points for his country in their opening game by driving the only goal of the match past Tomislav Butina in the Croatia net – his first ever international strike.

Sadly, despite Raphael’s best efforts – he would also set up Johan Vonlanthen’s equaliser in the final game against France – those three points would be the only reward Switzerland took from the tournament. An England side inspired by the emergence of Wayne Rooney brushed them aside 3-0 in the second game, meaning the Swiss needed a win over France in the final game to progress. While Vonlanthen’s goal gave a nation hope in cancelling out Zinedine Zidane’s opener, a Thierry Henry double in the final 15 minutes sent Les Bleus through at Switzerland’s expense. It was Raphael’s first taste of international tournament football, and it would not be his last – but for now, club matters would once again take over.

EvilDave · June 4, 2020

Back in Bremen, the Lavergne family were settled. Stefan was a healthy baby and kept his mother busy, while Raphael had once again found himself in a title-winning team preparing the defence of their crown. As at Monaco however, success brought with it attention, and in the transfer window the champions lost top scorer Ailton and midfield lynchpin Mladen Krstajic for free to Schalke over a contract disputes, as well as European champion Angelos Charisteas to Ajax. Miroslav Klose would prove an excellent signing over time, but it was undeniably a weaker team that began their title defence with a 1-0 win over Schalke at the Weserstadion.

Consistency would prove an issue for Raphael’s side, and despite impressing in Europe – making their way out of a group of Inter, Valencia and Anderlecht with four wins and a solitary defeat at the San Siro – by the winter break Werder found themselves down in 5^th place, even if leaders Bayern were only six points ahead. Then in the new year came utter embarrassment – paired with Lyon in the last 16 of the Champions League, Bremen contrived to lose the first leg 3-0 at home. If that were bad enough, the trip to France proved an utter capitulation, Raphael sent off for the first time in his Bremen career in a shambolic 7-2 defeat.

Werder would never really recover, and while they amassed enough points to eventually finish in 3^rd place in the Bundesliga, they were a huge 18 points behind Bayern and never truly in the fight. A saving grace was perhaps the fact that neither was anybody else – the Bavarians finishing 14 points clear of nearest challengers Schalke – but that they had surrendered their crown so meekly, finishing with 15 fewer points than the previous year, was hugely disappointing for the Werder faithful.

Equally disappointing would be the departure of their Swiss international left back. Less than a week after wrapping up the Bundesliga title, Bayern announced that they had reverted to their tried and trusted tactic of signing their rival’s key players to bolster their own squad, and had placed a bid of €12.2m to secure Raphael’s signature. It would make him the most expensive Swiss footballer of all time, one of the world’s priciest full-backs, and would bring about a reunion with former Monaco team-mate Willy Sagnol. With rising star Philipp Lahm and returning veteran Bixente Lizarazu also options on the flanks, the new Bundesliga champions would have no shortage of talent at full back.

Raphael would remain officially a Bremen player until the transfer window opened on July 1^st, but before the end of June the family had relocated to Bavaria. Both Raphael and Elise were keen to make the move quickly for a number of reasons – proximity to the Swiss border and family connections, the desire to settle into a new home before the new season began, and in order to minimise the stress for Elise and the fourth, as yet unborn member of the Lavergne family. Less than a year after giving birth to Stefan, Elise had become pregnant for a second time, and the end of June was the expected time of arrival for the couple’s second child.

Once again, the actual delivery date was a little earlier than expected – the couple’s instinct to move quickly had been the right one – and in the early hours of June 25^th, Stefan Lavergne became a big brother. Sophia Natalie Lavergne was born small, just like her father, and as a result her dad would be fiercely protective of her – just as his own mother had been to him. Elise was thankful of family being much closer than they had been in Bremen – particularly as Stefan was becoming increasingly mobile – and was thrilled to have a daughter. As far as the couple were concerned, two would be quite enough, especially given they now had a boy and a girl, and their idyllic family dreams could now take shape. The reality would of course, involve a great many more sleepless nights and dirty nappies, but even that couldn’t put a dent in their family happiness.

EvilDave · June 8, 2020

And so the summer of 2005 heralded a new dawn for the Lavergnes – Elise now a mother of two and with a newborn baby in the home once again, Stefan an older brother and growing at an alarming rate for his parents, Sophia exploring the world for the very first time, and Raphael now at one of Germany and Europe’s elite clubs as well as being named vice-captain of his country by manager Kobi Kuhn.

The new season would also conclude with a World Cup in Germany, and so Raphael was eager to impress domestically in order to cement his place in the team, ensure Switzerland made it to the finals, and stay injury-free himself. The latter was not entirely achieved – a knee injury saw him miss all of November and December’s fixtures – but he managed to earn his way back into the Bayern side which would win a league and cup double in his first season in Bavaria. Champions League disappointment came in the form of a last 16 defeat to Milan, but on the whole it was a successful campaign for Raphael and the team.

With Switzerland, things were less emphatic. Drawn in a qualifying group with France, Ireland, Israel, Cyprus and the Faroe Islands, they were expected by most to finish runners-up to the French and take their place in a play-off. However, the top four seeds contrived to consistently take points off one another, with only Ireland actually losing a game. A succession of draws between France, Israel, Switzerland and the Irish left a remarkable situation in which Israel finished their campaign four days before the others level with France on 17 points and behind on head-to-head, but unable to qualify even for the play-offs and Ireland would host the Swiss four days later with both sides one point behind. If France lost at home to Cyprus, they would fail to qualify if the other game ended in a draw – the permutations were complex to say the least.

For Raphael, the equation was relatively simple – Switzerland needed to go to Dublin and win to be sure of a play-off place, and needed Cyprus to take points from France in the meantime to qualfy automatically. Instead, France ran out 4-0 winners, Lansdowne Road saw a predictably tense goalless draw, and Switzerland beat Israel to the play-off spot by virtue of scoring more one more away goal in the two drawn games between the two nations. All of which made Switzerland’s away goal win over Turkey in the subsequent play-off – the Swiss winning 2-0 in Bern before an 84^th-minute strike from Marco Streller in Istanbul saved them from elimination – look remarkably straightforward.

Given the qualification group history, there were therefore plenty of groans back home when the World Cup draw itself was made, pairing Switzerland with France once again. However, there were more hopeful noises when the remaining two sides in Group G were South Korea and debutants Togo – there was a real opportunity for the Swiss to reach the knockout phase.

That prospect grew greater still when in their opening game, Raphael and his defence held France goalless in another draw between the two sides, and even more so when France failed to beat South Korea a few days later. If they could overcome Togo and then the Koreans, they would not only qualify for the last 16, but do so as group winners.

In both games, Raphael did his country proud, keeping clean sheets in both games and playing a part in both opening goals – it was his cross that Alexander Frei converted against the Togolese, and his free-kick that was powered home by Philippe Senderos against the Koreans. Both were to end in 2-0 victories, earning Switzerland an all-European clash in the last 16 with Ukraine, a country making their World Cup bow as an independent nation. A largely forgettable game was played out at Koln’s RheinEnergieStadion, but those dozing off in the stands were woken in the 84^th minute by the decisive moment, a Ukrainian attack broken down by Raphael’s sliding tackle turned into a Swiss break finished emphatically by Frei at the other end. Switzerland were three games from World Cup glory.

To get even to the final four however, they would need to get past an Italian side approaching the peak of their powers, even if they had laboured past Australia in their last game. Perhaps predictably, a tight tactical encounter took place in front of 50,000 in Hamburg, and at the end of 90 minutes the game remained scoreless. Extra time could not separate them, and so a place in the last four of the 2006 World Cup would be determined by a penalty shootout.

Raphael was willing to take a penalty, but would not be given a place in the first five by manager Kuhn. What followed was a penalty taking clinic by both sides, with nine of the 10 spotkicks all finding a corner of the net. The one man to miss out, who saw his effort tipped away by a diving Gianluigi Buffon, was captain Johann Vogel, and so Switzerland’s World Cup came to an agonising end. To this day, they remain the only team ever to be eliminated from the competition without conceding a goal. It would be Raphael’s last appearance at a World Cup, however.

EvilDave · June 11, 2020

Before he had time to think about World Cups, there would be plenty of football to be played – he was, after all, a member of the Bayern Munich first team. Into his second season at the Allianz Arena, he would continue to hold down his place as first-choice left back, however with the rapid rise of a certain Philipp Lahm, there were occasions on which he was forced to the bench. Lahm was a greater concern to Willy Sagnol on the right however, with the young German preferring to line up on the other side of defence.

Following the departure of the influential Michael Ballack to Chelsea, Bayern missed his goals and creativity from the centre of midfield. Felix Magath brought in Mark van Bommel from Barcelona as a replacement, but the Dutchman was more destruction than creative, while up front Lukas Podolski was a signing that never really worked out, despite having all the hallmarks of a classic Bayern move.

In the end, the struggle was too much for Magath, who was given his marching orders part-way through a miserable season for the defending champions. Finishing down in 4^th place in the Bundesliga, Bayern once again exited Europe at the hands of Milan – despite overcoming Real Madrid in the round of 16 and drawing 2-2 in the San Siro in the first leg, a capitulation at home ended in a 2-0 defeat at quarter final exit – and most embarrassing of all was a cup defeat to Aachen, who would go on to be relegated from the top flight. Ottmar Hitzfeld – Magath’s predecessor – would also be his successor, and improvement would be required if there were not to be further repercussions.

A new broom swept clean at the Allianz –out went long-time servants Hasan Salihamidzic, Roy Makaay, Claudio Pizarro and Owen Hargreaves, while in came Miroslav Klose, Luca Toni, Hamit Altintop, Ze Roberto and Franck Ribery amongst others. It was an injection of energy and proven goalscorers, while the emergence of a young Toni Kroos gave fans hope that Ballack’s replacement may well come from within.

The changes worked. It took until round 13 of the Bundesliga season for Bayern to taste defeat, losing 3-1 away at Stuttgart, and they would be beaten just once more in the league. The art of snatching an undeserved point and turning draws into victories was well and truly learned, and in the end the return of Hitzfeld saw a return of the league championship to Munich, Rafael’s current club finishing 10 points clear of former side Werder at the top of the pile. An extra-time win over Borussia Dortmund in the cup final brought put yet more silverware in the trophy cabinet, and indeed only an incredible second leg performance from Zenit St Petersburg in the Europa League ended Bayern’s dream of a remarkable treble.

Raphael, Elise, Stefan and Sophia would return to Switzerland at the end of the season, but not only to reconnect with extended family and enjoy a summer break. This time they would be returning in the middle of a footballing frenzy, as Switzerland joined forces with Austria to host Euro 2008. For the Lavergne family, it would prove a particularly important occasion – after missing the crucial penalty in the World Cup quarter final, an emotional Johann Vogel had resigned the Swiss captaincy. In his place, ahead of a home tournament, the armband and its responsibilities were handed to a certain Raphael Lavergne.

The captaincy meant media responsibilities, commercial partnerships, and several other commitments which kept a frustrated Raphael away from both his football and his family for longer than he would have liked, but he would not have traded it for the world, such was his pride in the role. Each Sunday morning he would attend a church service in Basel, where the national team were based for the tournament, and pray that he would honour God, his nation and his family in his performances. He felt the burden of the position, but found comfort in the notion of being able to share it with his Creator. At 30 years old, at the peak at his career, he felt ready.

EvilDave · June 15, 2020

Switzerland was Europe’s footballing Mecca for the summer of 2008, and the national team were its heroes. After reaching the last eight of the World Cup and showing signs of promise, the co-hosts were not yet among the favourites for the tournaments, but were at least given a chance by the media of escaping their group – unlike fellow hosts Austria. Portugal, Turkey and the Czech Republic stood in their way, and if they could make it to the knockout stage, anything could happen.

Raphael led his team out onto the St Jakobspark field for the opening game of the tournament with shivers running down his spine and tears in his eyes. The national anthem was sung at tremendous volume by a capacity crowd, almost all of whom were home fans – a small pocket of Czech travellers were vastly outnumbered. After shaking hands with his opposite number Tomas Ujfalusi, he readied his side for kick-off – it felt as if his entire career had been building to this moment.

The match itself was tense, edgy, and not particularly high on quality, but that was of little concern to Raphael. The two things that did matter was that his goalkeeper’s sheet remained clean, and that after 71 minutes, his ball down the touchline found Tranquillo Barnetta 25 yards from goal. The winger, an opponent of Raphael’s in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen, cut inside his man and fired a powerful shot that arced beyond Petr Cech’s dive and nestled in the back of the net. Basel erupted in a cacophony of noise, and 20 minutes later the referee blew the whistle on a Swiss victory.

Four days later in the same stadium, Turkey would be the opponents, and Switzerland knew that a win would guarantee them a place in the quarter finals after Portugal followed up an opening day win over the Turks with victory over the Czechs earlier that afternoon. Half an hour in, Hakan Yakin fired the hosts into the lead, but they would be pegged back in the second half. As the referee raised his whistle to his lips to call time on an entertaining draw, so Eren Derdiyok’s shot struck the leg of Arda Turan and looped over the stricken Turkish goalkeeper. It had taken 92 minutes, but Switzerland had found a way through, and had booked their place in the last 16.

Before knockout football however, there was the small matter of a final group game with Portugal to determine the group winners. Goal difference had the Portuguese in pole position prior to kickoff, and it was there they would remain after a reasonably comfortable 2-0 win. Raphael felt personally responsible for the second goal – already on a booking, he had not risked making a tackle on Nani as the winger charged into the area – but he was consoled by reminding himself that the primary aim of qualification had already been achieved. In fact, many argued that finishing runners-up had in fact aided Switzerland – it was not Germany, as expected, who had topped Group B, but Croatia, who had surprised the group favourites with a 2-1 win in the second game. Both sides had beaten Poland and Austria – the co-hosts finishing with a solitary point to their name – and so it was the Croats rather than the Krauts who would be lining up in the quarter finals. The only downside to their status as runners-up would be the fact that they would lose home advantage – the game would be played in Vienna.

Nevertheless, it seemed as if the Austrians were more than happy to lend their support to their co-hosts, and the Swiss in the stands certainly outnumbered their Balkan counterparts. Despite the Croatians’ best efforts to settle the game in regulation time, Raphael and his fellow defenders were able to hold on and take the game into an extra 30 minutes. Despite holding on for the majority of the game, in the 119^th minute a long diagonal ball from Raphael was latched onto by substitute Johan Vonlanthen, and against the run of play Switzerland had one and a half feet in the semi final.

Yet in a crushing blow to Swiss dreams, Croatia took the ball straight up the field from the kick-off and somehow found an equaliser, sending the game to penalties. This time, captain Lavergne was entrusted with one of the spot-kicks, and found the target low to the goalkeeper’s right with the first effort of the shootout. In response, Luka Modric could only drill a shot wide. Hakan Yakin and Darijo Srna scored to make it 2-1, before Valon Behrami rattled in Switzerland’s third. Diego Bengalio saved from Ivan Rakitic to put the hosts on the brink, and when Gokhan Inler thumped his penalty down the middle, it was done. Switzerland, led by Raphael Lavergne, were in the semi finals of the European Championship.

Having avoided Germany in the quarters, they would meet in Basel in the final four after Joachim Low’s side overcame Portugal. Lining up against several of his Bayern team-mates – Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Klose, Podolski – Raphael found himself involved in a thriller. Erin Derdiyok bundled the Swiss ahead in the 22^nd minute before Schweisteiger’s immediate response, but the next goal went the way of the Germans as Klose headed in with just 10 minutes to play after Benaglio failed to reach a cross.

But the Swiss would not lie down, and five minutes later a low cross from the right was flicked in at Jens Lehmann’s near post by Inler, and the game was tied once more. Tied until the final minute of stoppage time when, in on final attack, Philipp Lahm continued a run from left back into the Swiss penalty area, collected a return ball from Thomas Hitzlsperger, and lashed a shot high beyond the reach of Benaglio with the last kick of the game. Raphael wept at the final whistle, and photos of him being consoled by his Bayern team-mates would make the front and back pages of several newspapers, but he and his compatriots would nevertheless finish the tournament as heroes. Never before had the Swiss gone so far in a major tournament, and they had done their nation proud.

At the conclusion of the tournament, Raphael was granted an actual break by Bayern, and the Lavergnes disappeared into the Swiss Alps for two weeks of complete retreat from the world. For four-year-old Stefan – and to a lesser extent his younger sister – it was a holiday of discovery and adventure, while for Raphael and Elise it was a much-needed opportunity to recharge. The attention of a nation had been both energising and draining, and in the end it was the latter that would win out. Rested and something like restored, Raphael returned to Munich ready to go once again.

EvilDave · June 17, 2020

Back for his fourth season with Bayern, Raphael began the season with his third manager. Ottmar Hitzfeld had announced he would be stepping down at the end of the previous campaign – interestingly enough, to take the Switzerland job from departing hero Kobi Kuhn, who vacated the post for family reasons – and would be replaced by Jurgen Klinsmann. It would prove a controversial appointment – Klinsmann had been out of management for two years since stepping away from the German national team after the 2006 World Cup, but the new manager chose not to make sweeping changes to the squad. The biggest change would be in goal, as Hans-Jorg Butt arrived from a disappointing time in Portugal to replace the retiring Jens Lehmann, but the only other signing would be a familiar one to Raphael. Tim Borowski, title-winning hero at Werder Bremen, would now join him at Bayern.

