12 December 1949 - A Born Leader

On 12 December 1949, two-time Club Coach of the Year Ottmar Hitzfeld was born in Lörrach, West Germany.

As a striker, he enjoyed a successful playing career, including a spell with Basel (1971-75) in which he won two league titles and was once the league's top scorer. After subsequent stints with Stuttgart (1975-78), Lugano (1978-80), and Luzern (1980-83), he moved into management, starting with SC Zug (1983-84) and Aarau (1984-88).

But he rose to prominence with Grasshopper Zürich, where, between 1988 and 1991, he guided the team to two league titles and two Swiss Cups. That earned him a move to the Bundesliga where he led Borussia Dortmund to the championship in 1995 and 1996, then lifted the Champions League trophy in 1997. The latter performance led the IFFHS to name him their Club Coach of the Year.

He then moved to Bayern Munich, where he won another four Bundesliga titles, including the 2001 title when he also claimed a second Champions League trophy. That year, IFFHS again made him their Club Coach of the Year.

Hitzfeld left Bayern in 2004, but returned for a second spell in 2007 and won yet another league title, then left in 2008 to manage Switzerland, where he stayed until his retirement in 2014.

14 November 1990 - It Didn't Get Much Better From There

On 14 November 1990, San Marino played their first FIFA-sanctioned international, losing 0-4 to Switzerland in a European qualifier.

San Marino's national team dates back to 1986, but they did not join FIFA until four years later, just in time to participate in qualification for Euro 1992. They hosted their first qualifier at the Stadio Olimpico in Serravale against the Swiss, who had already played twice (a 2-0 win over Bulgaria and a 1-1 loss to Scotland).

That additional preparation undoubtedly helped Switzerland, who were up 0-3 at the end of the first half, then scored once more in the 87th minute to cap the 0-4 victory.

San Marino played another seven qualifiers and lost them all, conceding a total of 32 goals and scoring only once (a penalty). In fact, they lost all of their games until a draw with Turkey in March 1993 and did not win a match until beating Liechtenstein in April 2004.

7 September 1977 - The End Of Callaghan's Capless Gap

On 7 September 1977, Liverpool midfielder Ian Callaghan made his third England appearance--a record 11 years and 49 days after his previous one.

A Liverpool player since the start of his professional career in 1960, Callaghan (pictured at far left) earned his first England cap at he age of 24 in a June 1966 friendly against Finland (England won 3-0). His second came the following month in the World Cup, as England beat France 2-0 in the group stage. It was his only appearances of the tournament, which England went on to win. Although his failure to take part in the final meant that he did not receive a winner's medal at the time, he eventually received one in 2009, along with all of the other squad members. 

Despite his perfect record, he then went over a decade without playing for the national team. He continued to star for Liverpool, however, winning a total of five league titles, two FA Cups, two UEFA Cups, and two European Cups between 1964 and 1978.

In 1977, after missing England's previous 108 games, he returned to the national team for a friendly against Switzerland, which ended as a scoreless draw. The gap of 11 years and 49 days between caps remains an England record.

He made a fourth and final appearance the following month in a 2-0 win over Luxembourg.

26 June 2006 - The Great Swiss Wind-Up

On 26 June 2006, Switzerland set a couple of World Cup records. Unfortunately for them, however, neither of them was one they wanted to set.

The Swiss had surprised most observers by winning their first-round group with a scoreless draw against France and a couple of 2-0 victories over Togo and South Korea. That performance sent them through to the Round of 16, where they met the Ukraine.

Playing before a crowd of 45,000 in Cologne, the two teams were locked in a defensive struggle. The Ukraine's best chance came from Andriy Shevchenko, who sent a header off the bar, while Switzerland's Alexander Frei also hit the woodwork. But nobody managed to find the back of the net through extra time, so the match went to a penalty shootout.

Shevchenko took the first kick, but sent it right into the arms of Swiss keeper Pascal Zuberbuehler. Switzerland's euphoria was short-lived, however, as their first shooter, Marco Streller, did the same. Then, after Ukraine converted their next two kicks, Switzerland proceeded to miss theirs, sending one over the bar and the other right to Ukraine keeper Oleksandr Shovkovskiy (pictured). Ukrainian midfielder Oleh Husyev then scored on the next kick to send the Ukraine through, 0-0 (3-0).

The result earned Switzerland the dubious distinction of becoming the first team to get eliminated from the World Cup without conceding a single goal. They also became the first team in a World Cup to miss all of their kicks in a penalty shootout.

