Léo Lacroix (footballer)

Léo Lacroix

Lacroix with Sion in July 2016
Personal information
Full name	Léo Lacroix
Date of birth	(1992-02-27) 27 February 1992 (age 32)
Place of birth	Lausanne, Switzerland
Height	1.97 m (6 ft 6 in)
Position(s)	Defender
Team information
Current team	Al-Jabalain
Number	4
Youth career
2002–2004	Lausanne-Sport
2004–2005	US Affrico
2005–2007	Sporting Arno
2007	Team Vaud
2008	Malley
2009	São Cristóvão
2009–2011	Sion
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2011–2012	Sion U21
2012–2016	Sion	77	(1)
2016–2020	Saint-Étienne	31	(0)
2017–2020	Saint-Étienne B	4	(1)
2018	→ Basel (loan)	9	(0)
2018–2019	→ Hamburger SV (loan)	16	(1)
2018	→ Hamburger SV II (loan)	1	(0)
2021	Sion	13	(0)
2021–2023	Western United	50	(3)
2023–2024	FC U Craiova	33	(3)
2024–	Al-Jabalain	0	(0)
International career
2010	Switzerland U18	2	(0)
2010	Switzerland U19	8	(0)
2013–2014	Switzerland U21	4	(0)
2018	Switzerland	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13 May 2024

Léo Lacroix (born 27 February 1992) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a defender for Saudi Arabian club Al-Jabalain.^[1]

Club career

On 31 August 2016, Ligue 1 side Saint-Étienne announced that they had reached an agreement for the transfer of Lacroix.^[2] Lacroix signed a four-year contract and in his first season he had 20 appearances in the 2016–17 Ligue 1. In the 2017–18 Ligue 1 season he played 11 games for the team, but was then loaned out to Swiss club Basel.

Lacroix joined Basel's first team in the winter break of their 2017–18 season under head coach Raphaël Wicky. The loan was dated until summer 2018, with the option of a definite transfer.^[3] Basel had to find a replacement for Manuel Akanji, who had transferred out to Borussia Dortmund. Lacroix played his domestic league debut for the club in the away game in the Stockhorn Arena on 10 February as Basel won 2–0 against Thun.^[4] Lacroix stayed with Basel until the end of the season, but the club did not pull the option. During his short period with the club Lacroix played a total of 12 games for Basel without scoring a goal. Nine of these games were in the Swiss Super League, one in the Swiss Cup and two games against Manchester City in the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League knockout phase.^[5]

In September 2021, Lacroix signed with Australian club Western United.^[6] Lacroix spent two seasons at Western United, before departing at the end of the 2022-23 season.^[7]

On 17 July 2023, he moved to Romanian Liga I club FC U Craiova on a one-year deal, with an extension option.^[8] On 13 May 2024, his contract was terminated by mutual consent,^[9] a day after a 1–3 loss to Hermannstadt, resulting in FC U Craiova's last-place finish and relegation to the second division.^[10]

On 22 August 2024, Lacroix joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Jabalain.^[11]

International career

Lacroix was born in Switzerland, and is of Brazilian descent through his mother.^[12][13] He got his first call up to the senior Switzerland side for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Hungary and Andorra in October 2016.^[14] He made his debut for the national team on 14 November 2018 in a friendly against Qatar.^[15]