His arrival would not lead to a convincing defence of the title however, and Bayern stumbled out of the blocks. Just two wins from their opening seven games had the fans on Klinsmann’s back early on, while a 5-2 home thrashing by Werder was particularly galling for the former Bremen trio of Lavergne, Borowski and Klose. Form picked up in the run-in to the winter break, Bayern winning eight and drawing two before the interval to find themselves level on points with upstart leaders Hoffenheim, but none of it had been particularly convincing.

The start of 2009 was a disaster for Bayern. Defeats to Hamburg, Hertha and Koln along with a goalless draw in Bremen in the first five games of the year saw the side drop to 5^th, and calls for Klinsmann’s head grew in volume. Despite something of an upturn in form – including, for the first time in professional career, a brace for Lavergne in a 5-1 thrashing of Hannover – defeat to Leverkusen in the quarter final of the DFB Pokal and a 4-0 thumping by Barcelona in the last eight of the Champions League saw another Bayern manager dispensed with in late April. Jupp Heynckes stepped into the breach in a caretaker capacity until the end of the season, but it was perhaps a month too late. Bayern would miss on the title by just two points to Wolfsburg.

Heynckes would not stay in charge, with former Ajax, Barcelona, Netherlands and AZ boss Louis van Gaal stepping into the breach and once more ringing the changes. Toni and Podolski were disposed of, replaced up front by Stuttgart’s Mario Gomez and Hamburg’s Ivica Olic. Borowski returned to Bremen after just a single year, with Zenit’s Anatoly Tymoschuk stepping into midfield. Teenage Austrian full back David Alaba was promoted from the academy side, but the crucial signing was on the wing. For a fee of €24m, Arjen Robben was signed from Real Madrid to take his place in Bayern’s attack.

Raphael would turn 32 in the course of the 2009/10 season, and a combination of his age and the emergence of academy graduate Holger Badstuber meant he viewed more of it from the bench than he had been used to. He still started more often than not, but after a poor start to the season – Bayern sat 6^th at the end of October, and would drop two more places before finding form – was in regular rotation with the youngster. Knocks that he could previously shake off had him out of training for days at a time, and he learned that he needed to manage his body more intelligently.

Similarly, his Bayern side seemed to be occasionally holding themselves back. After four matches in their Champions League group, they had managed just four points, twice losing to eventual group winners Bordeaux. A scrappy 1-0 over Maccabi Haifa in the penultimate game put them in contention, but needing a win over Juventus in Turin to progress. The media were sceptical and fans were nervous, but they needn’t have worried – despite falling behind to an early David Trezeguet goal, a penalty from goalkeeper Butt pulled them level before the team turned out the style, running out 4-1 winners and booking a last 16 tie with Fiorentina.

As the winter break arrived, the season sat finely balanced. Bayern had made progress in Europe, secured serene progress to the latter rounds of the Pokal, and had recovered to sit 3^rd in the Bundesliga, one point behind Schalke and a further point off Leverkusen atop the table. On the field, everything was set up for an eventful few months for Raphael and his team-mates. Off it, a single event was more than enough for him and his family.

EvilDave · June 22, 2020

Two weeks after Raphael returned to action with Bayern following the winter break, Elise discovered that she was pregnant for the third time. It was a surprise for both her and her husband – the two of them had decided that Stefan and Sophia were all they wanted in a family – but the shock quickly turned to joy as the prospect of a third child began to take shape in their minds. In early March, the two of them travelled to hospital for the 12-week scan, ready and excited to tell their families the news immediately afterwards.

But the news was bad. All of Raphael’s fears had been realised, and the two of them sat sobbing in a private room as they attempted to digest the news of Elise’s miscarriage. The nurses at the hospital did their best to console them, but there was little anyone could do to help them recover. When they finally made it home, Raphael broke down once more when letting van Gaal know he wouldn’t be training the following day. It would be 48 hours before they could bring themselves to tell their parents.

At the weekend, Bayern travelled to Koln as the new leaders of the Bundesliga. A goal from none other than Lukas Podolksi had the visitors ahead in the first half, but just before the half mark Bastien Schweinsteiger thundered home the equaliser to share the points. As he wheeled away to celebrate, he pointed first to the television camera on the touchline, and then immediately to the heavens. It was subtle, ignored by most watching on at home, but not by Raphael and Elise. Once again, the two of them broke down in tears.

Elise’s mother was quickly on the scene after hearing the news, and stayed with the family for a full week afterwards. While she had been frustrating company after Stefan’s birth, this time her calmness and empathy were invaluable. There were times when the two of them needed her to look after Stefan and Sophia for a while, or shield them from a particularly emotional moment, and here she proved to be perfect. There was no shame in appearing vulnerable around her, and her absence was felt at the end of the week.

The football club treated Raphael as well as he could have hoped in the aftermath of the miscarriage. He was not expected in training, was not named in any squads until he declared himself ready to return, and received regular messages of support from players and staff alike. As odd as it may sound to think of a European superclub such as Bayern, the Lavergnes felt treated like loved family members, and that in itself was a huge help.

The scars left by their unborn child would never fully heal, and the long-term impact would never really be fully explored. Both Raphael and Elise felt a strong desire to be closer to their own parents, and grew perhaps over-protective of their children for a time afterwards, almost in compensation. Any lingering thoughts they had previously shared of expanding their family were quashed instantly, and even the way they treated each other changed – emotionally they were a lot more careful than perhaps they had previously been, and Elise’s cutting wit lost some of its shine. They were the same people, but had undoubtedly changed.

Despite this, Raphael had work to do, and part of his own recovery was returning to training and ultimately the Bayern first team. After two weeks, he was named on the bench for the first leg of Bayern’s Champions League quarter final with Manchester United. He was not expecting to be called upon, but a nasty injury to Holger Badstuber meant he was needed to help his side through the final 20 minutes. Entering the field with his side 1-0 down, he left it a 2-1 winner after an injury time strike from Ivica Olic, and while it had taken a moment to get back up to speed, Raphael felt as if he was back – at least in a footballing sense. With Badstuber’s season cut short by injury, he would have to be.

EvilDave · June 24, 2020

A week later, Olic’s strike would prove crucial. Despite conceding twice in the first seven minutes of the second leg at Old Trafford and being 3-0 down just before the break, Bayern would pull it back to 3-2, progressing to the semi-finals on away goals. In their following game, Raphael sent a curling free-kick into the Leverkusen penalty area which somehow bounced all the way through into the far corner of the net without taking a touch, and the point it earned his side pushed them two clear of Schalke, who had lost at Hannover.

The next week, just four days before the first leg against Lyon, Bayern demolished that same Hannover side 7-0. Confidence from a dominant performance flowing through their veins, they then kept Lyon scoreless at the Allianz, taking a 1-0 advantage to France despite Franck Ribery’s dismissal inside the first half. One week later, after seeing Schalke take advantage of rare dropped points – 1-1 away at Monchengladbach – to join them atop the Bundesliga, a determined Bayern travelled to the Stade de Garland. This time it was Lyon’s turn to have a man sent off, but by the time Cris saw red Ivica Olic had already put the visitors ahead. He would finish with a hat-trick, Bayern would run out 4-0 aggregate winners, and the Champions League dream remained alive.

More than that, the talk of the town and indeed the nation was of an historic treble. In the penultimate game of the Bundesliga, Schalke had crumbled under pressure. While Bayern cruised past Bochum at home, the challengers went down 2-0 at home to Raphael’s old Werder side, crowning Bayern champions barring an 18-goal swing on the final day. Schalke had also been beaten in the semi final of the Pokal, setting up a final with none other than Werder Bremen. No team in German football history had ever achieved the treble of Bundesliga, Pokal and Champions League – van Gaal, Raphael and Bayern were potentially just 180 minutes away.

After wrapping up the title with a 3-1 win at Hertha on the final day, the team travelled back to the capital a week later for the cup final. Werder had finished 3^rd in the league and were expected to put up a good fight, but in the end did nothing of the sort. Ten minutes before half-time, Raphael made an overlapping run down the left and angled his run into the area. As he went to cross the ball, he was brought down by a desperate Torsten Frings, and the referee point to the penalty spot. Frings was booked, Arjen Robben fired Bayern ahead, and the game as a contest was done.

The second leg of the treble was eventually won 4-0. Frings picked up a second booking in the second half, and further goals from Olic, Ribery and Schweinsteiger sealed the DFB Pokal in style. The only team standing between Bayern and immortality now were Jose Mourinho’s Internazionale, who were chasing the exact same feat after securing the Serie A and Coppa Italia double. Ten days later, in the famous surroundings of Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu, the two titans would clash.

Had Holger Badstuber been fit, van Gaal would likely have selected the young German at left back – he rated the youngster highly, and had been a keen advocate of both Badstuber and Thomas Muller. However, injury had ruled him out, and so at 32 years of age, Raphael Lavergne found himself in the biggest match of his club career. With the exception of the injured Badstuber and suspended Ribery, the Bayern side would be as expected: Hans-Jorg Butt in goal, Raphael and Philipp Lahm flanking Daniel van Buyten and Martin Demichelis in the centre, a midfield pair of Bastien Schweinsteiger and Mark van Bommel behind an attacking trio of Arjen Robben, Hamit Altintop and the aforementioned Muller, with Ivica Olic the lone striker. Facing them on the part of the Italians would be Julio Cesar in goal behind a back four of Maicon, Walter Samuel, former Bayern star Lucio and Cristian Chivu, the Argentine pair of Javier Zanetti and Esteban Cambiasso alongside Wesley Sneijder in midfield, and a three-pronged attack of Goran Pandev, Diego Milito and Samuel Eto’o. In van Gaal and Mourinho, the game would feature two of the world’s most respected managers. It had all the potential of a classic encounter.

As anticipated, Inter would set up deep, allowing Bayern to dominate possession for large periods and then utilise their abilities on the counter. As a tense first period drew to a close, their tactic worked to perfection, a long ball from Cesar flicked on by Milito to Eto’o, and the return ball allowing the Argentine to clip a cool finish beyond Butt in the Bayern goal. It remained 1-0 at the interval, and history looked to be favouring the Italians.

But the game was by no means over, and shortly after the hour a clever turn on the edge of the area from Olic left Lucio on the ground and gave the Croatian a clear run on goal. His finish was true, and the Champions League would be won or lost in the final half hour. It would be won, fittingly enough, by Olic – hero of Bayern’s knockout rounds – with a typical poacher’s finish after Raphael’s fizzing cross from the left had sailed through the penalty area and was then sent back in by Lahm on the opposite side. With just eight minutes to go, Inter could not draw level, and Bayern Munich were European Champions, treble winners, and on top of the world. For one night only, Raphael allowed himself to be lost in the celebrations, and no-one could begrudge him his success.

EvilDave · June 30, 2020

The celebrations were bittersweet for Raphael in the aftermath of the Champions League win – firstly because of the ongoing sense of loss following Elise’s miscarriage, and secondly because he knew it was to be his final appearance in the red shirt of Bayern.

Had Badstuber been fit, he would have started against Inter. He would recover from injury and likely take the starting jersey from Raphael next season. The emergence of the exciting young Austrian David Alaba showed that van Gaal was thinking of the future, and at 32 Raphael’s best days were behind him. Coupled with a desire to be closer to home, a move away from Munich seemed inevitable. A conversation with van Gaal ended with the pair on good terms, and the club agreed not a seek a fee if the right suitor came along, and Raphael’s agent began to sound out possible moves.

All of that was going on in the background as Raphael and his Swiss team-mates headed to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup. Despite somehow contriving to lose at home to Luxembourg – a result Raphael would single out as the worst of his career – Switzerland beat Greece by a point to the automatic qualification spot in Group B, and were paired with European champions Spain, Marcelo Bielsa’s Chile, and underdogs Honduras at the first ever African World Cup. It was the first time Raphael had set foot on the continent since leaving Cote D’Ivoire after his father’s death in 1985.

In the opening match, Raphael played his part in a shock victory, keeping the likes of David Silva, Andres Iniesta and Fernando Torres quiet in a 1-0 over tournament favourites Spain. That meant victory over Chile would be enough to see the Swiss through, but they could only manage a 1-1 draw against the attack-minded South Americans. Erin Derdiyok scored the second half equaliser after being found by Raphael’s long ball forward, and despite a red card for Arturo Vidal not long afterwards, a winner could not be found, and so everything hinged on the final game.

Honduras were the final group stage opponents, and if Switzerland won they were into the last 16. A draw would be enough if the match between Spain and Chile ended with a winner, while two draws would bring about all manner of complications. A Honduran win, and Raphael and his side would be on an early flight home.

In the other game, a late David Villa goal secured a 2-1 Spanish win, ruling out the most complex scenarios. Meanwhile in Bloemfontein, the only action in the first half came from the referee, the Argentine official flashing six yellow cards, including one to Raphael for a tackle which was only fractionally late. Into the second period, another challenge – this time one which actually won the ball – was punished with a booking by the over-exuberant official, and Swiss captain Raphael Lavergne was dismissed for the first time in his international career.

Honduras too would finish with 10 men after some questionable tackling, the ball stayed firmly out of both goals, and Switzerland qualified behind eventual champions Spain as group runners-up. Their reward was a last 16 clash with Brazil, but without their captain and two other suspended players, were hopelessly outmatched in a comprehensive 3-0 defeat. It was not how Raphael had envisaged his World Cup career ending, as he knew deep down that at 32, it was unlikely that he would be involved in four years’ time. Even so, to have captained his nation at a home European Championship and then at a World Cup was something he was rightly proud of.

EvilDave · July 1, 2020

A letter to his new club’s fans drew on precisely that. Although he had passed the peak of his playing career, his arrival was nevertheless a coup to a side looking to establish themselves as a domestic force and European contender. In an open letter to the Basler Zeitung, he included the following:

“It was my privilege to lead Switzerland at Euro 2008, and the memories of that wonderful summer of football will live long in my memory. While I will always be disappointed that we could not go one step further and reach the final, I will never forget the passionate support of the fans at St Jakobspark, and the thought of making such an iconic venue my home ground once again was key in my decision to sign for your club.

I know that your desire is to see the Rotblau continue to build on its long and proud history by lifting trophies and winning championships. My own desire is the very same – and I hope to use my experience and skills to help the team succeed now and in the future. Together, I hope we can achieve great things.”

Switzerland’s early exit from the World Cup had meant more time to figure out Raphael’s departure from Bayern, and when Swiss champions FC Basel expressed an interest, they were his and Elise’s first choice. From a footballing point of view they offered the chance to play first team football in a side regularly aiming for silverware, ensuring Raphael could continue to stay in contention for international selection, while practically they ticked every box – the best wage deal any Swiss club could offer, the chance to halve the distance to their families in Geneva, and a step back from the glare of public life in Germany. Only a romantic return to Servette would have been preferable, but they were struggling in the second tier and in no position to make the Lavergnes an offer.

And so, more than a decade after leaving his home country to head to Monaco, Raphael Lavergne returned to Switzerland – to a German- rather than French-speaking region, to Basel rather than Servette, as husband and father of two rather than a young man, and as a European champion rather than an unproven youngster. Plenty had changed, and even beginning to come to terms with those changes were overwhelming at first.

Before long however, the rhythm of life began to settle down. Raphael was quickly integrated into a Basel team packed full of Swiss talent – Yann Sommer, Granit Xhaka, Alexander Frei, Marco Streller and Xherdan Shaqiri were all team-mates of his – while Elise got to work turning a house into a home for the family. With Stefan and Sophia now both at school, she had time that had simply not existed since the birth of their first child, and she revelled in working with decorators and tradesmen to set up an idyllic family home. Raphael’s career earnings meant money was almost no object in a practical sense, and even now their flat in Monaco continued to provide passive income.

There was even talk of moving their parents closer to Basel, although the practicalities of this would ultimately prevent it from happening. However, that it was even a consideration showed just how appropriate the move seemed at this stage in the life of the Lavergne family. After a traumatic end to their time in Munich, a new leaf looked to be turning.

EvilDave · July 4, 2020

Raphael’s first season with Basel, and the club’s second under the management of Thorsten Fink, was off to a slow start. After five league games they had already lost two, and while qualification for the Champions League was secured with wins over Debrecen and Sheriff, a group that brought clashes with CFR Cluj and Roma as well as an early reunion with Bayern saw the Rotblau drop swiftly intp the Europa League.

By the winter break, Basel had lost just twice more, but five draws in the league had them sandwiched between Luzern and Zurich in a three-way fight for the title. For the first time in what seemed like a long time, Raphael enjoyed a largely uneventful midseason interval, and when the side returned to action in the new year, they looked like a different team. While Spartak Moscow saw them off in the Europa League round of 32 and the cup saw a disappointing quarter final exit, eight straight wins in the league – which saw Raphael’s first two goals for his new side – had them seven points clear with 10 games to go, and despite a late charge from FC Zurich, Basel wrapped up the title with three games to spare.

Raphael’s own form had been strong, finishing the season with a career-best six goals and multiple assists as well as forming part of a title-winning defence. As such, he retained not only his place but the captaincy of the national team, as they found themselves locked in a battle to qualify for Euro 2012.