29 October 1933 - When Crossing The Border Crosses The Line

On 29 October 1933, Switzerland and Romania drew 2-2 in a World Cup qualifier. FIFA, however, later concluded that the Romanians had used an ineligible player and awarded the Swiss a 2-0 win instead.

The controversial match was the second in the three-team qualification group that also included Yugoslavia. The Swiss had already drawn with Yugoslavia, while Romania had not yet played. The teams met at the Wankdorf Stadion in Bern, where the visitors went up 0-2 with goals from forwards Gratian Sepi (18') and Stefan Dobay (65'). Switzerland pulled back within one after a score from forward Erwin Hochstrasser (75'), then midfielder Ernst Hufschmid converted an 80th-minute penalty to earn what they thought was a draw.

After the match, Swiss officials complained to FIFA that Romania had illegally included forward Iuliu Baratky (pictured). Baratky had made nine appearances for Hungary between 1930 and 1933, making him ineligible to play for neighboring Romania. In response, FIFA recorded the match as a 2-0 Swiss victory. Romania went on to defeat Yugoslavia 2-1 to qualify for the tournament anyway.

Meanwhile, Baratky continued to play for them, making a total of 20 appearances and scoring 14 goals from 1933 to 1940.

20 June 1954 - Goals! Goals! Goals!

On 20 June 1954, the World Cup experienced an offensive explosion, with 25 goals in the day's four matches. At 6.25 goals per game, it remains the highest-averaging daily output in a World Cup.

It was the last scheduled match day in Groups 2 and 4, with the former providing most of the goals. Group 2's Hungary and West Germany played in the day's first match, with Hungary rolling to victory by a margin of 8-3. Hungarian forward Sándor Kocsis was the star of the day, scoring four. In the group's other match, Turkey crushed South Korea by an even greater margin, winning 7-0 with a hat-trick from forward Burhan Sargin.

In Group 4, England beat Switzerland 2-0, while Italy defeated Belgium 4-1.

The day's biggest winners, Hungary and West Germany, eventually met in the Final, where the West Germans won 3-2 to claim their first World Cup title.

18 June 1994 - The Yanks Get The Point

On 18 June 1994, the United States earned their first World Cup point since 1950 by drawing 1-1 with Switzerland in the opening match of the tournament. Played at the Pontiac Silverdome in Detroit, Michigan, it was also the first World Cup match in history to be played indoors.

The US had earned their last World Cup points in 1950 with a shocking 1-0 upset of England. They were subsequently eliminated from that tournament with a loss to Chile, then failed to qualify for the competition until 1990, when they lost all three of their matches.

In 1994, the hosting US side appeared to be headed for another poor run after going down 0-1 in the first half with a 39th-minute free kick from veteran Swiss striker Georges Bregy. But right before the end of the half, the referee awarded the US a free kick after a foul by Swiss midfielder Ciriaco Sforza. Forward Eric Wynalda stepped up and fired the 28-yard kick over the wall and into the top near-side corner of the net for the equalizer.

The teams played to a stalemate for the remainder of the match, which finished 1-1. The US went on the earn an additional three points by defeating Colombia 2-1, but lost their remaining matches to Romania (0-1 in the group stage) and Brazil (1-0 in the first knockout round).

9 June 1938 - The Swiss Kick The Nazis Out Of France

On 9 June 1938, Switzerland defeated Germany 2-4 in a World Cup First Round replay before a crowd of 22,000 at the Parc des Princes in Paris. The match eliminated Germany from the tournament and remains their poorest showing in a World Cup.

The two sides had earlier played on 4 June, but the match ended as a 1-1 draw at the end of extra time. According to the rules then in place, a replay was required to produce a winner. Initially, it appeared that the Germans were on track to advance after taking a 2-0 lead with an 8th-minute goal from striker Willi Hahnemann and a 22nd-minute own-goal from Switzerland's Ernst Lörtscher (the first-ever World Cup own-goal). 

The Swiss, however, stormed back, with a pair of goals from strikers Eugen Walaschek (43') and Alfred Bickel (64'). Fellow striker André Abegglen, who had scored the Swiss' only goal in the earlier meeting, completed the comeback win with a late brace (75', 78'). For their reward, the Swiss advanced to face Hungary in the quarterfinals, losing 2-0.

19 May 1957 - Scots In Swiss Clothing

On 19 May 1957, Scotland defeated Switzerland 1-2 in a World Cup qualifier in Basel, but they had to do it in shirts borrowed from the Swiss.

