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| Career | |
| Position: | Coach |
| Clubs: | FC Wiedikon (1954-60), FC Zurich (1960-77) |
| International appearances: | 64 (1962-1976) |
| International goals: | 5 |
Appearances: 1 (1966), 2 matches, 0 goals
Semi-finalist (1964, 1977)
Winner (1963, 1966, 1968, 1974, 1975, 1976)
Winner (1966, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1976)
Clubs: FC Zurich (1979-95/youth team), 1983-84 - full team coach
Head coach of Switzerland (since 2001)
24 matches, 10 wins, 5 draws, 9 defeats, 41 goals for, 33 against
Biography
When Jakob "Koebi" Kuhn took over from Argentine Enzo Trossero at the helm of the Swiss national team, the fortunes of this Helvetic country were at one of their all-time lows.
Switzerland last appeared in the finals of a major tournament back in 1994 when they were eliminated in the first round in America. Until Kuhn came along, that was it.
Foreign coaches had been the flavour for the Swiss team for 12 years, as German Uli Stielike, Englishman Roy Hodgson and Portuguese Artur Jorge all took turns at the helm before 59-year-old Kuhn was given the job.
A former international midfielder with 64 caps to his credit, he was one of the best players of his generation playing at the heart of a gifted FC Zurich side that reached the semi-finals of the European Cup twice, won six Swiss titles and also five domestic Cups.
Kuhn however did not always make his mark on the pitch.
He was kicked off the Swiss side at the 1966 World Cup when he broke curfew to go down the pub. Ten years later in Oslo, it was the same crime and same punishment but at 34-years-old, he no longer had the excuse of being an immature youngster.
Despite his wilder days, Kuhn has now gone on to become a quiet mellow coach renowned for never raising his voice.
Following a spell working for his insurance firm, he twice had stints as interim coach at FC Zurich but it was primarily as coach of the youth team where he cut his teeth in coaching.
In 1996, Kuhn became coach of the Swiss under-18 team and two years later moved up to lead the under-21's.
From this experience, he had no hesitation in calling up a host of the side that reached the semi-finals of the 2002 under-21 European championships when he eventually took over the national job.
"I have always put the value of the unity of the team based on the talent of the young players," he once said.
Despite some surprising setbacks including a 3-1 defeat to modest Canada in May, 2002, he still managed to guide Switzerland to Euro 2004 where they return to major competition for the first time in 10 years.