England would win the group comfortably in the end, with Bulgaria as the whipping boys at the bottom. However, all three of Switzerland, Montenegro and Wales harboured hopes of clinching the play-off with two games to go. While the result of the qualification process would not be sewn up until the following year, in the summer of 2011 Raphael Lavergne was the subject of a special presentation on the field at Wembley – his 100^th cap for his nation coming in a 2-2 draw which would prove crucial.

Back at Basel, Raphael’s second season was smoother sailing than the first. A famous win over Manchester United saw his side – now managed by Heiko Vogel after Fink’s departure for Hamburg – into the last 16 of the Champions League, where they were summarily beaten by Bayern. The cup was secured with a penalty shootout win over Luzern. And in the league, after losing two of their first six matches, they would lose only twice more – in the final two games of the season, having already secured a lead of more than 20 points.

In October, towards the start of Basel’s dominant season, Swiss eyes turned instead to the national team and the final two rounds of the qualification process for Euro 2012. The fixture list saw the Swiss travel to Wales and then host Montenegro on the final matchdays, and needing three more points than the Montenegrins to take second place. While their rivals surprised England in Podgorica to claim a 2-2 draw, so Switzerland managed the same result in Cardiff, a late leveller from Erin Derdiyok ensuring the campaign would come down to the final day. Derdiyok would strike again to open the scoring five minutes into the second half, and when Stephan Lichtsteiner popped up with another goal, Switzerland had done enough. They had pipped Montenegro to the play-offs 2-1 on their head-to-head record, and would now take on the Czech Republic over two legs for a place at the championships in Poland and Ukraine.

After the drama of the group stage, the play-off was remarkably straightforward against a turgid Czech side. Raphael’s free-kick set up the second in a 3-0 win at St Jakobspark in the first leg, before a goalless stalemate in Prague four days later. At the age of 34, Raphael Lavergne would captain Switzerland at a third major tournament – and he was determined to make amends for the disappointment of the World Cup.

EvilDave · July 7, 2020

For the opening quarter of an hour in Wroclaw, Switzerland’s Euro 2012 campaign was going well. However, Alan Dzagoev then fired a shot beyond Diego Benaglio, and it rapidly got worse. Less than 10 minutes later it was 2-0 to the Russians, and so it would remain at the break. Admir Mehmedi briefly gave the Swiss hope in the second period, but another Dzagoev strike and a fourth from Roman Pavlyuchenko saw Russia take all three points, and leave Raphael’s men on the brink of the exit after just a single game.

They would realistically need to beat both Greece and co-hosts Poland to go through, and so needed to start brightly against the Greeks. So when Raphael found himself the unlikely scorer of the opening goal after just three minutes, there was hope. When Granit Xhaka doubled the lead from range just two minutes later, the dream was alive – not even a Greek consolation could stop Switzerland, and it would all come down to the final game against the co-hosts. A win would be enough. A draw would be enough if Greece couldn’t beat Russia. Defeat would see the thus-far winless Poles through at their expense. In short, it was all to play for.

In front of 55,000 in Warsaw, Greece were indeed beating Russia, meaning that while a win would see Switzerland top Group A, anything else would see them out. In a vociferous Wroclaw, Poland pushed for the win that would see them go through to the knockout phase, but at the break it remained 0-0, the Swiss posing a threat on the counter. It remained goalless after an hour, after 70 minutes, and the draw that favoured no-one remained favourite. Favourite, that is, until Xherdan Shaqiri shifted the ball inside and fired beneath the dive of Przemyslaw Tyton to stun the crowd into silence. Poland were out, and despite their negative goal difference, Switzerland had somehow topped the group.

Portugal awaited in Warsaw in the last eight, and again it was not a thriller for the neutral. The Portuguese pressed hard against the Swiss defence, and were finally rewarded in the 78^th minute when Cristiano Ronaldo’s stooping header found the corner of Benaglio’s net. That should be enough, but in the second minute of injury time captain Raphael Levergne bent in a cross from deep on the left flank, and Erin Derdiyok flicked a header down and beyond Rui Patricio to send the game to extra time. Two exhausted sides looked destined for penalties as the additional half hour took its toll, but again Raphael had other ideas. A speculative 30-yard shot deflected off the thigh of Pepe and into the path of the lurking Shaqiri, who rifled home with only seconds left to play. As they had done at home four years ago, Switzerland had made it to the semi finals.

Having played two games in Warsaw and two in Wroclaw, the semi final would be Switzerland’s first trip to Ukraine of the entire tournament, travelling to Donetsk for their final four encounter. There they would take on no less a side than Spain – defending European and World champions – and their run would surely come to an end against a side who had beaten France inside 90 minutes, and could call upon some of the world’s greatest footballers. But Switzerland had beaten Spain in the World Cup group stage, and were not about to lie down for the champions – after 90 minutes of relentless Spanish pressure and possession, the game remained goalless.

Diego Benaglio pulled off a world class save to deny Sergio Ramos from an extra time corner, Cesc Fabregas went close from distance, but extra time failed to yield a goal. Switzerland and Spain would do battle in a penalty shootout, with a place in the Euro 2008 final at stake.

Xabi Alonso stepped up first, and Benaglio stunned the Spaniards by pushing his penalty wide of his left post. Gokhan Inler strode forward to give the Swiss an advantage, only to see Iker Casillas mimic his counterpart with a dive to his right. Andres Iniesta made no mistake to open the scoring, and Raphael would be Switzerland’s second penalty taker. In his record-equalling 118^th cap, the Swiss captain took a short run-up, waited for Casillas to commit himself, and coolly rolled the ball into the opposite corner to make it 1-1. Gerard Pique and Xherdan Shaqiri both found the target, and after three rounds it remained deadlocked.

Sergio Ramos nervelessly clipped his penalty down the middle and over a diving Benaglio, and Valon Behrami stepped up for the fourth Swiss effort. His shot beat Casillas’ dive but clattered into the crossbar, and suddenly Spain were a single kick from victory. Cesc Fabregas was the man entrusted with the responsibility, and while Benaglio guessed correctly, the shot was too accurate, bouncing in off the inside of the post to send Spain to their third major final in a row, and Switzerland home. For all their efforts, they had come up short once again.

EvilDave · July 13, 2020

After consoling and being consoled by his team-mates, Raphael led his players to applaud all four corners of the Donbass Arena. His walk was slow and deliberate, the Swiss captain taking it all in. It would be the last game he played.

He had, of course, discussed retirement with Elise beforehand, and had made his club aware of his plans. At 34 his body was aching, each training session leaving more of a mark than the last, and his best days were behind him. He had been fortunate with injuries, stayed fit for most of his career, and managed to hold onto starting berths at Bayern and Basel despite his physical peak having passed – he was fortunate never to have relied excessively on his pace. However, his race was run, there would be no glorious triumph to wrap up a career littered with silverware – but his leading by example, drive to succeed and undeniable ability had seen him take his nation to within a crossbar’s width of success.

His retirement was made public in a press conference immediately after the match. His manager knew, his team-mates knew, but the media had little idea, and for the multitude of Swiss journalists in attendance, Raphael’s departure from the field was a huge event. He was now his country’s joint record holder for appearances, had captained Switzerland at three major finals and overachieved at two of them, while at a club level he had won the Champions League, lifted league titles in three countries with five clubs, and was at one point the most expensive Swiss player in history.

There were the inevitable questions regarding his future – would he go into coaching or management? Had he considered media work? Would he walk away from the game altogether? But these were questions for another day. For the Swiss media, the fact that Spain would go on to destroy Italy in the final went almost unnoticed, such were the column inches and blog posts paying tribute to a great of the Swiss game. Team-mates from his Servette days, old friends from Bremen, ven those who had rented from him in Monaco – anyone and everyone who had been involved in Raphael’s career was lined up for an interview.

The truth was, Raphael wasn’t entirely sure of what came next in footballing terms. What he did know was that he wanted to spend some proper time with his family and make them a priority after so many years of travelling and training. His body needed a rest, his mind needed to slow down – only then would he make a decision on his next steps. There was, after all, no great rush.

For now however, it was all over. A career that had begun in the youth academy of Servette had concluded on one of the sport’s greatest stages. He had played for some great teams and great managers. He had tasted more triumph and disaster, and become far more acquainted with the former. It was, without a doubt, a successful career, and one that he could rightly be proud of, were he particularly inclined towards pride. As he looked back, he decided the future could wait for him.

EvilDave · July 17, 2020

The serenity of retirement did not suit the Lavergnes. Raphael was too used to being active to live out the remainder of his life without working, and while Elise appreciated him being around, it was a remarkable shock to her system too. The only people who didn’t seem to have any issues with the adjustment were Stefan and Sophia, who loved having their dad around far more than before. Both of them had a rough idea that he wasn’t a footballer any more, but the idea of retirement hadn’t really sunk in.

And so a plan was formed – Raphael was to go into the world of punditry. He had already had plenty of offers from various branches of the media, and after being given extensive media training during his time as Swiss captain, he felt reasonably comfortable in front of a camera, even if he had never been one to relish the limelight. What he did feel he could offer was tactical insight – something even the best Swiss programmes seemed to lack – and that was where he felt he could add to the nation’s conversation.

It did not take too long for a number of guest appearances to be arranged for SRF’s weekly highlights show, and the depth of Raphael’s analysis proved a hit with the viewing public. Although not yet a formal member of the team, he received praise online for not focussing exclusively on the larger teams, and dismantling a few of the old broadcasting clichés. He enjoyed the work, enjoyed being involved in the game again, and enjoyed having a new outlet to explore. Formal discussions were soon underway, and within months of his retirement, Raphael was well on his way to becoming one of the faces of Swiss football on television.

However, tragedy had a terrible habit of striking Raphael and his family. In 1985, he had lost his father suddenly in an Ivorian traffic accident. In 2010, Elise had miscarried when pregnant with their third child. Now, in 2012, his wife received a phonecall that nobody had expected. Her own mother, the one who had been such a comfort to them after their own loss, had been diagnosed with aggressive pancreatic cancer. The prognosis was not good at all.

All thoughts of career and work were put on an indefinite hold as Raphael’s priorities shifted. Elise was inconsolable, and struggled for a long time to come to terms with what was happening – her mother, after all, was only in her 60s. Stefan and Sophia needed to be gently told that Grandma was very sick, and helped to understand what that meant – not to mention taking on more of the childcare when Elise simply felt unable. It meant more time spent in Geneva, attempting to help Elise’s father where possible, and making the most of her mother’s remaining time with them. Life looked very different.

And then, as suddenly as it had begun, it was over. On a frosty February morning, Camille Thevenet’s body could no longer keep fighting. At the age of just 66, she breathed her last, leaving her husband, daughter, two sons and four grandchildren behind. She had lived a full life, a happy life, a life in which she had given a great deal of herself to others – and a life which would leave a huge hole for those who grieved.

In one sense, her passing was a relief to Elise – she had begun to mourn her mother when she first heard of the prognosis, and the four months of waiting had placed a great deal of strain on every aspect of her being. She had not only had the chance to have her final moments with her dying mother, but had experienced them several times over, watching as the woman who brought her into the world faded away before her eyes. Her death was the end of her suffering, closure to a particularly painful final chapter, a line drawn under the agony.

But that did not make the loss of someone so dear to her any easier to cope with. As much as the expected grief was now passed, the very harsh reality of her mother no longer being physically there was a painful one to come to terms with, especially as she watched her children struggle too. It was their first experience of death, and at Stefan and Sophia’s age, it was complicated and upsetting. Elise was stronger than she gave herself credit for, but even so needed to lean heavily on her husband, who was both mourning the loss of a loved mother-in-law and being drawn back into his own childhood grief. Life had not completely stopped, but it had slowed down, and it would take a while for any of the Lavergne family to get back up to speed.

EvilDave · July 22, 2020

By the time the summer rolled around, something like normality was beginning to set in to the Lavergne’s Basel home, and Elise could tell – Raphael was getting restless once more. This time, he didn’t feel much like dissecting various teams’ performances on national television, but he was still digesting football like one obsessed, his old career remaining a fiercely burning passion.

It was actually Elise who put out the feelers, but her husband wasn’t to know. At the end of April, Raphael took a call from his old club Basel, asking if he’d considered going into coaching, and whether he’d be willing to lend a hand at the club’s academy side. He could mould the next generation of talent, and pass on his experience to the youngsters.

By the end of the phonecall, Raphael had not only agreed to the proposal, but had also convinced Basel to put him through his various coaching badges. The Swiss FA offered a fast-track system for national-level qualifications to former international players, and completion of those qualifications would take a matter of months. However, to then progress to the top of the UEFA coaching system – and Raphael suddenly had his sights set nowhere else, eager to learn as much as possible and give himself a focus – would take the best part of three years. As long as he was imparting his knowledge to Basel’s stars of the future, they were happy to sponsor his way through, and that sounded like a good deal to him.

Throwing himself into his studies as ever, his national qualifications were done before the 2013/14 even began. A year later he had cemented himself as a key part of Basel’s academy staff, and after two seasons in the academy he was just weeks away from completing his portfolio work for the UEFA Pro Licence. That was when he was approached by none other than Basel manager Urs Fischer, and invited to become his first team assistant for the coming season. It was an offer too good to refuse, and a combination too good for Switzerland – in their single season together, Fischer and Lavergne saw Basel complete a league and cup double.

However, new faces in the boardroom decided that despite his successes, Fischer was no longer the man to take the club forward. Raphael was actually offered the chance to take over from his temporary mentor but turned it down, seeing the step as a betrayal of the man who had trusted so much to him. As such, he too left Basel, and two more offers rapidly arrived.

The first was from the national team itself, and an invitation to join the new coaching team led by Vladimir Petkovic. It was an honour to be considered for national service at such an early stage in his coaching career, but even this could not distract Raphael from the second offer on the table.

Since winning the title with a young Lavergne at left back in 1999, Servette had endured a turbulent time. After contending for a few more years, the club had then gone bankrupt midway through the 2004/5 campaign, dropping down to the third tier for the subsequent season. It would take until 2011 before Servette were a Super League club once again, and on their return they would finish a creditable 4^th – only to be relegated again the following year. They had remained outside the top flight ever since, even dropping to the third level in 2015/16 due to yet more financial difficulties, and having just finished some 23 points behind second tier champions FC Zurich, were looking to make changes.

They did not want Raphael simply to explain the manager’s tactics and coach the defenders, however. They wanted him in the hotseat itself. It did not take him or Elise long to decide that a return to Geneva was the right move for them and the family. The managerial career of Raphael Lavergne would begin, therefore, with the same side as his playing career. He could not wait to get started.

EvilDave · July 23, 2020

For those curious as to what sort of manager Raphael Lavergne would be, the word ‘ruthless’ swiftly came to mind as he took the reins at Servette. Of the side who had finished 3^rd the previous season, no fewer than 12 players were shown the door by the new man in charge, including winger and cult hero Matias Vitkieviez. The fat was very much trimmed from what he saw as a bloated squad, and his work in the transfer market was driven by a desire to add quality, rather than quantity, for the season ahead. Three youngsters from the academy side were promoted to the first team, three more promising youths arrived on loan from Basel, and Raphael was able to tempt Lyon’s young Swiss goalkeeper Anthony Racioppi to join his new project in Geneva.

His first competitive game as a manager came in inauspicious circumstances – away at Winterthur, just outside of Zurich, in front of just over 3,000 people. It was a far cry from the job he had been offered back at Basel, or even on the bench for the national team, but it felt right as Raphael stood on the sideline in a new, tailored suit. It felt even better at the final whistle as he congratulated his players on victory, Brazilian journeyman striker Willie Barbosa finally breaking the deadlock with 10 minutes to play before doubling the lead five minutes later from a free kick. Outside of one chance which Racioppi was equal to, the hosts were never in the game, and the 2-0 defeat flattered them. It was a good start.

A win at his home debut followed against Aarau, and Servette began to roll along nicely. After the first dozen games of the season, Raphael’s men found themselves one of a triumvirate of sides – Neuchatal Xamax and recently relegated Vaduz being the other two – doing battle at the top end of the table, already forming a small gap back to the rest of the table. With only one promotion slot available however, a mere top three finish would not be sufficient. If Servette were to return to the Super League, nothing less than the championship title would do.

The first bump in the road came in Liechtenstein, where hosts Vaduz set up perfectly to counter Lavergne’s aggressive tactics. Despite looking more like the away team, Vaduz struck shortly before the half-time whistle to put themselves in the driving seat, and that allowed them to stand off Servette in the second period and simply wait for the mistake to come. To their credit it never did, but Raphael’s side found themselves unable to break down their stubborn opponents, and in doing so handed them crucial initiative in the title race.

That initiative could have been wrestled back with victory over Neuchatel at home, but a potent attack was let down by a disappointing defence in a thrilling 3-3 draw. As teams wound down for their Christmas break, the three title challengers found themselves separated by just two points, Vaduz leading the way with Servette and Neuchatel just three goals from one another. There was a real hope among the footballing population of Geneva that their side were finally in with a shout of promotion. However, there was still plenty of time for twists and turns along the way.

If the summer transfer window had been dramatic, things were much calmer in the winter. Under-19 international David Mistrafovic came in on loan from Luzern to bolster the midfield, as did Young Boys striker Felix Mambimbi. But there were no departures other than a handful of loans to the lower leagues, and no player arrived on a permanent deal. The men who had put Servette in such a strong position would be the ones that Lavergne entrusted to see them into the Super League.