Ordinarily, the blue shirts of the Scottish national team would have been fine, as the Swiss shirts were red. But, according to Tommy Docherty, who started in the midfield for the Scots that day, the match was televised across Europe in black and white. Without color, officials were concerned that viewers would have difficulty distinguishing between the sides. The Scots, however, had not brought a change kit, so they had to borrow Switzerland's, which used white shirts trimmed in red.

That matter settled, the Swiss took an early lead, going up 1-0 in the 13th minute with a goal from forward Roger Vonlanthen. Scotland, though, battled back against the Swiss and the progressively deteriorating weather to level the match with a 33rd-minute goal from forward Jackie Mudie (pictured). Level at the break, the Scots continued to press in the second half and were rewarded by a 71st-minute match-winner from midfielder Bobby Collins - his first international goal.

The win put Scotland at the top of their qualification group. After two more matches (a loss to Spain and another win over the Swiss) they advanced to the World Cup, where they were eliminated in the group stage.

10 October 1998 - Totti Gets Capped

On 10 October 1998, Roma midfielder/second striker Francesco Totti earned his first cap for Italy in a 2-0 win over Switzerland in a Euro 2000 qualifier.

Totti, who was born in Rome in 1976, has played his entire club career for hometown club Roma, whom he joined as a youth player in 1989. By the time the 22-year old Totti received his first call-up to Italy's senior side, he had already won international honors for his country, claiming the 1996 UEFA U-21 European Championship.

In the Euro 2000 tournament, Totti helped the Azzurri reach the Final, contributing a goal to their 2-0 win over Belgium in the group stage, another in their 2-0 win over Romania in the first knockout round, and a penalty kick in their 0-0 (1-3) win over Holland in the semi-finals. Italy lost to France 2-1 in the Final, however, after French striker David Trezeguet scored the golden goal in the 103rd minute. Totti's play earned him inclusion in the 23-player UEFA Team of the Tournament.

Totti and Italy got their revenge on France six years later when they defeated Les Bleus in the 2006 World Cup Final, Totti's last match for Italy. In all, he made 58 appearances for the Azzurri, scoring 9 goals.

16 June 2010 - But It's Not How You Start, It's How You Finish That Matters

On 16 June 2010, Spain started the World Cup with a shocking 1-0 loss to Switzerland. But it turned out to be their only loss of the tournament.

The reigning European champions, Spain carried a lot of expectations into the World Cup, with many people considering them the heavy favorites to win the tournament. Few thought that Switzerland would present much of a challenge to them, even though they had advanced to the Round of 16 in 2006 and won their qualification group.

But when the two teams met in Durban, the Swiss provided one of the tournament's biggest upsets. Although Spain dominated possession (67% to 33%) and outshot Switzerland 22 to 6, the day's only goal came from Swiss midfielder Gelson Fernandes (pictured) in the 52nd minute, when he reached the ball after a goalmouth scramble and fired it home just before Spanish keeper Iker Casillas could knock it away.

Not content to sit on their lead, Switzerland pressed forward and almost doubled their lead with a shot that hit the post. Spain, meanwhile, almost found an equalizer, but were denied by the bar.The 1-0 final was Switzerland's first-ever win over Spain.

Spain apparently took the loss as a wake-up call, going on to win every one of their remaining matches to lift the cup, while Switzerland followed the victory with a draw and a loss to exit the tournament at the end of the group stage.

12 December 1949 - A Born Leader

On 12 December 1949, two-time Club Coach of the Year Ottmar Hitzfeld was born in Lörrach, West Germany.

As a striker, he enjoyed a successful playing career, including a spell with Basel (1971-75) in which he won two league titles and was once the league's top scorer. After subsequent stints with Stuttgart (1975-78), Lugano (1978-80), and Luzern (1980-83), he moved into management, starting with SC Zug (1983-84) and Aarau (1984-88).

But he rose to prominence with Grasshopper Zürich, where, between 1988 and 1991, he guided the team to two league titles and two Swiss Cups. That earned him a move to the Bundesliga where he led Borussia Dortmund to the championship in 1995 and 1996, then lifted the Champions League trophy in 1997. The latter performance led the IFFHS to name him their Club Coach of the Year.

He then moved to Bayern Munich, where he won another four Bundesliga titles, including the 2001 title when he also claimed a second Champions League trophy. That year, IFFHS again made him their Club Coach of the Year.

