Football: Silvan Wallner ends his career for the region

Silvan Wallner was Swiss champion in 2022 with FC Zurich. A club that he only left this summer, for the Austrian championship. Until two weeks ago, he wore the colors of Blau-Weiss Linz, with whom he started. But this Swiss U21 international (last selection in September) will no longer wear this jersey. Nor any jersey.

At the age of 22, Silvan Wallner decided to put an end to his career as a professional footballer, although well underway. And the reasons may be surprising. According to Blick, they are religious. Wallner is in fact a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which has the precept of enforcing Saturday as a day of complete rest and communion with God.

In other words, it was impossible for Wallner to play Football on those days. Thus, the Zurich resident chose to follow his faith. A case reminiscent of Johan Vonlanthen. In 2011, when he signed in Colombia, the former Swiss international, now assistant coach of FC Zurich, had the possibility of not playing on Saturdays included in his contract, for the same reasons as Wallner.