With their cup dream ended by FC Zurich in the quarter finals, there were 19 games for their destiny to be sealed. Wins over Wohlen, Schaffhausen, Winterthur and Chiasso got 2018 off to a superb start, before an otherwise disappointing draw at Rapperswil nudged them to the league summit. A big home win over Vaduz, Mambimbi netting a sublime hat-trick, was followed up by a narrow defeat at Neuchatel, and still the top three sat together at the top. Raphael’s debut season in management was going to go down to the wire.

Indeed, with just three games remaining in the season, Servette sat on top of the Challenge League, two goals clear of Neuchatel, with Vaduz a solitary point behind. In the next round of fixtures, a late equaliser from Nedim Omeragic in Neuchatel saw the top two tie and Vaduz leapfrog them both with a win over Wil, and still nothing was settled. All three challengers would win their penultimate games – Neuchatel eating away one of the two goals keeping them behind Servette in the process – leaving everything to play for in the final game of the campaign.

For Raphael’s first campaign to end in promotion, Servette would need to win by no more than one goal fewer than Neuchatel Xamax, and hope that Vaduz dropped points in their game. Things did not begin well, his side conceding in just the third minute at home to Chiasso, but by the interval parity had been restored. News from elsewhere gave them hope – Vaduz were trailing Aarau, while Schaffhausen were holding Neuchatel. One more goal would do it, assuming everything else stayed the same.

As the second period went on, the picture began to change. A quickfire double saw Schaffhausen all but end Neuchatel’s title hopes, but an own goal in Liechtenstein had Vaduz back on level terms. With 20 minutes to go, the table-toppers went ahead for the first time on the day, and if that stayed the same then nothing Servette could do would change anything.

That didn’t stop Raphael pushing for the win, and with less than 10 minutes to play, victory was sealed. The first goal came from substitute Mambimbi’s glancing header, the second from the penalty spot after a foul on the same man, and Servette would hold up their end of the bargain. With the final whistle blowing at the Stade de Geneve, attention switched to Liechtenstein and the dying moments of Vaduz vs Aarau.

With the hosts leading 2-1, all they had to do was hold out for three more minutes to secure promotion back to the Super League. While the nerves were tangible, in truth the hosts remained firmly in the control of the game against their midtable opponents, and the possibility of conceding a second goal was minimal at best. When the final whistle blew, the celebrations began at the Rheinpark Stadion, and Servette had fallen agonisingly short of their promotion goal.

But when the dust had cleared, and both man and club had reflected on the campaign, there were plenty of reasons to be satisfied with the season. The squad were younger, hungrier, and with more potential – Servette was a viable destination for talented Swiss footballers, and Raphael’s own stature in the game made loan moves all the more appealing. The man himself was enjoying the managerial life – despite the increased levels of stress – and family life back in Geneva was going well for the Lavergnes. Both parties saw a promotion charge as viable for the year ahead, and the club were convinced by their new manager – after initially handing him a one-year contract, they were more than happy to hand him a further three years, and with a small pay rise to boot. There would be a much-needed break before the frenzy of pre-season and the transfer window, but Raphael Lavergne would come back ready and raring to go. After all, he was a football manager now.

EvilDave · July 28, 2020

For Raphael’s second season at Servette, the goal was an obvious one – promotion. Having come so close only to miss out last year, reaching the Super League was the one and only priority. With Vaduz going back up, Neuchatel Xamax would remain a threat, as would relegated Lausanne-Sport. However, with Lavergne at the helm and such a strong season in the bag, Servette would go into the campaign as one of, if not the, favourite for the top spot.

Off the field, the evolution of the Servette squad continued. Several players left – Omeragic the principal man among the departees – and were replaced by a combination of promising youngsters, loan talent, and a couple of key signings. Talented academy striker Mael Marques would be promoted to the first team along with left-back Elrich Elvedi and playmaker Thibauld Renaud. Four of last season’s loanees returned for a second season, having impressed in their initial spells. Then, to complete the arrivals, were Liechtenstein international centre-back Daniel Kaufmann after his release from Vaduz, and young Albanian midfielder Edon Beqiri on a free transfer from lower-league side SC Cham. They would add a bit of defensive steel to a youthful attack, and Lavergne hoped they would make the difference after such a close title fight last time round.

In the early stages of the season, the signs were good – very good, in fact. A 4-1 win over expected challengers Lausanne-Sport on the opening day of the campaign set the tone for the first few weeks, and by the time they had faced off against every other team in the Challenge League, Servette found themselves undefeated, top of the table, and just four points off the maximum total. Trips to Neuchatel and newly-promoted Stade Nyonnais brought about the two draws, but otherwise Raphael’s men were firing on all cylinders and looking in very ominous form.

Teenage striker Marques bagged his first goal for the club after a number of substitute appearances in a win over Aarau, and even the distraction of the cup could not get in the way of the Servette machine. Third-tier SC Bruhl were swept aside by a rotated side in a 5-1 romp, before Super League strugglers Sion were edged out on penalties in the second round. Only when November and the round of 16 rolled around did the cup dream die for another year, and for the second year in a row it was rivals Zurich who dealt the blow, winning a close battle 3-2 at the Stade de Geneve. With promotion very much the priority, two good showings against top flight sides gave Servette’s fans plenty of hope for the future.

That hope was not about to be extinguished, as despite defeats to Schaffhausen and Neuchatel, Raphael’s side continued to set the pace atop the Challenge League. At the halfway stage and winter break, those two defeats were the only ones they had suffered in the league, and they had amassed a seven-point lead over Lausanne-Sport. While Kaufmann and Beqiri had indeed helped to shore up the defence, it was the attacking line-up that was leading the way. Cameroonian striker Jean-Pierre N’Same and loanee Mambimbi were fighting for the league's golden boot with increasing support from young Marques, while academy star Renaud was exceeding all expectations in creating chances. Whereas goal difference had been close among the top sides had been close last season, this year Servette’s advantage was already into double figures.

With a strong team performing well, a quiet January was exactly what Raphael wanted. Nobody left – despite interest from France in N’Same – and there were no new arrivals. There were, however, a few feelers put out to a handful of targets whose contracts were six months away from expiring. These were players who would have no interest in joining a second-tier team, but if the prospect of first-team, top-tier football could be dangled in front of them, they might just be tempted to sign on the dotted line.

One such deal was already secured before the season go back underway with a damp squib of a 1-1 draw at Wil, and when the second game back saw a first home defeat of the campaign at the hands of Winterthur – a defeat which allowed Lausanne-Sport to close to within four points – there were a few, faint alarm bells ringing around the Stade de Geneve. However, there were no such concerns among the playing squad – bottom side Rapperswil were hammered 6-2 in the very next game, setting them up perfectly to meet their nearest challengers on the road. Lausanne-Sport struck first, but Servette were made of stern stuff, levelling things up within 10 minutes and then netting the decisive goal through Marques with just five minutes to play. The gap was back to seven, and Lavergne’s men were strong favourites for the title.

Heading into the fourth and final round of fixtures, the gap was up to 12 points with just 27 left to play for. Aarau made things somewhat more interesting with a hard-fought 2-1 win, but in truth it would have taken a dramatic collapse for anyone other than Servette to end up as champions of the Challenge League. Fittingly, it would be against Lausanne-Sport that the title was finally sealed, a 2-2 draw at the home of their nearest rivals making it impossible for them to be caught. It was disappointing that the deed was not done in front of their own fans, but it was at least done.

With promotion and the title secured, Raphael used the last four games of the campaign to give some of the latest batch of academy graduates a chance to show off their stuff in the final games. Two wins and two defeats suggested at least some promise from the youngsters, and when the final table was drawn up, Servette were a full 11 points ahead of Lausanne-Sport, and a further seven of anybody else. It had been a truly dominant campaign from Lavergne’s side, and after their showings in the cup, the club had every reason to hope that they would be able to hold their own in the Super League without completely overhauling their squad.

Not that Raphael had any intention of going into the top flight of Swiss football without making any changes to his playing staff. With their promotion came an increased appeal to potential targets, and all bar one of those sounded out in January had either already signed for the next campaign, or were very interested in doing so. While there would be a short summer break – something he and Elise were very grateful for – he also knew he would be spending a great deal of time putting together his team for his third season at Servette. Those not up to scratch would be sold, replacements would need signing – and there was one man in particular who he hoped to bring in to provide a sprinkling of star power to his newly-promoted side.

bigmattb28 · July 29, 2020

Great read this mate, keep it up!

EvilDave · July 31, 2020

Thanks Matt, glad you're enjoying things so far!
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The star power was not quite Alessandro Del Piero turning up at Sydney FC, but for a newly-promoted Swiss side it was nevertheless quite the coup. After a nomadic career that had seen him pick up 64 caps for Switzerland and ply his trade for clubs in England, Italy, Turkey, Canada and Mexico, 33-year-old Blerim Dzemaili was ready to come home. His contract at Santos Laguna was up, Raphael was quickly alert to the possibility, and after some intense negotiating the veteran international became a Servette player. The deal was only for a year, but his experience would undoubtedly have a hugely positive impact on the squad more widely.

Also signing on free transfers were Kosovan international right-back Benjamin Kololli from Sion, young French goalkeeper Camille Fontaine from Nantes, St Gallen centre-back Roy Gelmi, and two-season loan signing Felix Mambimbi from Young Boys. The one man whose contract was not expiring – but who nevertheless arrived for only a nominal fee – was David Weber, a young Austrian winger apparently unwanted by Red Bull Salzburg, but who Raphael and his scouts believed had the potential to make a real impact in the Super League. Along with another couple of promotions from the youth side, the man in charge was convinced that the squad was stronger for the new signings.

That was despite top scorer N’Same heading for the exit. Raphael had seen off interest from France in January, but when those same clubs returned in the summer, the Cameroonian expressed his desire to leave. The manager was not one to stand in a player’s way – at least, not with a promising youngster waiting in the wings – and so after a brief negotiation, N’Same left for Ligue 2 side Sedan Ardennes. It was a gamble to let a player go who had been prolific the previous season, but with Mambimbi signed permanently and Marques developing well, Raphael felt confident that the goals would continue to come in his absence.

The opening day of the season would prove a real test of Servette’s ability to compete at the top level, as they travelled to the capital to take on last season’s runners-up Young Boys. And while the result was not ideal, the overall impression was positive – an unfortunate debut own goal from Kololli inside the final 10 minutes the only thing separating the two sides at the final whistle. However, when the second and third games of the season also ended in narrow single-goal defeats and yielded just a sole Marques goal, the Servette faithful could have been excused for getting a little concerned.

But a rocket from a half-fit Dzemaili and a well-taken Mambimbi goal at home to Lugano earned a first win of the season at the fourth attempt, and a first away win at Thun followed immediately. Victory over Sion made it three wins and three losses, before a first reunion with Raphael’s last club as player. Basel remained the dominant club in Switzerland, and while Lavergne received a warm welcome from the side he once represented, there were very few people expecting anything other than a comfortable win for the hosts at St Jakobspark.

However, Servette were in no mood to roll over for the champions, and midway through the first half a cool finish from Renaud slotted the visitors into a shock 1-0 lead. It was a lead they would hold into the second half, and as time ticked by, so the levels of anxiety in the stands increased. Their fears evaporated in the 72^nd minute when Valentin Stocker fired past Racioppi from the edge of the box, but a second goal was not forthcoming. The spoils were shared, Servette had held the champions on their own territory, and Raphael Lavergne had proved that his men would not be cannon fodder for the top sides. They belonged in the Super League as much as any other side, and had their sights set on staying for the long haul.

In fact, it would take until the second set of fixtures for Servette to suffer their next defeat, when first Young Boys and then Zurich edged out Raphael’s men, but they continued to pick up points regularly. So much so that, when the Super League hit the pause button for the winter break, they found themselves in the heady heights of 4^th place, hanging on to the last Europa League qualifying spot and vying for the ‘best of the rest’ spot behind runaway leaders Basel and Young Boys.

But it was not just the prospect of European football that was exciting the Servette faithful. In the first round of the cup, third-tier SC Kriens were easily swept aside, before Schaffhausen were beaten in the second round. So far so expected, but in the quarters a rapid-fire brace from Mael Marques turned around an early deficit at home to Young Boys in the quarter finals, and all of a sudden Raphael’s side were two games from glory. The semis, to be played in February, pitted Basel against Sion in the first tie, whereas in the second Servette would come up against FC Zurich – the side who had knocked them out in the last two seasons.

Before then, two more faces would arrive at the Stade de Geneve. The first was a signing for the future, teenage midfielder Patrizio Ferrarino arriving for a five-figure sum from Sion. The second would slot straight into the first-team squad, and would rack up plenty of appearances on either wing. Jeremie Boga would need some time to return to full fitness after being without a club from six months, but the former Chelsea youngster boasted international honours with his native Ivory Coast, and there was no doubt he had the skills to light up the Super League.

Neither new man would feature in the cup semi-final, which would see Servette take on Zurich for the third year running. At the latter’s Letzigrund stadium, the hosts netted the first goal, but it stunned the fans into silence by virtue of going in at the wrong end, Renaud’s cross headed past the Zurich goalkeeper by one of his own defenders. A quarter of an hour later, a rash lunge from Daniel Kaufmann gave the hosts the perfect opportunity to get back into things with a penalty, but Racioppi did brilliantly to parry first the spot-kick and then the follow-up, and somehow the lead was preserved.

Into the second half, Zurich continued to press, throwing caution further and further to the wind as time ticked away. So far, in fact, that with 20 minutes remaining on the clock, Kaufman rose highest to head away a corner, Dzemaili found substitute David Weber flying down the left wing, and the young Austrian’s cutback was steered expertly into the bottom corner by an almost unmarked Mambimbi. The hosts had pushed too hard, left too many gaps, and they had been punished. They would not recover.

The following day, Sion produced the second shock in as many days by first holding Basel to a draw over 90 minutes, and then taking them scoreless through extra time before beating them on penalties. Against a side battling at the wrong end of the Super League table, Servette would have a superb opportunity to lift a major trophy for the first time since 2001. Before then however, there was the small matter of the league to be resolved.

And, with Lugano and St Gallen falling away and Raphael’s men boosted by the prospect of a cup final to come, Servette were soon able to focus more on maintaining their position in the European places than in looking over their shoulders at the relegation scrap. Heading into the final round of fixtures they sat 4^th and level on points with St Gallen ahead of them – Basel and Young Boys were far, far ahead of everyone else in the top two positions – and the Geneva outfit found themselves with not one but two opportunities to clinch Europa League football in the coming season.

Of those final nine games, Servette would lose three – to Basel, Young Boys and Zurich – draw just once away at St Gallen, and win their remaining five, a final day 3-0 victory over Thun wrapping up a very successful first season back in the Super League. That 5-1-3 record earned them three more points than St Gallen, meaning that Raphael’s side were officially the best of the rest, far behind eventual champions Basel and their closest rivals Young Boys, but good enough to claim the bronze medals and a place in the Europa League qualifiers.

EvilDave · August 4, 2020

However, the main event was to come one week later in the Swiss capital of Bern, when Servette would take on the underdogs of Sion for the right to be named Swiss Cup champions. Neither side had expected to make it to the showpiece final, both had been expected to struggle even to survive in the Super League, and yet had been presented with a golden opportunity to make history. Both had earned their place in the final – Servette had knocked out Young Boys and Zurich while Sion had disposed of Basel – and both had full-strength teams to choose from.

Sion’s gameplan was obvious – seize the early initiative, strike early, and hope to catch Servette unawares. To their credit, they came out firing, forcing Racciopi into three early saves, but some good goalkeeping and strong defending from Kaufmann and Gelmi in the heart of the backline prevented the underdogs from taking the early lead they desired. By the 20 minute mark, Sion were visibly slower on the ball, but were still the side looking to make things happen.

But Raphael’s side had plenty of pace on the break, and in the now-fit Jeremie Boga they had a player capable of all manner of tricks. One cross-field ball from Dzemaili set the January signing away down the right, and a quick chop inside left his man floundering. A lunging challenge was far too late, and the referee had no choice but to point to the penalty spot. Thibauld Renaud stepped up, sent the Sion goalkeeper the wrong way, and then crumpled to the floor as he watched his spot-kick cannon away off the outside of the post. A huge reprieve for Sion, and the cup final remained goalless at the break.

It did not stay that way for long. Two minutes before the hour, Renaud made amends for his earlier miss by sliding a perfect pass between two defenders, and Mael Marques lifted the ball over the goalkeeper to open the scoring. It was a goal made in Servette’s academy, assisted and scored by a pair of teenagers, and it put one hand on the cup. The second hand would not be long in following.

This time it was two more experienced players making the difference. Edon Baqiri stole the ball with a well-timed interception in midfield. Strode into the opposing half, and then found Boga on the right flank. Once again he left his man behind by cutting inside, beat him a second time to get back on his right foot, and then skidded a shot beneath the goalkeeper to double the advantage. With just over a quarter of an hour left on the clock Servette left 2-0, and Sion had little left in the tank after their early endeavours.