Hitzfeld left Bayern in 2004, but returned for a second spell in 2007 and won yet another league title, then left in 2008 to manage Switzerland, his current team.

14 November 1990 - It Didn't Get Much Better From There

On 14 November 1990, San Marino played their first FIFA-sanctioned international, losing 0-4 to Switzerland in a European qualifier.

San Marino's national team dates back to 1986, but they did not join FIFA until four years later, just in time to participate in qualification for Euro 1992. They hosted their first qualifier at the Stadio Olimpico in Serravale against the Swiss, who had already played twice (a 2-0 win over Bulgaria and a 1-1 loss to Scotland).

That additional preparation undoubtedly helped Switzerland, who were up 0-3 at the end of the first half, then scored once more in the 87th minute to cap the 0-4 victory.

San Marino played another seven qualifiers and lost them all, conceding a total of 32 goals and scoring only once (a penalty). In fact, they lost all of their games until a draw with Turkey in March 1993 and did not win a match until beating Liechtenstein in April 2004.

7 September 1977 - The End Of Callaghan's Capless Gap

On 7 September 1977, Liverpool midfielder Ian Callaghan made his third England appearance--a record 11 years and 49 days after his previous one.

A Liverpool player since the start of his professional career in 1960, Callaghan (pictured at far left) earned his first England cap at he age of 24 in a June 1966 friendly against Finland (England won 3-0). His second came the following month in the World Cup, as England beat France 2-0 in the group stage. It was his only appearances of the tournament, which England went on to win. Although his failure to take part in the final meant that he did not receive a winner's medal at the time, he eventually received one in 2009, along with all of the other squad members.

Despite his perfect record, he then went over a decade without playing for the national team. He continued to star for Liverpool, however, winning a total of five league titles, two FA Cups, two UEFA Cups, and two European Cups between 1964 and 1978.

In 1977, after missing England's previous 108 games, he returned to the national team for a friendly against Switzerland, which ended as a scoreless draw. The gap of 11 years and 49 days between caps remains an England record.

He made a fourth and final appearance the following month in a 2-0 win over Luxembourg.

26 June 2006 - The Great Swiss Wind-Up

On 26 June 2006, Switzerland set a couple of World Cup records. Unfortunately for them, however, neither of them was one they wanted to set.

The Swiss had surprised most observers by winning their first-round group with a scoreless draw against France and a couple of 2-0 victories over Togo and South Korea. That performance sent them through to the Round of 16, where they met the Ukraine.

Playing before a crowd of 45,000 in Cologne, the two teams were locked in a defensive struggle. The Ukraine's best chance came from Andriy Shevchenko, who sent a header off the bar, while Switzerland's Alexander Frei also hit the woodwork. But nobody managed to find the back of the net through extra time, so the match went to a penalty shootout.

Shevchenko took the first kick, but sent it right into the arms of Swiss keeper Pascal Zuberbuehler. Switzerland's euphoria was short-lived, however, as their first shooter, Marco Streller, did the same. Then, after Ukraine converted their next two kicks, Switzerland proceeded to miss theirs, sending one over the bar and the other right to Ukraine keeper Oleksandr Shovkovskiy (pictured). Ukrainian midfielder Oleh Husyev then scored on the next kick to send the Ukraine through, 0-0 (3-0).

The result earned Switzerland the dubious distinction of becoming the first team to get eliminated from the World Cup without conceding a single goal. They also became the first team in a World Cup to miss all of their kicks in a penalty shootout.

29 October 1933 - When Crossing The Border Crosses The Line

On 29 October 1933, Switzerland and Romania drew 2-2 in a World Cup qualifier. FIFA, however, later concluded that the Romanians had used an ineligible player and awarded the Swiss a 2-0 win instead.

The controversial match was the second in the three-team qualification group that also included Yugoslavia. The Swiss had already drawn with Yugoslavia, while Romania had not yet played. The teams met at the Wankdorf Stadion in Bern, where the visitors went up 0-2 with goals from forwards Gratian Sepi (18') and Stefan Dobay (65'). Switzerland pulled back within one after a score from forward Erwin Hochstrasser (75'), then midfielder Ernst Hufschmid converted an 80th-minute penalty to earn what they thought was a draw.

After the match, Swiss officials complained to FIFA that Romania had illegally included forward Iuliu Baratky (pictured). Baratky had made nine appearances for Hungary between 1930 and 1933, making him ineligible to play for neighboring Romania. In response, FIFA recorded the match as a 2-0 Swiss victory. Romania went on to defeat Yugoslavia 2-1 to qualify for the tournament anyway.

