The 2000–01 season was FC Zürich's 104th season in their existence, since their foundation in 1896. It was their eleventh consecutive season in the top flight of Swiss football, following their promotion at the end of the 1989–90 season.
Overview
The local businessman Sven Hotz was the club's chairman and patron at this time. He had taken over as club president, some 14 years earlier, at the AGM in 1986. In April of the previous season club president Hotz had fired head coach Raimondo Ponte without notice and had installed Gilbert Gress. with immediate effect. The affect made by that change was success, Gress led the team to five wins and two draws in the last seven matches of the promotion/relegation round. FCZ escaped the threatening relegation and retained their top level status. Therefore Hotz extended the contract as head-coach with Gress for a further season.
The FCZ first team competed in this years domestic first-tier 2000–01 Nationalliga A with the clear intention of retaining their top level status and reaching the championship group for the second half of the season. Which meant the team had to reach at least eighth position in the qualification round. The team also competed in 2000–01 Swiss Cup, where they were Cup holders. As the team had won the 1999–2000 Swiss Cup, they had qualified for the 2000–01 UEFA Cup and joined the competition in the first round. However, FCZ did not enter the 2000 UEFA Intertoto Cup.
FCZ played their home games in the Letzigrund, a stadium also used by the athletics club . The stadium originally opened in 1925, was partially rebuilt in 1973 and was modernised during the mid-90's. The stadium is located in the west of Zurich in the district of Altstetten, which is about three kilometers from the city center.
Players The following is the list of the FCZ first team squad this season. It also includes players that were in the squad the day the domestic league season started, on 15 July 2000, but subsequently left the club after that date.
Players who joined the squad The following is the list of players that joined the FCZ first team squad in the off or pre-season or during the winter-break transfer window. It also includes players that advanced from the youth team during the season and achieved at least one domestic league appearance.
Players who left the squad The following is the list of the FCZ first team players that left the squad, either during the previous season or in the off-season, before the new domestic season began.
Results Legend
Nationalliga A
Qualification phase The first stage of the NLA began on 15 July 2000 and was completed on 10 December. The top eight teams in the qualification phase would advance to the championship group and the last four teams would play against relegation.
League table
Championship round The first eight teams of the qualification phase competed in the Championship round. The teams took half of the points (rounded up to complete units) gained in the qualification as bonus with them. This phase began on the week-end of Friday 23 February 2001 and was completed on 26 May.
Final league table
Grasshopper Club won the championship and this was GC's 26th championship title to this date.
Swiss Cup
The 12 first-tier clubs from the 2000–01 Nationalliga A had been granted byes for the first four rounds and they joined the competition in the fifth round. The first-tier teams were seeded and cound not be drawn against each other. The draw respected regionalities, when possible, and the lower classed team was granted home advantage.
At the end of the season, Servette won the cup and this was their seventh cup title to this date.
UEFA Cup
First round
Genk won 4–1 on aggregate and advanced to the second round, where they were eliminated. At the end of the competition, Liverpool won the final with a golden goal in extra-time against Alavés for Liverpool's third title in this competition.
Friendly matches Pre-season
Winter break
References
Sources dbFCZ Homepage Switzerland 2000–01 at RSSSF