Before he knew what was happening, Raphael found himself stood atop the ceremonial podium, lifting the Swiss Cup with club captain Dzemaili. That night would be a celebratory blur, the next day a jubilant celebration back at the Stade de Geneve, the day after that a congratulatory meeting with the club board to discuss the next season’s expectations. In reality, it was another opportunity to celebrate the remarkable year they had just enjoyed, and Raphael had no issues with that. His summer break would be interrupted by the challenge of preparing his side for Europe as well as hoping to close the gap on Basel and Young Boys – not to mention dealing with Stefan’s transition from secondary to baccalaureate school after turning 16.

Raphael and Elise were well aware that this summer’s family holiday may be the last one that their eldest child was keen to join them on, and so they were keen to make it count. Raphael had earned enough favour in his board’s eyes to allow him to spend an additional week away from the club – if not from his phone – and so it was with a joyful heart that he departed the club offices at the end of the domestic season. By all accounts, it had been a resounding success.

EvilDave · August 10, 2020

European football would present a wholly different challenge, and with Servette combining the group stage of the Europa League and a desire to cement themselves as one of Switzerland’s leading sides, Raphael would almost certainly require a squad with depth as well as with quality. Thus far in his managerial career, he had managed to survive with a relatively small playing staff, and that would have to change.

First through the door was Noah Okafor, a quick young forward capable of filling in up front or on the left wing, and who became Raphael’s first six-figure signing on arrival from Basel. He was followed swiftly by two experienced internationals in the Blerim Dzemaili mould, who would not be expected to play in every game, but who would certainly contribute over the course of the year. Gokhan Inler and Eren Derdiyok were no spring chickens at 36 and 32 respectively, but brought quality and knowledge to Servette that would add a great deal to the side. Also coming in were Werder Bremen’s young midfielder Jean-Manuel Mbom, teenage Lugano centre-back Niko Henrichs, and Paraguyan international right-back Jorge Moreira, whose contract at Las Palmas had come to an end. With no major departures, it left Raphael feeling satisfied with the off-field progress his side had made.

That satisfaction was only confirmed when a late Derdiyok winner earned three points against Young Boys on the opening day, setting up Servette as possible contenders. Defeat at Basel in the fourth game stopped anybody getting too carried away, but by the end of the first round of fixtures, it was only the defending champions ahead of Raphael’s side in the table. Derdiyok had only added one more goal to his opening day strike, but Mael Marques’ run of form propelled him to the top of the scoring charts and left his side in with a great chance of battling for the title.

In order to do so, they would have to juggle domestic demands with continental ones. Their victory in last year’s cup final sent them straight through to the group stages of the Europa League, where as a fourth seed they found themselves in Group E along with Wolves, Spartak Moscow and Anorthorsis Famagusta. A trip to Cyprus brought back three points courtesy of Renaud and Inler, but even home advantage would not be enough to overcome Wolves, the English side easing to a 3-1 win at the Stade de Geneve. Away in Moscow, an injury-time penalty for the hosts was the only goal of the game, and Servette’s prospects for the return fixtures did not look brilliant.

Back in Switzerland, things looked much brighter. It seemed as though every week Basel tried to break free, and each week Servette somehow found a way of reeling them back in. When the two teams met for the third time in the first half of the season – the second game seeing the champions bring an end to Servette’s reign as cup holders in the round of 16 – they remained deadlocked again, a pulsating 2-2 draw earning both sides a point each. With Young Boys only three points further back, there was a genuine fight in prospect for the Swiss title.

In Europe, Servette’s adventures came to a disappointing end. Defeat in Wolverhampton meant that only two victories would be enough to see them through into the knockout stages, and while a 5-0 thrashing of Anorthorsis provided the belief that they could go on and beat Spartak, the Russians would not buckle. A superb long-range effort from Renaud put the hosts ahead in the first half, but the visitors fought back to claim a point and book their own progression at Servette’s expense, leaving only the league to focus on. More good form on the home front sent Raphael’s side into the winter break trailing Basel on goal difference alone, with just four points between the top three, and with a thrilling battle about to take place.

EvilDave · August 12, 2020

However, Raphael himself would not be around to guide Servette through it. Instead, after a week of negotiations and just two days after he had celebrated Christmas with his family, Raphael Lavergne was formally unveiled as the new manager of German Bundesliga outfit Stuttgart. He was disappointed not to be leading his boyhood club to the end of the season, but in his mind – and in Elise’s also – the opportunity was simply too good to be passed up.

It was not a move without its risks, however. Clearest of all was the fact that Stuttgart were sat dead last in the Bundesliga table after 17 of 34 fixtures, having picked up just four wins and 16 points – relegation would be significant blot on his record, even if the damage had already been done. Second was yet another move for his family – the Lavergnes were used to moving and Germany was familiar territory, but a new home, new city, and new schools and friends for Stefan and Sophia would still require a great deal of adjustment. It was a move away from home and from family, but something about it still felt right. Finally, it was a move into the unknown. At Servette, he would always be the local boy come good, the returning hero. While his reputation still preceded him in the German game, he would be a smaller fish in a much bigger pond.

Yet move he did, and with all of January to evaluate and reshape the squad, it was a very different Stuttgart side that emerged from hibernation for the Ruckrunde fixtures. Out went star striker Julian Green and Turkish playmaker Berkay Ozcan to Norwich and Galatasaray, along with ageing Romanian midfielder Alexandru Maxim to Dinamo Moscow, winger Gerrit Holtmann to Freiburg and centre-back Alex Hack to Rapid Vienna. Up from the youth side came promising winger Matthias Fuhry, while Hack’s place at the heart of defence was taken by Kaiserslautern’s Robin Koch. Wolfsburg’s Jannes Horn came in on the left of the back four, while Milan’s Brazilian starlet Samuel was prised away to sit in front of the defence.

Along with those four new faces, Raphael also made an early return to the Stade de Geneve for two of Servette’s brightest stars. The fans did not want to see them go, and their loss would prove costly in the title race, but both Mael Marques and Thibauld Renaud had the potential to play at a higher level, and their old manager would give them that chance. With their signatures secure, he now had the unenviable task of trying to drag the Bundesliga’s worst team into a position of safety.

His first game in charge came at the Mercedes-Benz Arena, at home to middle-of-the-pack Koln, and while the performance was not perfect, it was a visible step in the right direction for the home fans. Although Giovanni Simeone put the visitors into the lead just before the interval, a swift passing move saw Vincent Janssen find space inside the area, and the Dutchman’s backheel allowed Ji Dong-Won to rifle in an equaliser to split the points. A narrow defeat at Schalke followed, but back on home territory and improving with every passing week, a Samuel free-kick and header from Croatian midfielder Anto Grgic earned a 2-0 win over Hoffenheim, and moved Stuttgart off the foot of the table.

But they remained in relegation trouble, and back-to-back defeats, although expected, to Bayern and Leipzig did nothing to help their situation. However, a hard-fought point in Monchengladbach was followed by a big 3-0 win over Mainz at home, and the gap to the play-off positions was down to two points. Frankfurt held that position, and that was where Raphael took his side for their next encounter.

In their first seven games under Lavergne’s leadership, Stuttgart were yet to win a game on their travels, which was something that would need to change if they were to harbour hopes of survival. There could have been no better time than in this battle for 16^th place in the Bundesliga, and his team duly obliged. First Renaud sent right winger Torben Musel in behind for the early goal, and just after the break teenage substitute Matthias Fuhry crossed for Janssen to head in a second. The home side got a glimmer of hope after Benjamin Pavard lost his man at a corner, but another set-piece at the other end made it 3-1 at the final whistle, Jerome Onguene nodding in a Grgic free-kick to drop Frankfurt into the automatic relegation spots.

Stuttgart were still not out of the woods – 16^th faced a relegation play-off against the 2. Bundesliga’s third-placed side – but they were now looking up rather than down. A last-gasp leveller against title-challenging Dortmund kept momentum up, and back-to-back wins over Freiburg and Werder all but killed off the threat of relegation. There would be two further defeats in the six games, at the hands of Hamburg and Leverkusen, but after they had picked up just 16 points in the first 17 games, Raphael led Stuttgart to 24 from the next 17, good enough for a comfortable survival and a 13^th place finish. His mission had been accomplished with relative ease in the end, and there was now no doubt that he belonged as a manager in one of Europe’s biggest leagues.

But settling for survival was never in Raphael’s nature – and had he allowed himself to be contented with lower midtable, his wife would have quickly shaken it out of him. While he was already something of a hero for saving their club, Raphael knew all too well that Stuttgart should never have been in the relegation doldrums to begin with. He had taken the side back to their starting point, and he saw it as his job to kick on even further. The next season might need some consolidation, but he was aiming higher. Having tasted Europe once he had acquired a taste for it, and Germany offered a great many more opportunities than Switzerland. The next stage of Raphael’s grand plan for Stuttgart was to finish in the top half – after that, he would see how far his board were willing to back him.

EvilDave · August 14, 2020

As it turned out, the board were prepared to dig fairly deep into their pockets – the vast wealth of the German game no doubt contributing to their generosity – but Raphael was not one to spend extravagantly. Five new signings came through Mercedes-Benz Arena doors compared to just four senior departures, but despite ending up with what he considered to be a superior squad, he managed to spend less than €5m more than he brought in through sales. The Swiss reputation for financial shrewdness was proving itself justified.

In goal, there was a straight swap. Mitchell Langerak had served the club well in his six years, but at 33 he was on the decline, and had never taken a place among the top tier of Bundesliga goalkeepers. When Werder Bremen enquired, the price was named, and he headed north for €3m. Coming in for double that fee was a real steal, and one of the most promising keepers in the German game. Fed up with waiting for his chance at Bayern, Christian Fruchtl had finally handed in a transfer request, and Raphael beat several other clubs to secure his signature. Fruchtl was still unproven, but his potential was huge.

There would also be one in and one out at the other end of the pitch. Vincent Janssen had done an adequate job as the primary frontman, but Raphael felt that his increased output in the latter half of the season could have been achieved by any striker of reasonable talent. So, when Bayer Leverkusen offered a full €18m for the Dutchman, it was quickly accepted. He was replaced without cost by something of a gamble. Donis Avdijaj was no longer the promising forward he had once been, and at 24 had struggled to break into the first team at Schalke, who allowed his contract to run down. The Kosovan had undoubted talent, but his attitude had long been questioned. On a free transfer and with Marques providing capable backup, he was deemed worth the try.

Elsewhere, 36-year-old holding man Christian Gentner quietly retired, Torben Musel headed to Salzburg for €7m, while €5.5m was paid to Argentine giants Boca for their promising young centre-back Adrian Basioli. That left two signings, the biggest of all, and they could not have been more different.

First in was, in a trademark Lavergne move, a decorated veteran on a free transfer to add experience to a youthful squad. Cesc Fabregas had the legs of a 34-year-old, but his technical ability and professional mentality made the former Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea man’s wages more than worth paying. The second smashed Stuttgart’s transfer record, securing a man with both talent and promise. Having been signed by PSG at an early age, Breel Embolo had struggled to settle in a team full of international superstars, and had finally been put up for sale. €21m was enough to claim the 23-year-old star of the Swiss national team, and Raphael’s compatriot would provide a huge goal threat on Stuttgart’s right wing, as well as slotting in up front if needed. It was a huge statement to make, one which thrilled the Stuttgart faithful, and which completed what was widely seen as excellent summer business.

Not only did it look like excellent business off the field, but after the opening games of the season it was soon proven to be excellent business on it as well. Three wins and two draws from their first five matches of the Bundesliga season, including victories over Leipzig and Leverkusen, put Raphael’s Stuttgart in amongst the top sides at the start of the campaign. When they then headed to Munich and returned with a 1-1 draw under their belts – wildcard striker Avdijaj grabbing the goal – people began to take them seriously for the first time.

An Embolo hat-trick saw them brush aside Mitchell Langerak and Bremen, and so the points kept coming. While a rotated team bowed out of the cup at just the second round after an extra-time defeat to Dortmund, in the league there seemed to be little stopping them. After 10 games, Stuttgart were still unbeaten and firmly in the title mix with the usual suspects of Bayern, Dortmund and Leipzig. Two games later, after a thrilling 4-2 win in Frankfurt, they were remarkably top of the Bundesliga table.

However, for a side that had finished 13^th last season to fight off the challenge of some of Europe’s biggest clubs was always going to be a very difficult ask indeed, and as soon as they hit the top of the table, they were swiftly knocked off it, a 2-1 loss at Hoffenheim giving them their first defeat of the season and sparking a run which put an end to their unlikely title challenge. In the five games before the winter break – of which Hoffenheim was the first – Stuttgart picked up a grand total of four points, dropping them off the pace and into the group chasing European football rather than ultimate glory.

Among the many positives from the first half of the season that Stuttgart could take was the contributions of a trio of academy graduates who looked to have huge potential. Centre-back Marvin Pfeiffer, winger Filip Ivkovic and left-back Andreas Codalonga had all made a handful of appearances, largely from the bench – although not exclusively in Codalonga’s case – and had more than held their own against the Bundesliga’s finest. It was their talent that convinced Raphael not to dip into his transfer budget over the winter break, instead focusing on holding his side together. Despite interest in Samuel, Marques and Koch, it was a goal he managed to achieve.

After the break, Stuttgart struggled to find the form that had seen them fly to the top of the league earlier in the season. Bayern and Leipzig were now engaged in a titanic struggle for the title with Dortmund not far behind, and Stuttgart’s 4^th swiftly became 5^th as a surging Monchengladbach won the clash between the two. As the weeks wore on, the usual suspects of Schalke, Wolfsburg and Hoffenheim began to close the gap as well, leaving Lavergne’s men locked in a battle not for the championship, but for Europa League qualification.

It would be scant consolation after such a blistering start, but had it been offered to Raphael at the start of the year, he would undoubtedly have taken it. Instead, he needed a blistering run of form from wide men Embolo and Ji to make it a possibility, the two netting 12 goals between them in six matches to see them make the jump from 8^th to 6^th. Going into the final three matches, missing out on Europe was still a possibility, and a draw at Hertha did not change things. Nor did a 2-0 win over already-relegated Nurnberg in the penultimate game, meaning that Stuttgart would need to avoid defeat against Wolfsburg in the final game of the season to secure a top six finish. Leapfrogging Schalke into 5^th was still a possibility, as was missing out on Europe entirely. At least they would have the home comforts and vocal support of the Mercedes-Benz Arena on their side.

In the end, any who were worried need not have bothered. With so much on the line, Stuttgart were able to channel their performances from the first half of the season in a superb display of attacking football. An early goal from Mael Marques set them on their way, and while the visitors did manage to restore parity at around the half hour mark, the home side were back in front before the break, Embolo thundering in a shot from the edge of the area to make it 2-1. Two further goals in the second half – a second from Embolo and a penalty from Fabregas – made sure of the points and of Europa League qualification, and while Schalke’s own victory meant Stuttgart would settle for 6^th, there were very few in the city who were dissatisfied with a strong second season for Raphael Lavergne and his side.

The end of the season brought about another decision for the young manager, as none other than Borussia Dortmund made their enquiries – first about Embolo, and then about Raphael himself. His one-time mentor Urs Fischer had left after seeing his side pick up the bronze medals and wind up some way adrift of Bayern and Leipzig, and Mr Lavergne was the man they had in mind as his replacement.

However, this time he was not convinced. Dortmund had a huge fanbase, greater resources and an enviable history, but they were also only three places better off than his Stuttgart side, who now had the lure of European football and a growing bank balance in their favour. Besides which, Stuttgart had been good to him, his family were happy, and it felt as if his current project still had room to grow. And so, after just five seasons as a professional manager, Raphael found himself turning down one of European football’s biggest clubs. Not only that, but he felt comfortable in doing so. Instead, he and his family could travel to Morocco to the World Cup in relative peace.

EvilDave · August 17, 2020

That World Cup was won, somewhat surprisingly, by the Italians, who edged a narrow final against the even more surprising Mexicans by a score of 2-1. The rest of the competition’s business end had a familiar feel about it – France, Brazil, Germany, Argentina, England and the Netherlands were the other quarter-finalists – but it was the Azzurri who emerged victorious and the plucky underdogs of Mexico who blazed a path to the final with some wonderful devil-may-care attacking football. Their 4-2 quarter-final win over the Dutch would go down as an all-time classic, but that would be scant consolation for missing out on the game’s biggest prize.

One of those Mexicans would be on the way to Stuttgart, and Raphael found himself in self-congratulatory mood as the signing he wrapped up before the tournament turned into one of the stars of the show. Jordi Villarreal was a mere 20 years old, but had been the heartbeat of the finalists’ play from central midfield, and would no doubt have cost more than double the €11m paid to Pachuca had the deal been done afterwards. He would fill the void left by the retiring Cesc Fabregas, who stayed on as a coach, and was a very exciting signing indeed.

Another direct replacement came in the form of a man familiar to Raphael from his Servette days. Noah Okafor had been his first six-figure signing at the time, and the Swiss side made plenty of profit on a deal that saw the 22-year-old winger head to Germany. He would slot into Ji Dong-Won’s position – the Korean had not been earmarked for departure, but when Chinese Super League outfit Shandong Luneng offered €18m for the 31-year-old, it seemed too good to turn down.