Career statistics

Club

As of 12 May 2024

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Sion	2012–13[16]	Swiss Super League	9	1	1	0	—		0	0	10	1
	2013–14[17]	Swiss Super League	15	0	2	0	—		—		17	0
	2014–15[18]	Swiss Super League	28	0	4	1	—		—		32	1
	2015–16[19]	Swiss Super League	20	0	2	0	—		7[a]	1	29	1
	2016–17[20]	Swiss Super League	5	0	0	0	—		—		5	0
	Total		77	1	9	1	—		7	1	93	3
Saint-Étienne	2016–17	Ligue 1	20	0	1	0	1	0	3[a]	0	25	0
	2017–18	Ligue 1	11	0	1	0	1	0	—		13	0
	Total		31	0	2	0	2	0	3	0	38	0
Saint-Étienne B	2016–17	Championnat de France Amateur 2	1	0	—		—		—		1	0
	2019–20	Championnat National 2	3	1	—		—		—		3	1
	Total		4	1	—		—		—		4	1
Basel (loan)	2017–18	Swiss Super League	9	0	1	0	—		2[b]	0	12	0
Hamburg (loan)	2018–19	2. Bundesliga	16	1	1	0	—		—		17	1
Hamburg II (loan)	2018–19	Regionalliga Nord	1	0	—		—		—		1	0
Sion	2020–21	Swiss Super League	11	0	1	0	—		—		12	0
	2021–22	Swiss Super League	2	0	0	0	—		—		2	0
	Total		13	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	14	0
Western United	2021–22	A-League Men	27	3	1	0	—		—		28	3
	2022–23	A-League Men	23	0	1	0	—		—		24	0
	Total		50	3	2	0	—		—		52	3
FC U Craiova	2023–24	Liga I	33	3	4	0	—		—		37	3
Career total			234	9	20	1	2	0	12	1	268	11

1. Appearances in the Europa League
2. Appearances in the UEFA Champions League

Honours

Sion

• Swiss Cup: 2014–15^[21]

Western United

• A-League Men: 2021–22^[22]

Individual

• A-Leagues All Star: 2022^[23]
• PFA A-League Team of the Season: 2021–22^[24]

References

1. Léo Lacroix at Soccerway
2. "Léo Lacroix, cinquième recrue des Verts" [Léo Lacroix, the fifth recruit of The Greens]. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
3. FC Basel 1893 (31 January 2018). "Leo Lacroix wechselt leihweise zum FCB". Leo Lacroix is loaned to FCB (in German). FC Basel 1893 AG. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
4. Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv” (10 February 2018). "FC Thun - FC Basel 0:2 (0:1)". Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv”. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
5. Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv” (2018). "Léo Lacroix -FCB statistic". Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv”. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
6. "Swiss star Leo Lacroix signs with Western United". Western United. 1 September 2021.
7. "Western United announced unretained Isuzu UTE A-League players". Western United FC. 8 May 2023.
8. "FC U Craiova, transfer sonor la o zi după umilința cu FCSB! Adrian Mititelu i-a adus lui Nicolae Dică un fundaș central cu prezențe în campionatul Franței". prosport.ro (in Romanian). 17 July 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
9. "Brutal! Adrian Mititelu a dat afară, în doar câteva ore, șase jucători și un antrenor de la FCU Craiova". digisport.ro (in Romanian). 13 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
10. "FCU Craiova - Hermannstadt 1-3. Oltenii au retrogradat direct, în protestele celor din galerie". digisport.ro (in Romanian). 12 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
11. "ليـو.. صخرة الدفاع السويسري في صفوف".
12. Vavel (1 September 2016). "Saint-Étienne anuncia zagueiro suíço Léo Lacroix por quatro temporadas". Retrieved 21 May 2017.
13. "ASSE : 5 anecdotes croustillantes sur Léo Lacroix". 10 October 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
14. "Lacroix remplace Djourou". bluewin.ch. 2 October 2016. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
15. "Switzerland v Qatar game report". ESPN. 14 November 2018.
16. "Games played by Léo Lacroix in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
17. "Games played by Léo Lacroix in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
18. "Games played by Léo Lacroix in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
19. "Games played by Léo Lacroix in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
20. "Games played by Léo Lacroix in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
21. "Switzerland Cup Details". RSSSF. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
22. "Western United stun Melbourne City 2-0 to win first A-League Men's title". The Guardian. 28 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
23. Harrington, Anna (20 May 2022). "ALM young guns get shot against Barcelona". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
24. "PFA reveals player-voted Austraffic A-League Men Team of the Season on eve of Grand Final". Professional Footballers Australia. 27 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.

External links

• Léo Lacroix at National-Football-Teams.com