Meanwhile, Baratky continued to play for them, making a total of 20 appearances and scoring 14 goals from 1933 to 1940.

20 June 1954 - Goals! Goals! Goals!

On 20 June 1954, the World Cup experienced an offensive explosion, with 25 goals in the day's four matches. At 6.25 goals per game, it remains the highest-averaging daily output in a World Cup.

It was the last scheduled match day in Groups 2 and 4, with the former providing most of the goals. Group 2's Hungary and West Germany played in the day's first match, with Hungary rolling to victory by a margin of 8-3. Hungarian forward Sándor Kocsis was the star of the day, scoring four. In the group's other match, Turkey crushed South Korea by an even greater margin, winning 7-0 with a hat-trick from forward Burhan Sargin.

In Group 4, England beat Switzerland 2-0, while Italy defeated Belgium 4-1.

The day's biggest winners, Hungary and West Germany, eventually met in the Final, where the West Germans won 3-2 to claim their first World Cup title.

18 June 1994 - The Yanks Get The Point

On 18 June 1994, the United States earned their first World Cup point since 1950 by drawing 1-1 with Switzerland in the opening match of the tournament. Played at the Pontiac Silverdome in Detroit, Michigan, it was also the first World Cup match in history to be played indoors.

The US had earned their last World Cup points in 1950 with a shocking 1-0 upset of England. They were subsequently eliminated from that tournament with a loss to Chile, then failed to qualify for the competition until 1990, when they lost all three of their matches.

In 1994, the hosting US side appeared to be headed for another poor run after going down 0-1 in the first half with a 39th-minute free kick from veteran Swiss striker Georges Bregy. But right before the end of the half, the referee awarded the US a free kick after a foul by Swiss midfielder Ciriaco Sforza. Forward Eric Wynalda stepped up and fired the 28-yard kick over the wall and into the top near-side corner of the net for the equalizer.

The teams played to a stalemate for the remainder of the match, which finished 1-1. The US went on the earn an additional three points by defeating Colombia 2-1, but lost their remaining matches to Romania (0-1 in the group stage) and Brazil (1-0 in the first knockout round).

9 June 1938 - The Swiss Kick The Nazis Out Of France

On 9 June 1938, Switzerland defeated Germany 2-4 in a World Cup First Round replay before a crowd of 22,000 at the Parc des Princes in Paris. The match eliminated Germany from the tournament and remains their poorest showing in a World Cup.

The two sides had earlier played on 4 June, but the match ended as a 1-1 draw at the end of extra time. According to the rules then in place, a replay was required to produce a winner. Initially, it appeared that the Germans were on track to advance after taking a 2-0 lead with an 8th-minute goal from striker Willi Hahnemann and a 22nd-minute own-goal from Switzerland's Ernst Lörtscher (the first-ever World Cup own-goal).

The Swiss, however, stormed back, with a pair of goals from strikers Eugen Walaschek (43') and Alfred Bickel (64'). Fellow striker André Abegglen, who had scored the Swiss' only goal in the earlier meeting, completed the comeback win with a late brace (75', 78'). For their reward, the Swiss advanced to face Hungary in the quarterfinals, losing 2-0.

19 May 1957 - Scots In Swiss Clothing

On 19 May 1957, Scotland defeated Switzerland 1-2 in a World Cup qualifier in Basel, but they had to do it in shirts borrowed from the Swiss.

Ordinarily, the blue shirts of the Scottish national team would have been fine, as the Swiss shirts were red. But, according to Tommy Docherty, who started in the midfield for the Scots that day, the match was televised across Europe in black and white. Without color, officials were concerned that viewers would have difficulty distinguishing between the sides. The Scots, however, had not brought a change kit, so they had to borrow Switzerland's, which used white shirts trimmed in red.

That matter settled, the Swiss took an early lead, going up 1-0 in the 13th minute with a goal from forward Roger Vonlanthen. Scotland, though, battled back against the Swiss and the progressively deteriorating weather to level the match with a 33rd-minute goal from forward Jackie Mudie (pictured). Level at the break, the Scots continued to press in the second half and were rewarded by a 71st-minute matchwinner from midfielder Bobby Collins - his first international goal.

The win put Scotland at the top of their qualification group. After two more matches (a loss to Spain and another win over the Swiss) they advanced to the World Cup, where they were eliminated in the group stage.