The final deals saw midfielder Georgios Spanoudakis head to Hamburg for €8m, and centre-back Benedikt Gimber arrive from the same side for half as much again. That would free up academy prospect Marvin Pfeiffer to support Samuel in his preferred holding role, while still giving the side four solid options in the heart of defence. Otherwise, there was no major upheaval – with a settled squad and one or two quality additions, Stuttgart were ready to push on from their 6^th place finish.

However, dreams of the title quickly evaporated, with first Dortmund and then Leverkusen handing them defeats inside the first four games. With Bayern and Leipzig once again in imperious form – the duo dropped just seven combined points in their opening 10 games, including a draw between the two teams in Munich – Raphael’s aim became the best of the rest, Champions League qualification and to show the Bundesliga that last season was not a fluke. It was perhaps a less glamorous start than the previous year, but after around a third of the campaign, Stuttgart were clinging on to 4^th place – this time not based on free-flowing attacking football, but one of the best defences in the league.

In Europe, Raphael’s men took to their new challenge like a duck to water. Dropped straight into the deep end of the group stage, Stuttgart breezed through without ever tasting defeat. Dynamo Kyiv were their biggest test, but a hard-fought 1-1 in Ukraine was a fine platform before a 2-0 home win in the second of the double-header. Before then a hat-trick from Embolo had earned a 5-1 victory over Qarabag, while Okafor’s first goal for the club came in a thrill-a-minute 3-3 away at Nice. The Azeris offered little resistance even on home soil, Avdijaj and Embolo netting in a 3-0 win, and at home to the French side in the final game it was Mael Marques who shone, two assists from his countryman Renaud bagging him a brace and sending Stuttgart through at the top of the group. A tricky tie with PSV Eindhoven awaited in the last 32, but their early performances gave them plenty of confidence to take into February.

That would come after the winter break, and Stuttgart would go into that break in strong form. Newly-promoted Kaiserslautern came to the Mercedes-Benz Arena and left on the wrong end of a 6-2 hammering, Embolo and Marques grabbing a brace apiece. A trip to the capital to take on Hertha saw a textbook free-kick from Villarreal snatch the points late on, and then a second away day in a row saw something of a surprise result, league leaders Leipzig turned over on their own turf thanks to another double from Embolo. That 2-1 victory would be the last before the break, and Stuttgart would return for the Ruckrunde in 3^rd place – far behind the leading pair, but in an excellent position to challenge for a Champions League berth.

With no transfers either in or out during January – Raphael was keen not to unsettle a squad which was clearly firing on all cylinders – it did not take before the Europa League returned with their last 32 clash with PSV. As the seeded side, Stuttgart had the luxury of the second leg at home, and after the first leg at the Philips Stadion, they would need it. After a tense game in Eindhoven, Donyell Malen struck from the penalty spot in stoppage time to give the hosts a 1-0 win, and there would plenty to do in the return game in Baden-Wurttemburg.

Inside the first half hour, there was a scare – Malen again had the ball in the net after a lightning PSV break, but within seconds it was ruled out by the referee’s assistant – but then the moment came. Renaud released Embolo down the right, his shot was parried by the goalkeeper, and Avdijaj knocked in the rebound to level the tie five minutes before the break. While the visitors continued to threaten on the counter-attack, Stuttgart were increasingly the dominant side, and it was little surprise when the Kosovan found the net for the second time, this time with his head. Now PSV had to push forward, and in the 86^th minute substitute Filip Ivkovic grabbed a third on the break, sending Stuttgart into the round of 16 and a two-legged tie with Besiktas. Matching 2-0 wins at home and in Istanbul represented an altogether easier task, but the draw for the quarter-finals was less than kind – Spurs would be the opponents, and it would the biggest test yet.

EvilDave · August 19, 2020

Before then, there was domestic action to take care of. While Stuttgart would bow out of the cup at the last 16 stage – Werder Bremen getting the better of Raphael’s men on the North Sea coast in a tight and cagey affair – in the league they continued to push on. Defeats to Bayern and Monchengladbach prevented them pulling clear of their rivals for 3^rd and 4^th, but wins against the bottom half and an uncanny ability to find equalisers when behind against their rivals – including in back-to-back weeks against Dortmund and Schalke – ensured that heading into April they sat five points clear of the latter side, who in turn led the Europa sides in 5^th.

April meant Europe, and Europe meant Tottenham. The first leg came at home, and initially things went reasonably well, Villarreal feeding Avdijaj for the lead in the 38^th minute, but in the second half Spurs came out firing. Fruchtl in goal became very busy, making three excellent saves before the equaliser finally came, Ousmane Dembele finding the far corner with an accurate finish. 1-1 was how things ended in the first leg, and after Mael Marques proved a hero from the bench in London, it was how things ended in the second leg too. Extra time could not separate the two sides, and so it would be decided on penalties.

Historically, Germans have had the edge over the English on penalties, and this time was no different. While there were actually more Swiss takers on Stuttgart’s side – Embolo, Okafor and Renaud all finding the target – the legendary German prowess was shown off by goalkeeper Fruchtl. He single-handedly silenced the state-of-the-art stadium with two saves from the opening two spot-kicks, and while Dele Alli found the net with the third, the fourth effort flew high over the bar and sent Raphael’s men through to a semi-final with Shakhtar Donetsk.

Before then, a couple of games in the Bundesliga saw points carelessly dropped as Lavergne brought in a few youngsters to give the first team something resembling rest. Draws at Mainz and at home to Leverkusen – the latter having blown a 2-0 lead – allowed Dortmund to edge above them into the top three, but the very next week it was the turn of their rivals to slip up, Bayern launching a comeback from 3-1 down to win 5-3 and pull level with Leipzig atop the pile. A late winner from Ivkovic in Hoffenheim reclaimed 3^rd for Stuttgart, and then all went on hold for the trip to Ukraine.

Despite having his first team available – bar the suspended Samuel, replaced by Marvin Pfeiffer – Stuttgart started terribly. Shakhtar exploded into life, and within three minutes Anatoli Yurchenko had fired them ahead. Raphael’s men seemed shell-shocked, and when Joelinton prodded in a second after half an hour, all seemed lost. Their manager read the riot act to a silent dressing room, and demanded a response.

To the surprise of everyone in the rebuilt Donbass-Arena, it came. In the 63^rd minute, after a period of sustained pressure, Breel Embolo fired in a low cross which was deflected past his own goalkeeper by Sergei Grigorenko, and Stuttgart were back in the game. The small band of travelling Germans suddenly became the loudest fans in the stadium, and when Donis Advijaj, on for Marques as a second half substitute, tapped in a cutback from Ivkovic to square the tie, his side had two crucial away goals to take into the home leg. Their momentum was far more important than the goals themselves – three first-half goals all but ended the tie, a fourth in the second half from left-back Jannes Horn wrapped things up, and in their first season in Europe since a Europa League qualifying failure in the 2013-14 campaign, Raphael Lavergne had led Stuttgart to the final. Porto would be their opponents in Bucharest, and if they emerged victorious, it would be their first major honour since the 2007 Bundesliga title.

That title would not be one that they claimed this season, as RB Leipzig opened up a four-point gap over Bayern Munich at the top of the pile which they would hold on to until the end of the season, grabbing their first ever title in the process. Bayern would take second by a huge margin, but it was the battle for the remaining two Champions League places that would concern Stuttgart. Of course, if they won the Europa League they would be there anyway, but they could take nothing for granted.

Heading into the final three games, Stuttgart trailed Dortmund by one point and had two- and three-point gaps to Schalke and Monchengladbach respectively. The latter were beaten in the first game to all but rule them out of contention, before a lacklustre draw at Nurnberg saw the three remaining sides all locked on 64 points. Dortmund had a goal difference advantage of five over Raphael’s men and a full 12 over Schalke, but faced a final day trip to champions Leipzig. Schalke hosted Hertha, while Stuttgart headed to relegated Kaiserslautern. The pressure told on all three fronts, but while Schalke crumbled in a 2-0 defeat at home, Dortmund grabbed a point at the newly-crowned champions in the dying stages, and goals from Samuel and Matthias Fuhry in the final 15 minutes of the seasons ensured Stuttgart finished Raphael’s second season in charge in the bronze medal positions, securing Champions League football and further adding to their status as one of Europe’s up-and-coming sides.

If they could defeat Porto in Bucharest’s Arena National, that status would be confirmed. The Portuguese outfit had dropped down from the Champions League before cruising through the knockout rounds, losing only a single game on their way to the final. They went into the game as favourites, having won the title three times previously as well as twice lifting UEFA’s elite competition. Stuttgart had no such history, only ever winning the defunct Intertoto Cup.

After the typically bizarre ceremony which preceded kick-off, Stuttgart got off to a great start. Diogo Costa needed to be at his best to deny Okafor in the opening moments, before Onguene thumped a header against the crossbar from a corner. With just over 20 minutes on the clock, another set-piece was only half-cleared by the Portuguese side, and from the edge of the area Samuel rifled in a shot which flew past Costa before the goalkeeper could even move. Only then did Porto begin to attack, Ricardinho Vieira finding the side-netting, but it was Raphael’s side who took the lead into the break.

Just 45 minutes from history the pressure mounted, and eventually they cracked. With 25 minutes to play, Jesus Manuel Corona entered the fray, and two minutes later levelled with a fine angled strike. Another four minutes passed and the Mexican turned provider, his cross bundled home by Bruno Silva. Suddenly the trophy looked destined for Portugal, but Embolo had different ideas, latching on to a backpass which fell a yard too short, rounding Costa and then rolling into the empty net just as the clocked ticked past 90 minutes. The Stuttgart bench emptied in celebration, and extra time beckoned.

In it, the pace slowed as legs tired, and both managers looked to inject freshness and ideas to break the deadlock before penalties. On both sides the effort was there but the execution lacking, and in the end it was a mistake rather than a stroke of genius that settled the tie. Diogo Leite had made several key tackles, and had gone close to scoring himself, but it was his panicked trip on substitute Marques that gave Breel Embolo the chance to seal the trophy from the spot. With just four minutes of extra time remaining, Stuttgart’s record signing stuttered in his run-up, waited for Costa to commit to his dive, and then sidefooted the ball into the opposite corner of the net. With the first set of celebrations barely over, the Hungarian referee blew his whistle to spark the start of the second round, and moments later Raphael had his hands on his first ever European trophy. If it had ever been in any doubt, his seat at the top table of the continent’s managers was now secure. Only a league or Champions League title was needed to move him into a very select group indeed – and that was the plan for the coming season.

EvilDave · September 1, 2020

Apologies for the slight delay, I was away for a week or so getting very wet on a walking holiday. Back to two or three posts a week for the foreseeable future.
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Or so he had thought. However, life, and in particular the footballing life, has a habit of throwing regular curveballs, and just a couple of weeks after Stuttgart’s Europa League triumph a series of events reached a conclusion which presented the Lavergnes with a decision – firstly, Ligue 1 side Lyon finished a disappointing 4^th in France, missing out on the Champions League and resulting in the firing of manager Gregory Coupet. Subsequently, Switzerland lost their Nations League semi-final to France, and then the third-place play-off against Spain. Lyon approached Swiss boss Lucien Favre, the offer was accepted, and Raphael Lavergne found himself top of the Swiss FA’s list of desirable replacements.

On the one hand, most managers would agree that to be asked to lead your home nation is one of the game’s greatest honours. On the other, many have turned down precisely such an opportunity in the past – the international game is perhaps less prestigious than the top club competitions, expectations can be unreasonable, contact time with players is limited, and the opportunity for failure is far greater. Very practically, most managers at top European clubs would find themselves taking a pay cut to take an international job.

Raphael and Elise had no need of money – although funding university education for two children made them thankful for the strength of the footballing economy – but there were other factors at play. Stuttgart had been very good to them as a city and as a club, and while Bayern and Leipzig looked to be a couple of steps ahead, Raphael genuinely believed that he could turn his side into genuine title contenders – and if they could do it in Germany, they would be Champions League challengers as a consequence. On the other, they still had their family home in Geneva, would have a great deal more time due to the timetable of an international manager, and would be closer to both Raphael’s mother and Elise’s father. Finally, the intangible draw of representing their country and somehow giving something back to the place they called home sat in the background, pushing and pulling them as they sought to come to a conclusion.

In the end, the Stuttgart board were understanding, as were the players – and he would be seeing several of them again in his new role. Embolo was the Swiss side’s talisman, while Okafor, Marques and Renaud would all be key parts of Raphael’s side. While it pained him to be leaving a second project unfinished, the lure of the Switzerland job was just too strong. Not only did the previous reasons pull hard, Raphael also had the chance to take his country into the 2024 European Championships – after the first two games of their qualifying group, a goalless draw in Stockholm and 2-1 home victory over Northern Ireland had them in a strong position with arguably their toughest game already played. Belarus and Romania were the other teams in the group and would provide a challenge, but as top seeds Switzerland were heavy favourites to progress.

For the first qualifier, Raphael would take his Swiss side to Belarus – probably the strongest of the fifth seeds, but a fifth seed nonetheless. With all of his first-choice side available, and with a group of players eager to get over their Nations League disappointment, Switzerland were heavy favourites. Lining up in their white away kit was goalkeeper Roman Burki of Valencia, West Ham’s Silvan Wedmer and PSV’s Ricardo Rodriguez either side of centre-back pairing of Cedric Laporte and Nico Elvedi, representing Arsenal and Monchengladbach respectively. Sitting in front of the defence would be captain and stalwart Granit Xhaka, now plying his trade in Shanghai, with Atletico Madrid’s Michael Frey and Thibault Renaud of Stuttgart as the central midfield duo. Another Stuttgart man took the right wing berth in Breel Embolo, while the rising star of the side, Barcelona’s 22-year-old prodigy Avdyl Nuhiu, took the left. Spearheading the team would be RB Leipzig’s Albian Ajeti.

With a bench featuring the likes of Mael Marques, Denis Zakaria, Xherdan Shaqiri and Southampton star Sascha Zwingli, Switzerland were heavily favourites to overcome their hosts in Minsk, and when captain Xhaka crashed in a 25-yard rocket midway through the first half, those predictions seemed accurate. However, the Belarusians did not lie down, and not only levelled before the break, but went on to take the lead early in the second half after a crucial missed tackle from Elvedi. Defeat in his first match in charge would have been catastrophic for Raphael and his side, but despite the setback they continued to push, and with six minutes remaining Embolo’s shot was parried into the path of Ajeti, who tapped gleefully home for a share of the spoils. It was not an ideal start, but it could have been a lot worse.

EvilDave · September 3, 2020

As the fixture list would have it, the return game at St Jakobspark was the next on Switzerland’s list, and Raphael returned to his former Basel stomping ground to a hero’s welcome. Cheered on by a capacity crowd and with a real sense of optimism in the arena, the hosts stormed out to a 2-0 lead inside the first quarter of an hour, and there would be no looking back. A third goal in the second half – Nuhiu laying one on a plate for substitute Zwingli – sealed the points despite a late consolation from the Belarusians, and eight points from four games looked a great deal healthier than five from three.

With the top two sides qualifying for the 2024 tournament in Germany and both Belarus and Northern Ireland already beaten, Raphael now knew that he needed only to either get the best of Romania over their two games, or beat Sweden in the second game between the two, to book their slot at the Euros. With the quirks of the fixture computer playing out in full view of the watching nation, they were given the opportunity to do the latter in their very next encounter, and despite the Swedes playing largely negative football in a bid to escape with a point, two late strikes from Ajeti and substitute Shaqiri were enough for a 2-0 win, putting the Swiss on the cusp of qualification at the halfway stage. Five more points would do it, and they had four games to get them.

The toughest remaining fixture came next, and Raphael returned to the scene of his Europa League triumph to take on Romania. Adrian Mutu’s men had already taken points from Sweden in Bucharest, and were in strong contention for qualification of their own. A stop-start first period ended goalless before the hosts saw a goal controversially disallowed for offside, and moments later the Swiss struck, Thibauld Renaud finding Nuhiu in half a yard of space inside the area, and the Barcelona leaving his man floundering before drilling a shot between the goalkeeper’s legs. The single goal was sufficient, and with Sweden dropping points against Northern Ireland, any positive outcome in Belfast would now do for Raphael’s side.

When they did travel to Windsor Park a couple of months later, they were met with a typically vociferous crowd and a typically spirited side, a team lacking in top level talent but one greater than the sum of its part. However, their increased total was still not enough to get the better of a side made up of players from some of Europe’s top clubs, and so when Lazio centre-back Jan Bamert was left free at the corner five minutes before half-time, there were few giving the hosts much chance of getting back into things.

There were soon proved correct in their assumptions, as a second Swiss goal with 20 minutes to play sealed not only the points, but outright qualification. Sascha Zwingli made the goal with a darting run and curling cross, and Alessio von Gunten, a young midfielder on the books at Basel, headed in to net his first goal for his country on just his fourth substitute appearance. That win confirmed Switzerland’s place at Euro 2024, and the team celebrated in some style, returning home for their final group game and thumping a sorry Romanian side 5-1, doing Sweden a major favour in the process. Ajeti and Embolo netted twice apiece to add to a Denis Zakaria strike, and even an own goal from left-back Elrich Elvedi – once of Raphael’s Servette, now at Red Bull Salzburg – could not dampen their spirits. Their job was done, their place was secure, and all they had to do now was wait and see first who would join them in Germany, and more importantly who they would meet in the group stage. The months ahead would be full of anticipation.

