Tranquillo Barnetta: Difference between revisions

Tranquillo Barnetta

Personal information
Date of birth	(1985-05-22) 22 May 1985
Place of birth	St. Gallen, Switzerland
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Winger
Team information
Current team	Schalke 04
Number	27
Youth career
1991–1996	FC Rotmonten St. Gallen
1996–2002	St. Gallen
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2002–2004	St. Gallen	60	(15)
2004–2012	Bayer Leverkusen	187	(23)
2004–2005	→ Hannover 96 (loan)	7	(2)
2012–	Schalke 04	13	(0)
International career‡
2004–	Switzerland	65	(10)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20 January 2013 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16 October 2012

Tranquillo Barnetta (Italian pronunciation: [traŋˈkwillo barˈnetta]; born 22 May 1985 in St. Gallen) is a Swiss footballer who plays as a midfielder for Schalke 04 and the Swiss national team. He usually plays out wide as a left winger but can also play in a more withdrawn role as a defensive midfielder. Barnetta is known for his "extreme pace, mobility and creativity."

Career

Club

Barnetta started his career with St. Gallen in his hometown but was soon snapped up by German side Bayer Leverkusen in January 2004 During his first season at Bayer, he had a loan spell at Hannover 96, returning to Bayer in March 2005.

After a good showing at the World Cup in Germany, Barnetta became a regular in the Bayer squad. The 2008–09 season was one to forget for him, after Bayer finished two places lower than the previous season and his goals tally dropped slightly. During the summer transfer window, he was linked with a move away from Bayer as his place in the squad seemed under threat from loanee Toni Kroos. He regained his good form in the 2009–10 season, scoring a brace in only his second league game of the season and contributing to Bayer's unbeaten run for the entire first half of the season.

On 2 July 2012, after his contract ran out at Bayer Leverkusen, Barnetta signed a three year deal with Bundesliga rivals Schalke 04 in preparation for the Gelsenkirchen club's participation in the Champions League.

International

Barnetta is a former youth international and was in the Swiss U-17 squad that won the 2002 U-17 European Championships along with future senior teammates Philippe Senderos and Reto Ziegler. He has been a member of the senior national team and was first called up to the squad for the Euro 2004 but did not make an appearance. At the 2006 World Cup, he scored the second goal in Switzerland's group stage win over Togo, but missed a penalty kick in the shootout against Ukraine, which Switzerland lost 3–0. On 4 July, Barnetta was shortlisted for the tournament's Best Young Player award. He was ever present in 2010 World Cup qualifying as the Swiss secured a place by finishing top of their group. On 4 June 2011, Barnetta scored two free kicks in quick succession against England in the Euro 2012 qualifiers.

International goals

As of 16 October 2012

Barnetta – goals for Switzerland
#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Report
1.	1 March 2006	Hampden Park, Glasgow	Scotland	1–0	3–1	Friendly
2.	27 May 2006	St. Jakob-Park, Basel	Ivory Coast	1–0	1–1	Friendly
3.	19 June 2006	Westfalenstadion, Dortmund	Togo	2–0	2–0	2006 World Cup
4.	22 August 2007	Stade de Genève, Geneva	Netherlands	1–0 (penalty)	2–1	Friendly
5.				2–0
6.	7 September 2007	Ernst Happel Stadion, Vienna	Chile	1–0	2–1	Friendly
7.	4 June 2011	Wembley Stadium, London	England	1–0	2–2	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
8.				2–0
9.	15 August 2012	Stadion Poljud, Split	Croatia	2–1	4–2	Friendly
10.	16 October 2012	Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík	Iceland	1–0	2–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

International

• UEFA U-17 European Champion: 2002

External links

• barnettafan.ch – Tranquillo Barnetta's official fanshop Template:De icon
• Leverkusen who's who
• Tranquillo Barnetta at fussballdaten.de (in German)