From his advisors: When FCZ striker Raffael was kidnapped

They’ve kidnapped Raphael! Four words that cause an earthquake. Raffael’s kidnapping case is still unique in Swiss football. The chronology of the spectacular but also absurd six days in April 2006.

Two days before the match in St. Gallen, two Brazilian players’ agents approached the then FCZ sports director Fredy Bickel. “They said Raphael was theirs and that they were taking him,” Bickel would later say. He still believes this threat is a bad joke.

After the last training, the two dark characters put Raffael in the car and drive away with him. Only one of the officers appears at Bickel at the agreed time of 3:30 p.m. He demands a pay increase four to five times, plus half a million in bonus money. If the people of Zurich followed suit, Raphael would be released. But Bickel refuses. “A player cannot belong to an agent, only to a club.” And the FCZ legally acquired Raffael from Chiasso in the fall of 2005.

When the FCZ met at 10.15am on the day of the match, there was no trace of Raffael. Ex-Nati striker and Chiasso president Marco Grassi, who has cared for Raffael since he came to Europe from his native Brazil in 2003, explains: “They took away his mobile phone.” And Bickel says: “We went to his apartment. It was empty. The two officers must have turned his head completely. It’s all about the money.”

Bickel therefore called the police, reported him missing and reported deprivation of liberty and attempted extortion.

On Sunday evening, Raffael reported to the police and explained that he was doing well and that he had not been kidnapped. Days later it turns out that he spends the night from Sunday to Monday in bars. He travels there with his teammate and compatriot Cesar. According to the FCZ, he apparently tried to convince him to start training again. Still without success.

At the same time, the two officers try to stir up sentiment against the FCZ. They claim that Raffael is being fobbed off by the people of Zurich with only 4,000 francs a month. It’s all nonsense, says Bickel, and speaks of an annual salary of 200,000 francs. One of the two agents also explains that Chiasso did not pay the full transfer fee to CA Juventus São Paulo in 2003. An unfounded accusation.

There is another sign of life from Raphael. He still hasn’t shown up again, but he is on the phone with his coach Lucien Favre apologizing for his absence. His two Brazilian advisors advised him against this.

At 9.28 am Raffael shows up just in time for training at Allmend Brunau. The kidnapped man is finally back. After a relaxed session, he explains his position in the Blick interview. Including some contradictions.

Why have you gone underground for the past few days?
Raphael: I was told not to come to training. I was only missing once.

Twice you were not in St. Gallen on Sunday.
That’s right, twice. It wasn’t good that I wasn’t there. But it wasn’t my fault.

Whose fault do you think it was?
It was hers (i.e.: the advisors, the editor.) Debt.

Do you admit it was a mistake to go underground?
Yes, but it wasn’t my fault. It was an instruction from my advisors and I followed it.

Coaches and players seem to forgive Raffael. Favre: “For me, Raffael is a victim, not a perpetrator. I am convinced that enormous pressure has been put on him.” Blerim Dzemaili said: “He apologized to the team and we welcomed him with open arms. We are not angry with him, on the contrary: now we can ridicule him even more…”

Catch-up match on matchday 30, Xamax against Zurich. In the starting line-up? Raphael! The FCZ wins 1-0, and the striker promises: “I invite everyone to a Brazilian churrascaria!”

Just 17 days later, FCZ has even more reason to celebrate. In Basel, he took the championship title from St. Jakob-Park after the dramatic 2-1 victory (greetings from Iulian Filipescu), partly thanks to a total of 14 goals from Raffael.

Today we can laugh about Raphael’s kidnapping case, but as Fredy Bickel told Blick in 2016: “In retrospect, the story may sound funny. But she wasn’t.”

By the way, Raffael, now 38, still hasn’t finished his career. Since this summer he has been chasing goals for the German eighth division club Ay-Yildizspor Hückelhoven.