EvilDave · September 7, 2020

In the weeks leading up to the competition, Raphael and his men became even greater celebrities than they were on the field at St Jakobspark. After a disappointing World Cup in Morocco – at which they escaped their group only to be beaten by eventual finalists Mexico in the last 16 – and the disappointment of the Nations League, there was a real hunger among the population for footballing success. Elise was pleased that Stefan and Sophia were no longer little children, such was the constant attention from the media, and with the tournament just across the border in Germany, the squad’s departure was delayed as long as possible. By the time the football started, things were at fever pitch.

Successful warm-up games against Austria and Slovenia – both 2-0 wins against nations who had admittedly failed to qualify for the finals – only heightened expectations, as did the news that those victories would propel the Swiss to 10^th in FIFA’s much-maligned world rankings. The biggest hype, however, surrounded the draw itself. Alongside Nations League play-off winners Montenegro and the dangerous Russians, Switzerland had been drawn in Group A, which meant a group stage clash with host nation and neighbours Germany.

In the opening game of the tournament, the Germans laid down a marker for the rest of Europe with a 4-1 thumping of the Montenegrins in Berlin, the victory all but guaranteeing their progress in the new 24-team format. A day later, Raphael’s men kicked off against Russia in Dusseldorf knowing that they needed momentum to carry into their own game against the hosts, but well aware of the threat posed by their opponents. If anyone had been blind to the Russian danger before the game, they had their eyes open in the 27^th minute, when a superb volley from Magomed-Shapi Suleimanov flashed past Roman Burki to open the scoring. If Switzerland were to get the win, they would have to do so from behind.

In naming his team for the opener, Raphael had gambled, mixing in a few of his usual benchwarmers in a bid to keep as many stars as possible fresh for the crucial clash against the Germans. However, with his men behind he was forced to the substitutes earlier than anticipated, and was ultimately rewarded in doing so – Shaqiri’s cross towards Marques was overhit, but racing in to tap in at the far post was Avdyl Nuhiu off the bench, and the 74^th-minute goal was enough to earn a share of the spoils. It was something, but they could have done with the three points.

Next up, the hosts in Hamburg. The usual starters returned to the fray, and with a lightning start Switzerland caught the favourites off-guard. Nuhiu and Embolo led the break which earned the early corner, and Cedric Laporte rose highest to crash in the header. But the celebrations were abruptly curtailed by the referee’s signal for a VAR check, and two agonising minutes later the goal was chalked off for the slightest push on a German defender. Raphael fumed silently on the touchline – it was those that cost teams titles, and players and managers alike their livelihoods.

Stirred from their slumber by their narrow escape, Germany began to play. Jurgen Klopp’s men began to dominate, and at half-time both sides were aggrieved not to be ahead – Switzerland after the harsh decision against Laporte, and their hosts by virtue of their increasing pressure. A goalless draw would have been an excellent result for Raphael’s men, leaving them realistically needing only a point against Montenegro to progress, but it was not to be – midway through the second half a slick passing move ending with Timo Werner clipping the ball over Burki, and there was no way back for Switzerland. With just a solitary point from two games and Russia earning a 2-1 win over Montenegro, their final game against the group’s bottom side was now a winner-take-all encounter.

Win it they did, and in some style. Embolo got things started with a mazy solo effort inside the opening 10 minutes, and five minutes later he switched flanks with Sascha Zwingli to devastating effect, the Southampton man curling a shot from the edge of the area after finding himself in far too space. Montenegro rarely threatened, when they did the Swiss defence was equal to them, and in the second half a free-kick from Ricardo Rodriguez was deflected by a leaping defender in the wall, wrongfooting the goalkeeper and bouncing in for a third. As Russia suffered a 2-0 defeat to the hosts, the win actually lifted Raphael’s side into second place in the group courtesy of their superior goal difference. Four points was enough to see the Russians through too, but second place meant a far kinder draw in the last 16.

mark wilson27 · September 7, 2020

Really enjoying this as with all your stories. An example for all newcomers to the forum

EvilDave · September 10, 2020

That's very good of you to say so Mark, thanks for your kind words and support!
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Croatia were no pushovers, but were far preferable to Spain, as was the additional rest day that came with the runners-up spot. Niko Kovac’s side were not the force that reached the 2018 World Cup final – partly because many of the same players remained, having lost their pace in the intervening six years – and while they could hurt anybody on their day, they were not considered as genuine contenders for the European crown.

But neither were Switzerland, and most in the media had this down as a fairly even encounter. They would be right to do so, a cagey opening period seeing two teams cancelling one another out as they looked to impose their differing styles on one another. Raphael’s Switzerland sought to take advantage of their pace in the attacking third, while Croatia’s style saw them control possession, waiting for the opening to emerge. Five minutes into the second half, it was the latter approach that won out, Josip Brekalo the beneficiary of a long spell of possession, but the advantage would not remain. From a similar spell. Rodriguez robbed Nikola Vlasic of the ball and swiftly launched a counter-attack which ended with Albian Ajeti steering a shot through the legs of the Croatian goalkeeper to level the tie.

It remained 1-1 after 90 minutes, dictating 30 more, and the winner came in the second of the two periods. Both sides looked leggy, the pace dropped from the Swiss game, Croatia misplaced an increasing number of passes, and from one such error the game was decided. Substitute Alessio von Gunten stepped in to intercept, released Zwingli in space down the right, and his chipped cross was nodded in by stooping substitute Noah Okafor. The Swiss bench erupted, their Croatian counterparts hung their heads, and there would be no second wind from Kovac’s men. It had taken 120 long and difficult minutes to get there, but Switzerland were into the quarter-finals.

Like Croatia, Belgium were not the superpower they had once almost been. Eden Hazard had stepped away from the international game after the last World Cup, Kevin de Bruyne was now 32 and on the wane, and a 34-year-old Axel Witsel remained their first-choice holding man. However, there were several younger players in the side with the potential to step into their places in the future – Raphael only hoped they did not choose Dortmund as the stage on which to do so.

With both sides struggling for full fitness after needing extra time for their last victories, the pace which characterised the wide play of both teams was noticeably absent in the opening stages of the quarter-final. Anderlecht’s 18-year-old Mathis Roussel, a surprise choice up front ahead of both Romelu Lukaku and Divock Origi, was the sole exception, and the speedster created the opening chance of the game with a darting run and shot at the near post. Burki was equal to it, but Nico Elvedi would keep an extra yard between him and the youngster out of fear for his pace. That gave space for the likes of Adnan Januzaj and Youri Tielemans, and as the first half passed half way, the Leicester man launched a rocket of a shot which flashed narrowly over Burki’s crossbar. Switzerland were firmly second best, but remained level at the break despite creating next to nothing in attack.

Raphael made an early change, opting to replace Michael Frey with the more mobile von Gunten at the break, and the extra movement in midfield seemed to pay dividends, Belgium less able to dictate the play as a consequence. Not only that, but chances began to emerge at the other end. One cross from deep from deputy right-back Silvan Hefti found the head of Mael Marques, and Thibaut Courtois was helpless as the effort sailed over him, only to flick the top of the bar on its way over. Ten minutes later, Avdyl Nuhiu replaced Okafor after starting on the bench, and it took him little time to make his mark. It was not a pretty build-up – a long ball from Elvedi flicked on by Marques into space behind the Belgian defence – but the finish was crisp and accurate. Having been dominated for the first half, Switzerland now led with under half of the second remaining.

The goal meant changes for the Belgians, and the big hitters left on the bench were quickly summoned – Origi, Carrasco and Leverkusen playmaker Grace Mputu. An urgency returned to the favourites, and they flooded forward at every opportunity. Teenage right-back Yilmaz Cicek became a de facto winger, the holding man was sacrificed for more attacking threat – and their reckless abandon cost them dear. Carrasco, yet to fully get up to speed with the match, laid a heavy touch into the path of Nefti, and the full-back’s ball down the line was latched onto by Embolo. With the Belgian defence racing back to little avail, the Stuttgart star pushed the ball past the last man, drew Courtois, and then rolled the ball sideways for Marques to knock into the empty net. At fan parks in Bern, Geneva, Zurich and Basel, tens of thousands of men, women and children punched the air, cheered wildly, and hugged complete strangers. For the first time since Raphael had captained the side at their home tournament in 2008, Switzerland were into the semi-finals of the European Championship.

EvilDave · September 14, 2020

There were four days between the quarter-final and the semi, and with a group of players shattered from their exertions so far, Raphael chose to train with his squad on just two of them. On all of them, however, the media frenzy was in full swing. Every newspaper, TV channel and radio station in Switzerland wanted a piece of the manager and his players. Even two days of training were difficult such were the attentions of the press, and perhaps for the first time Raphael became fully aware of just how much focus could be placed on an international manager. He did not shrink from it – he had never shrunk from a challenge – but it was one distraction he could have done without.

Standing between Switzerland and their first ever major final were France – pre-tournament favourites of many a bookmaker, and a side truly in their prime. Their key men were almost exclusively in the 27-30 age range, with a handful of sparkling young talents sprinkled through the squad, and in Zinedine Zidane they had one of the world’s finest managers. They were worthy adversaries indeed, and whether it would be hosts Germany or world champions Italy who emerged victorious from the other semi-final, France would fancy their chances.

But they needed to get past Switzerland first, and having seen off two sides expected to defeat them in Croatia and Belgium, there was no opponent that phased them. The pace of Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, the lethal finishing of Manchester City’s 21-year-old phenom Prince Modeste, the vision and passing of Paul Pogba, the defensive prowess of Raphael Varane and Aymeric Laporte – they would be a huge threat, of that there could be no doubt, but the Swiss would not be overwhelmed.

The first chance of the game fell not to one of the many aforementioned superstars, but to Avdyl Nuhiu. Capitalising on an uncharacteristic slip from Djibril Sidibe, the Barcelona man cut inside from his left wing and lashed a right-footed shot high across goal. Hugo Lloris flung himself across his goal, stretching his right hand high over his head as he flew through the air to his left, and managed to get enough of his hand to the ball to push it over the bar. France cleared the corner, Xhaka needed to be alert to stop Mbappe racing clear, and things finally calmed down.

Towards the end of the first half, France were on top – at least, it seemed that way. Their control of possession and continual recycling of the ball to their dangermen up front made them seem the more likely to score, but in truth Roman Burki had seen precious little of the ball. His defence had been solid, the Swiss midfield composed on the ball when they had it, and so it was little surprise that things remained level at the interval.

They did not remain that way for long. After a measured start to the second period, Thibauld Renaud slid a pass a full 40 yards towards the French area, cutting the midfield out of the game and catching the defence by surprise. Nuhiu put on the afterburners to get the first touch of the ball, and a split-second later both Sidibe and Varane arrived from opposing sides. The latter hung out a leg in a vain effort to steal the ball, and succeeded only in tripping the forward on the edge of the area. A check with the video assistants proved that it was, in fact, inside the box, and left-back Ricardo Rodriguez stepped up to crash the penalty beyond Lloris for a 1-0 lead.

With little over half an hour left to preserve their presence in the competition, France once again began to take control of proceedings. Pogba pulled the strings in midfield, and first Modeste and then substitute Thomas Lemar tested Burki with efforts from the edge of the area. Still the favourites could not get in behind the Swiss defence however, and as time ticked by they became increasingly frustrated. Raphael’s side did not buckle under the pressure, a few moments wasted led to bookings from irritated Frenchman, and the underdogs edged ever closer to the final.

With three minutes to play, a rare mistake from Renaud presented France with an opportunity. Lemar collected the ball, played a one-two with Pogba, and then surged past a tiring Denis Zakaria into the final third. A clever chipped pass found Mbappe in unexpected space on the left. He drilled the ball in low towards the lurking Modeste, only for Cedric Laporte to turn the ball behind for a corner. Lemar curled in a ball which Burki not only claimed, but also rolled out quickly to substitute Zwingli down the Swiss right. His free run into the French half was cut short by a clumsy trip from Lucas Digne on the halfway line, and the referee had little choice but to flash a second yellow card in the Inter man’s direction. Zidane did not so much as look at his left-back as he trudged down the tunnel, but it made no difference – after seeing out injury time, Switzerland had a place in the Euro 2024 final.

tenthreeleader · September 16, 2020

Just sitting down to this tale but I know what I'm likely to find. And that's a good thing.

EvilDave · September 17, 2020

That's very kind of you to say so @tenthreeleader, and I'm glad to have you on board. I hope what you find lives up to your expectations!
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The next day, in front of a capacity crowd in Munich, the hosts booked an all-Group A affair in the final. Despite falling behind to Andrea Belotti’s 17^th minute effort, the home side rallied and ran out hard-fought 2-1 wins, Timo Werner getting the all-important equaliser before turning provider for Hoffenheim starlet Johannes Buchler to make himself a national hero midway through the second half. The 18-year-old’s goal was enough to sink the world champions, and it would be Germany vs Switzerland for the right to wear the continental crown.

After yet more media attention – far surpassing anything he had experienced even before the semi-final – Raphael was ready to name the side who would take on the mighty Germans. Burki would take his place in goal behind a back four of Hefti, Laporte, Elvedi and Rodriguez, captain Xhaka returned at the base of a midfield three with Renaud and the young von Gunten ahead of him, and the tried-and-trusted trio of Embolo, Nuhiu and Ajeti up front. With Marques, Zwingli, Shaqiri and Frey all offering attacking options off the bench and only right-back Silvan Widmar an injury doubt for the final, Raphael was as confident as he was ever going to be in his side’s ability to win once more.

Facing them down were Jurgen Klopp’s hosts and an almighty collection of world-class talent. Barcelona Marc-Andre ter Stegen protected the goal, Joshua Kimmich and Benjamin Henrichs flanked Jonathan Tah and Bayern youngster Oliver Hock at centre-back, the midfield four saw another Bayern starlet in Tobias Wiesbock paired with Kai Havertz in the centre and a wing duo of Serge Gnabry and Julian Brandt, and a strike pairing of Timo Werner and Kevin Volland. Semi-final hero Buchler was one of several stars on the sideline, and in front of a raucous home crowd in Berlin, the home side were confident of getting the job done for a record fourth time.

After the spine-tingling anthems and pre-match handshakes, the Euro 2024 final got underway with a nervous pass from Nuhiu to Ajeti, and the eyes of Europe settled on the two Germanic neighbours as they did battle once more. In the first clash between the two sides, it had been the hosts who had come out on top despite facing an early scare, and this time it was no different. While the Swiss were happy to concede possession and look to break at speed – something they had done to great effect in their previous two games – it was Germany who had the lion’s share of the ball.

But while possession may be nine tenths of the law, it does very little to the scoreline unless acted upon. A rare Swiss foray forward just before the midway point of the half saw Tah forced to head behind for a corner, and Renaud’s ball in was bundled over the line by Laporte. In the first meeting between these sides, the Arsenal man had seen a perfectly good goal ruled out, but while this one was much scrappier there was no reason for the officials to rule it out, and a silent Olympiastadion could only watch as the Swiss side piled on the centre-back in celebration.

The German gameplan would not change just yet, and the movement of the two strikers – the pacier, darting Werner and the more measured Volland dropping deeper – was clearly causing trouble for the Swiss defence, who were far more used to looking after a lone striker with wing support than a front two. Both men had efforts which narrowly missed Burki’s goal in the minutes after the opener, and the goalkeeper made his first save moments later when Volland’s flick presented Gnabry with the opportunity to fire off a snapshot. The effort was parried away, and the Swiss survived.

Survival was the name of the game, particularly after the break, and as time ticked on the changes made by the two managers reflected the state of affairs. Raphael replaced Nuhiu with Zwingli in a bid to offer Rodriguez a little more protection and replaced von Gunten with the more defensive-minded Zakaria, while Klopp threw on winger Mitchell Weiser at right-back to replace Kimmich, and the adventurous Mario Gotze for sitting midfielder Weisbock. Into the final 20 minutes as still trailing by a goal, Werner was withdrawn in place of semi-final star Buchler, and the hosts’ leader had played his final card.

It was a decision that paid off. With Gotze receiving the ball in midfield, Buchler sped off on a diagonal run which pulled Elvedi out of position and towards his centre-back partner Laporte. The Arsenal man saw the danger, but half a second too late – Gotze clipped a pass forward, Volland cushioned it into the space left by Elvedi, and despite Laporte’s sliding challenge, Julian Brandt was able to free his feet with his first touch before arrowing a shot beyond Burki’s dive with his second. The ball nestled in the corner of the net, an entire nation erupted in celebration, and the two sides had just 14 minutes to try and find a winner.

The hosts came close – a remarkable piece of improvisation from an off-balance Buchler sending a chipped half-volley onto the roof of the Swiss net – but Switzerland were just about able to hold on, sending the final to an extra 30 minutes. Raphael rolled the dice one more time, bringing on the veteran Shaqiri for von Gunten in the centre of midfield, and the referee got extra time underway. Aside from a speculative, swerving effort from the latest substitute and a near-post header from Volland, the additional period produced very little by way of goalmouth action, and another whistle confirmed what many had been anticipating – the Euro 2024 final would be decided by a penalty shoot-out.

