Silvan Wallner, former FC Zurich defender, has apparently ended his career at the age of just 22. The reason for this lies in his faith, which is not compatible with the demands of a professional career.
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- According to a media report, 22-year-old Silvan Wallner has surprisingly ended his professional career because his faith, as a Seventh-day Adventist, prohibits him from playing football on Saturdays.
- Despite a successful start at Austrian club Blau-Weiss Linz and his first appearances in the U21 national team, Wallner has apparently decided against a professional career for religious reasons.
- The defender became champion with FC Zurich in 2022.
It was only at the beginning of September that Wallner took the plunge and moved from FCZ to Austrian Bundesliga club Blau-Weiss Linz. But after just a few weeks, his stint there is apparently already over. As reported by "Blick", the young defender has surprisingly decided to end his career in professional sport with immediate effect.
However, an injury is not the reason for this decision. Wallner has decided to take this step out of conviction and on the basis of his faith, according to the report. He is a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which regards Saturday as a holy day of rest reserved for communion with God. Work and playing football are not permitted on this day.
The end of his career has not yet been officially communicated. Nothing on the 22-year-old's social media channels indicates a sudden retirement either.
Swiss champion and U21 national team player
After his transfer in the summer, Wallner quickly became a regular player in Upper Austria. However, he was absent from the squad for the first time last weekend, officially due to illness, as Blau-Weiss Linz announced. No further information is currently available from the club.
Wallner comes from FC Zurich's youth ranks and played a total of 51 games for the professionals. He was part of the team in the 2021/2022 championship season. In September, the Zurich native played for the Swiss U21 team against Albania (1:2).
Wallner's retirement is reminiscent of former international striker and current FC Zurich assistant coach Johan Vonlanthen. He is also a Seventh-day Adventist. When Vonlanthen moved to Colombia in 2011, he had a clause included in his contract that exempted him from playing on Saturdays.
