Name: Erich Burgener
Country:
SwitzerlandClub: FC Lausanne-Sport
Position: *GK
Side: RF/BS
Age: 26-30 years (15/02/1951)
Height: 184 cm
Weight: 80 kg
Attack: 41
Defence: 85
Balance: 84
Stamina: 64
Top Speed: 64
Acceleration: 61
Response: 86
Agility: 73
Dribble Accuracy: 62
Dribble Speed: 58
Short Pass Accuracy: 62
Short Pass Speed: 65
Long Pass Accuracy: 64
Long Pass Speed: 66
Shot Accuracy: 45
Shot Power: 82
Shot Technique: 45
Free Kick Accuracy: 44
Curling: 48
Header: 58
Jump: 80
Technique: 63
Aggression: 59
Mentality: 81
Goalkeeper Skills: 83
Team Work: 78
Injury Tolerance: A
Condition: 8
Weak Foot Accuracy: 4
Weak Foot Frequency: 4
Consistency: 7
Growth Type: Standard/Lasting
CARDS:
S12 - 1-on-1 Keeper
SPECIAL ABILITIES: 1-on-1 Stopper
Attack/Defence Awareness Card: Defence Minded
INFO:
Considered one of the best goalkeepers in the country, and one of the best post-war goalkeepers, benefiting from good reflexes, very sure in the air, efficient in his outings, Eric Burgener was a complete goalkeeper, difficult to fault. Well positioned, mostly on the line. Secure, safe and confident. Like his mentor Sechehaye, he was also very good in the air. A brilliant reflex artist on the goal line, excellent & safe catching, but with weaknesses in running out and being not too agile. Not a high jump.
It wasn't until he was 16 years old that he ventured irregularly into the soccer goal. Just one year later, he was promoted to the first amateur league with his club, FC Raron. The canton's neighbour FC Sion from the National League quickly became aware of the young man from Burgener. But Swiss goalkeeping legend Frank Séchehaye had beaten them to it. As an agent for the Lausanne-Sports club, he quickly succeeded in convincing father Burgener and FC Raron of a move.
After more than three years at FC Raron, Burgener moved to Lausanne-Sports in 1970 for a transfer fee of 50,000 Swiss francs. However, the then 19-year-old needed some time to settle in and was therefore only second choice at the Swiss top club for two years as an amateur. His career in the national team started on 22 June 1973. Burgener is said to have played a major role in this 1-0 triumph over Scotland in Bern. One of his other big games came in 1977, when he kept a clean sheet at London's Wembley Stadium and took his team a point away from the legendary stadium. There was also interest from Saint Etienne and Marseille at the time...
A year later, he shone in the UEFA Cup against Ajax Amsterdam and remained undefeated. Another special feature of the left-hander was that he was quite capable of playing in the field. That's what happened in the derby against Servette Geneva. Burgener was used as a centre-forward and was even able to score a goal for a 2-1 lead, but his substitute in goal conceded six goals, so this experiment was not repeated by coach Miroslav Blažević, who wanted to end the striker's misery.
After winning the cup in 1981, he moved to Servette Geneva and won the cup again in 1984 and the national championship title in 1985.
Fritz Hack said of him: "Erich Burgener is without a doubt one of the best goalkeepers in Europe. The team whose goal he guards plays with an additional libero. The lightning-fast grasp of the situation in the event of opponents' assists is one of his strengths. With high crosses or corner kicks, the 1.84 tall Valais player cannot be dealt with anyway. Even low shots don't cause him too much trouble. The only thing he's afraid of, he admits, is long-range shots when they touch down just in front of him."
From 1973 to 1986, he played 64 matches for the national team.
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