Granit Xhaka won the first mini-battle, calling correctly at the coin toss and electing to claim the first penalty for Switzerland. Silence descended once more over Berlin as Ricardo Rodriguez stepped forward to take the first kick, and the PSV man showed no sign of nerves as he calmly sent swept the ball past the German goalkeeper. Julian Brandt, the German hero of the 90 minutes, made no mistake with his reply, and after one round there remained no difference between the sides.

Breel Embolo was next, looking nervous on his walk to the penalty spot after an uncharacteristically quiet game. However, the Stuttgart man was clinical when it counted, beating ter Stegen’s dive with a well-placed penalty into the bottom right corner, and the pressure switched to Kevin Volland. The Leverkusen man looked confident on his approach, but was perhaps disguising his doubts – he stuttered in the run-up before slamming his shot against the top of the crossbar, and Switzerland’s advantage was confirmed.

Thibaud Renaud was the second Stuttgart man to step up for the Swiss in quick succession, determined to cement his side’s lead. He fired his penalty hard and straight after ter Stegen moved early, but to his horror the Barcelona keeper managed to throw out a leg and deflect the shot away with his trailing foot. Mario Gotze made no fuss of sending his effort into the top right corner, and the final was back on serve.

Next up was Xherdan Shaqiri, the veteran substitute seeking to make an impact after a quiet extra time appearance. His effort was hit well and with accuracy, but it came at a good height for the goalkeeper, and ter Stegen’s strong wrists denied Switzerland for the second time in a row. Teenage prodigy Johannes Buchler jogged to the spot with the opportunity to put his side into the lead for the first time in the match, and with a little help from the inside of the post he managed just that. With time running out, it was very much advantage Germany.

For his nation to stay alive in the final, Albian Ajeti needed to score. The pressure told in his eyes and he lined up his effort, but his nerves did not fail him – remarkably, the Leipzig striker clipped his penalty straight down the middle, leaving the diving goalkeeper helpless on the ground. Nevertheless, Serge Gnabry could win the European Championship for Germany with a successful spot-kick, and all eyes fell on the Liverpool winger. He walked forward with purpose, placed the ball on the penalty spot, backed away, and then began his run-up.

The net bulged as Gnabry’s shot made contact, and the winger raced away to be mobbed by team-mates and staff alike. Burki remained on the floor after his dive, consoled by ter Stegen in a moment that would be captured by media outlets from across the globe. In the centre of the field, the Swiss team sat disconsolate, tears in several pairs of eyes, Raphael with his arm around a weeping Renaud. The runners-up medals they would receive moments later were a remarkable achievement, but a bitter consolation for their performance over the course of the tournament, and nobody was in a mood to celebrate their unlikely run to the final just yet. Disappointment was all they could feel – pride would only come with hindsight.

Back home across the border, the returning Swiss team were greeted as heroes, lauded as the best ever by their national press, celebrated as role models by many. As time passed, the wounds of the final began to heal, but the scars left behind burned with a desire to go one better. On the short flight back to his homeland, Raphael had wondered whether this run could be bested, what the future held for the national side, whether he could lead them any further. By the time club football was up and running again, he had come to a decision. The North American World Cup was approaching in two years’ time, and he would be the man to lead Switzerland across the Atlantic.

Edited September 17, 2020 by EvilDave

tenthreeleader · September 17, 2020

On 07/09/2020 at 03:28, EvilDave said:

Raphael fumed silently on the touchline – it was those that cost teams titles, and players and managers alike their livelihoods.

This is what I love about your style, Dave. You are very good with a turn of phrase. Makes for very enjoyable reading.

EvilDave · September 21, 2020

While Raphael reaffirmed his commitment to the Swiss cause, there were others who decided to step away for other reasons. Second-choice goalkeeper Yann Mvogo was left than thrilled by the prospect of sitting behind Roman Burki in the pecking order for several more years, and at age 30 decided he would not be returning to the international fray. With just a handful of caps to his name and several promising goalkeepers coming through – not least Basel’s teenage star Noel Voegli who was drawing attention from bigger clubs around the continent – he would not be a huge loss.

Xherdan Shaqiri was another who would be stepping down from international duty, and with more than 100 caps and 31 goals under his belt, he would be retiring with far more of a fanfare than Mvogo. Several times the saviour of the Swiss in his earlier years, the diminutive playmaker would be capably replaced in the squad by Nantes’ Ingo Voigt, but he would retire having left a significant mark on the history of the Swiss game.

As did a certain Granit Xhaka. The long-serving captain, the man who had anchored their run to the European final, who had rebuilt a turbulent spell at Arsenal with impressive performances for first PSG and more recently Shanghai, was stepping away aged just 31. He reasoned that the World Cup would come too late for him just a few weeks before his 33^rd birthday – logic which was probably accurate, but still dificult to process in the moment – and so was now ready to step aside and let younger blood come through. The man Raphael had in mind to do that was very young indeed – Basel’s 18-year-old star Jose Manuel Jimenez – but it would be some time before he could even begin to think about filling the hole left behind. In first Shaqiri and then Xhaka, Switzerland were losing two of the greatest footballers in their history.

But the footballing world did not give much room for sentiment, and as quickly as the European Championship came to an end, so the 2025 Nations League got underway. As losing semi-finalists last time out Raphael’s side were once again one of the sides destined for League A, and wound up drawn in Division 3 along with Ukraine, vanquished Euro foes Croatia, and world champions Italy. While it was not the most prestigious tournament, it was still something the Swiss wanted to win to establish their position as one of the continent’s elite sides.

Their tournament would begin at home to the world champions in front of a vociferous crowd at St Jakobspark, and inside the first 20 minutes of the competition they took the lead, Manchester United striker Nishan Burkart – into the line-up as a replacement for the injured Marques – fired past Gianlugi Donnarumma. However, a second half fightback from the Italians eventually earned them a point, a raking ball from Sandro Tonali finding Andrea Belotti in full flow, and the striker beating Burki across goal to level the game.

Next up was a trip to Kyiv for the lowest ranked side in the group, but also the least predictable. On a warm September evening, the home side took Raphael’s men by surprise, sending wave after wave of attack towards the Swiss goal. While Cedric Laporte and Basel youngster Jose Henrique did well to repel the Ukrainians for much of the first half, but could do nothing to stop Viktor Tsygankov’s 30-yard rocket from finding the top corner of Roman Burki’s net. However, Lavergne’s Switzerland had already proved at the Euros that they were not a team to lie down, and Sascha Zwingli’s superb free-kick curled up and over the yellow wall with 20 minutes left to play to make it two draws from as many games for the European finalists.

A month later, a trip to Rome would all but end Switzerland’s Nations League hopes. In a closely-fought encounter, a rocket from the overlapping Lorenzo Pellegrini in the 62^nd minute proved the difference between the two sides, leaving the Swiss with just two points at the halfway stage and in a real danger of relegation to the second tier of the competition. However, days later they returned to Basel and thumped Croatia 3-0 thanks largely to a superb performance from the wing pair of Nuhiu and Embolo, who grabbed a goal each, and the fears began to ease.

Into the final group games in November, Switzerland were finally able to put the nightmare of League B to bed, hosting Ukraine and putting in a highly professional performance. Despite Renaud seeing a first-half penalty saved, he provided the assist for Mael Marques’ opening goal after just 80 seconds of the second half, and repeated the trick with a fine cross headed home by Jose Manuel Jimenez, the teenage holding man making just his third substitute appearance for his nation. It left Raphael’s men in a position few had thought likely after the first few games – if Ukraine could take points off the world champions in Rome, a win in Zagreb would allow Switzerland to clinch the group.

However, while their home form had been impressive, taking seven points from a possible nine, their away form had been less than spectacular. Despite conceding a penalty inside seven minutes, Avdyl Nuhiu pulled his side first level and then ahead, both goals seeing him outpace the Croatian defence before sliding the ball beyond the goalkeeper. Nevertheless, with the home side battling to avoid relegation themselves, they refused to go down without a fight, and in the dying moments Ivan Blagojevic found half a yard in which to shoot home and secure the draw. It was not enough for the hosts to avoid the drop, nor would a win for Switzerland have denied the Italians the division, but it was nonetheless a disappointing end to the campaign for Raphael’s team. It was difficult to figure out exactly how Switzerland had done in such a short competition, but their manager was nonetheless deflated by failing to make the semi-finals.

With no knockout games to play, Switzerland’s 2026 began with two friendly victories in March, first a 2-1 win in neighbouring Austria and then an entertaining 4-2 victory over visiting Colombia at St Jakobspark. Later that month, they would begin their qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup, to be held across the US, Mexico and Canada.

In those three weeks, Raphael and Elise retreated from the limelight. Since being appointed as Switzerland manager, the pair had barely been able to enjoy a holiday, and while the strain on their relationship had by no means been terminal, the desire to reconnect and shut out the rest of the world was strong. With Stefan and Sophia having flown the nest to university in Munich and Paris respectively, the pair were very aware of their need to support one another, and that time spent in the isolation of the Alps helped do just that. Not only that, but it gave them some clarity – regardless of where Raphael’s career would take them, the Lavergnes made the decision that it would not take them any further in the international game. If Switzerland failed to make the World Cup, he would step away at the end of qualification. If they made it, he would step away after the finals. The Swiss FA were informed of the decision, reluctantly accepted it, and decided not to make the information public on the condition that Raphael would not negotiate with any clubs during his time with the national team. With everything now resolved, the Lavergnes could now get on with the small matter of attempting to take Switzerland to the World Cup.

EvilDave · September 23, 2020

In the qualifying draw, Switzerland were one of the top seeds and therefore expected to make it through the group. From the second and third pots they drew the bottom and top seeds respectively in Denmark and Wales, before finding themselves matched with three sides they would be expected to overcome – Iceland, Georgia, and Kazakhstan. All in all, it was a group that seemed reasonably evenly matched beneath the top three sides who, barring a major surprise, would fight it out for qualification.

The fixture computer was kind, with a home game against the Kazakhs first on the agenda. Inside two minutes they took the lead through Marques, and from then on it was one-way traffic at St Jakobspark. The final whistle blew at 4-0 and a Marques hat-trick, and Raphael’s men got off to the only plausible start. It was a confidence-boosting win, but of far more consequence would be the following game – a trip to Cardiff to take on a Wales side who had opened their own campaign with a less than convincing 1-1 draw in Reykjavik.

But less than convincing would be the order of the day for Raphael’s European finalists, whose performance in the principality left a lot to be desired. Despite young Jimenez scuffing a shot beyond the home goalkeeper against the run of play in the first half, it would not be enough to secure a win for the Swiss favourites. Instead, Cedric Laporte saw red within 10 minutes of the second half after picking up two bookings in quick succession, and the second allowed Ben Woodburn to level from the spot for Wales. A man down, Switzerland offered little going forward and resorted to simply holding on to the point they had, but even that wasn’t possible – with five minutes remaining, Woodburn turned provider for the winning goal, curling in a cross from Lewis Griffin to head past Burki and send Cardiff City Stadium wild. A win and a loss from the opening pair of fixtures was not ideal, but the Swiss did at least have their most difficult trip of the qualifiers out of the way.

When the team gathered again for the next two ties, they faced another tricky trip – away in Tbilisi against a Georgian side with no shortage of upsets to their name in the last couple of decades. In front of a hostile home crowd, Raphael’s men struggled to break down a deep, defensive opposition, and at the interval their manager was forced to read them the riot act after recording just a solitary Marques shot on target in the opening 45 minutes. Switzerland were not exactly a side transformed after the break, but as the Georgians tired as a result of chasing the ball so gaps began to emerge, and as the clock ticked into the final quarter of the match a stray pass was picked off by Renaud, laid into the path of Zwingli, crossed into the six yard box, and stabbed home by Alessio von Gunten making a late run into the box. A single goal would be enough, and Switzerland left the Caucasus with all three points.

Round four of the fixtures would be another big one, with the next visitors to Basel being a Denmark side eager to stake their own claim to a World Cup berth. Strong at home, the Danes arrived after a morale-boosting 3-0 victory over Iceland, and started the game like a team high on confidence. After just five minutes, Burki found himself beaten by a powerful header from Torsten Lybbe, but the Schalke striker’s celebrations were short-lived as the assistant referee flagged for a push on the returning Laporte, chalking off the goal and maintaining parity in the process. Just a few minutes later, Michael Frey’s through-ball beat the Danish offside trap, and Embolo raced through to net the opening goal with his side’s first real attack of the game.

That still wasn’t enough to dampen Danish spirits however, and Raphael had his head in his hands before the break as the usually dependable Nico Elvedi poked a fairly harmless cross beyond his own goalkeeper when under very little pressure to level the scores. But just as the visitors’ confidence seemed at its highest, they managed to self-destruct – Kasper Dolberg becoming the villain with a late and reckless lunge on Ricardo Rodriguez, leaving the French referee with no choice but to issue a straight red card to the Everton forward. With only 10 men to break down, Switzerland forced the issue in the second half, Embolo grabbing his second of the game with a stooping header before a free-kick from substitute Ingo Voigt wrapped up a hugely important victory. With the Welsh defeat the only blemish on the record, things were looking good for Raphael and his side.

EvilDave · September 25, 2020

Games five and six would both take place away from the home comforts of St Jakobspark, taking the European silver medallists to the far reaches of the continent with games in Iceland and Kazakhstan. Two wins would put Switzerland in a very strong position for qualification, but defeat on the road would make the group very interesting with both Denmark and Wales ready to pounce on any potential slip-ups from the favourites.

And so on a cold and windy Thursday evening in Reykjavik, there was a great deal riding on the game. Raphael gambled on a mixture of his first and second elevens, aiming to put out two different but roughly equal strength sides in the two fixtures on opposite sides of UEFA’s jurisdiction, and against a well-drilled Icelandic side, it resulted in something of a war of attrition, with neither side showing much by way of creativity, but unwilling to give even an inch to their opponents. In the end, it was decided by a single goal once again, and again that goal went the way of the Swiss – this time in rather fortuitous circumstances as Avdyl Nuhiu’s shot bounced first off the post and then off the stricken Icelandic goalkeeper before Albian Ajeti tapped in from all of two yards out.

By contrast, Kazakhstan put up far less of a fight on their home soil, a goal inside 90 seconds from Thibauld Renaud putting Raphael’s men on their way to a comfortable 2-0 victory, centre-back Jan Bamert netting his first international goal in the second half to secure all three points and put the finishing touch on a very successful international break for the Swiss. With four games remaining, the favourites did indeed sit atop Group E, three points ahead of Wales in second and five clear of both Denmark and Iceland in the chasing pack. With games against all three of their nearest contenders still remaining, Switzerland were in a very strong position – but knew even a single defeat could see them slip into a very dangerous one.

First up was the visit of the Welsh to Basel, and a chance to exact some revenge for the 2-1 reverse in Cardiff earlier in the campaign. Victory would all but secure a top two finish for the hosts, and Raphael’s men began the game like a team with everything to play for, testing the visiting goalkeeper no fewer than four times in the opening 10 minutes but to no avail. Moments later, Sascha Zwingli floated a corner perfectly onto the head of Cedric Laporte, who made no mistake from six yards out to put the Swiss ahead.

However, a momentary lapse in concentration almost straight from the restart quickly undid all their hard work. Ethan Ampadu launched a long diagonal ball onto the boot of Dan James, and the Crystal Palace forward turned Rodriguez before firing past Burki and into the bottom corner to silence St Jakobspark. Two minutes before the interval, the silence turned into discontent as Ben Woodburn’s shot deflected off Elvedi and nestled into the bottom corner, and despite spending most of the half in the ascendancy, Switzerland traipsed off the field at the half-time interval trailing their closest rivals.

The difficulty that Raphael faced was that his team were not performing badly – they had simply not been clinical enough, and been unfortunate with a deflection at the other end. With that in mind, it was the same side that trotted out for the second period, with instructions to take their chances and with it deny Wales a chance to draw level at the top of the group. A fired-up Embolo duly took action, sliding in a cool finish only for the offside flag to deny him the equaliser, but eventually the relentless Swiss attack got its reward. Embolo again broke behind the Welsh defence, a lunging challenge sent him sprawling inside the penalty area, and Renaud rolled home the penalty to level the game. To the frustration of the home fans there would be no third goal for the hosts, but crucially there would be nothing for the visitors either, meaning they stayed three points behind in the race for the World Cup.

Four days later another opportunity to book their transatlantic flights arose with a second home game in a row, Iceland the next side to try their luck in Basel. However, while a rotated Swiss outfit had struggled in the harsh conditions of Reykjavik, a full strength team on home soil had no such difficulty against an Icelandic side which defended in numbers and barely threatened Roman Burki’s goal. Their resistance was broken on the stroke of half time by Mael Marques, and with the game broken open, Iceland had nothing. A second for Marques and a final strike from Nuhiu sealed a comfortable 3-0 victory to put the Swiss on the brink of qualification.

Results elsewhere – namely Wales dropping points in a real battle of a game in Georgia – meant that, heading into the final pair of fixtures, Switzerland needed either to avoid defeat in Copenhagen, or to win their last home game against the Georgians if they lost their first outing, in order to claim a place at the 2026 World Cup. While the expectation among the Swiss footballing community had risen to the point that qualification was more or less assumed, it was still a hugely significant moment for the national team, and the increase in media attention around the games was noticeable. The pressure was on at the crucial moment, and it was on Raphael and his side to deliver for a nation.

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