1. Early career
Valentin Stocker's football journey began in his youth, where he quickly demonstrated his potential.
1.1. Youth career
Stocker started his youth career with SC Kriens, playing there from 1996 until December 2005. In January 2006, he transferred to the youth department of FC Basel. During the second half of the 2005-06 season, he played for Basel's U-18 team under coach Patrick Rahmen and his assistant Marco Walker, winning both the Swiss U-18 championship and the U-19/18 national cup that season. He also featured for their Under-21 team in the Swiss 1. Liga, which was then the third-highest tier of the Swiss football league system. The U-21 team became Swiss champions at that level in the 2006-07 season and successfully defended their title in the 2007-08 season as division winners.
1.2. Professional debut and early seasons
During Basel's 2007-08 season, head coach Christian Gross called Stocker up to the first team. Stocker signed his first professional contract on his 18th birthday and received an extension just a few months later. He made his professional debut for FC Basel in the Swiss Cup semi-final on 27 February 2008, a home game at St. Jakob-Park against FC Thun, which Basel won 1-0. One week later, on 2 March 2008, Stocker made his league debut in an away match against the same opponent, as Basel secured a 3-1 victory. He scored his first league goal on 16 March against FC Sion, though this could not prevent a 4-2 away defeat for his team.
On 6 April 2008, Basel won the Swiss Cup final. On 10 May, in the last league game of the season against Young Boys, Stocker scored the opening goal and provided an assist for Marco Streller's second, leading Basel to a 2-0 win. This victory secured the championship, completing a national double for the club. In his debut league season, Stocker played eleven games and scored three goals.
2. Club career
Valentin Stocker's club career was predominantly defined by his two successful spells at FC Basel, interspersed with a period in the German Bundesliga with Hertha BSC.
2.1. FC Basel
Stocker's time at FC Basel was marked by consistent domestic success and significant contributions in European competitions, despite a notable injury.
2.1.1. Early seasons and domestic success
In the 2008-09 season, Stocker became a regular in the first team. At the start of the season, he was part of the Basel squad that won the Uhrencup, defeating Legia Warsaw 6-1 and drawing 2-2 with Borussia Dortmund to top the table. Basel finished third in the league that season, seven points behind champions Zürich, with Stocker playing 32 of 36 games and scoring five goals.
The 2009-10 season saw Stocker emerge as a leading player for Basel. In the Swiss Cup Final, he scored two goals, the team's first and fifth, as Basel triumphed 6-0 against FC Lausanne-Sport. On 16 May 2010, the final day of the league season, Basel and Young Boys were level on points. The two teams faced each other at Stadion Wankdorf, where Stocker scored the first goal and assisted Scott Chipperfield's second, securing a 2-0 victory for Basel. This win clinched the championship and another national double. Stocker played 31 league games, scoring 12 goals. In the 2010-11 season, he played 26 league games, scoring seven goals, and earned his third championship medal with the club.
2.1.2. European competitions
Stocker made his European debut and scored his first European goal during Basel's 2008-09 UEFA Champions League campaign. Basel eliminated IFK Göteborg with an aggregate score of 5-3 in the second qualifying round. In the next round, they faced Vitória de Guimarães, winning the second leg 2-1 after a goalless first leg, with Stocker scoring the decisive goal. Basel advanced to the group stage, where they were drawn with Barcelona, Sporting CP, and Shakhtar Donetsk. They finished last in the group, earning just one point from a 1-1 draw at Camp Nou. Stocker played in nine of these ten European matches.
In the 2009-10 UEFA Europa League, Basel entered in the second qualifying round and reached the group stage. Despite winning three of their six group games, they finished in third position and were eliminated, four points behind group winners Roma and one point behind Fulham. Stocker played in nine of these twelve European matches.
2.1.3. Injury and return
On 23 April 2011, during a match against BSC Young Boys-his 100th Super League appearance-Stocker sustained a cruciate ligament rupture. He underwent surgery two days later, with his recovery time estimated at six to seven months.
Stocker made his return to the team on 3 December 2011, in a 1-0 home victory against FC Luzern. On the same day, it was announced that his contract had been extended until the end of June 2016. He was substituted into the group stage of the 2011-12 UEFA Champions League match against Manchester United, a 2-1 home win that saw Basel qualify for the knockout phase and eliminate United from the competition. In the first leg of the Round of 16 on 22 February 2012, Stocker came on as a substitute against Bayern Munich and scored the winning goal.
2.1.4. Later seasons and European campaigns
At the end of the 2011-12 Swiss Super League season, Stocker secured his fourth league championship title with Basel, and his third in a row. This also marked his third national double, as Basel also won the 2011-12 Swiss Cup.
During the 2012-13 season, Stocker experienced another highlight when he was nominated as team captain for the first time on 21 February 2013. This occurred during a Europa League knockout phase match against Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, as both Marco Streller (due to injury) and Alexander Frei (due to illness) were unavailable. Stocker led the Basel team to a 1-1 away draw, securing their qualification for the round of 16. At the end of the Swiss Super League season 2012-13, Stocker won his fifth championship title, the fourth in a row, and finished as Swiss Cup runner-up. In the 2012-13 UEFA Europa League, Basel advanced to the semi-finals, where they faced reigning UEFA Champions League holders Chelsea, ultimately being knocked out after a 2-5 aggregate defeat.
Basel's 2013-14 Super League season was highly successful, with Stocker winning his sixth league championship title. They also reached the final of the 2013-14 Swiss Cup, but were beaten 2-0 by Zürich after extra time. In the 2013-14 Champions League season, Basel reached the group stage, finishing third in their group and thus qualifying for the Europa League knockout phase, where they advanced to the quarter-finals. In their 2013-14 season, Basel played a total of 68 matches across all competitions. Stocker made 55 appearances in these competitive matches, including 30 in the league, 4 in the cup, 10 in the Champions League, and 5 in the Europa League. He scored a total of 19 goals and provided 14 assists in these games.
2.1.5. Return to Basel
On 10 January 2018, FC Basel announced Stocker's return to the club, with him signing a three-and-a-half-year contract valid until June 2021. Under trainer Marcel Koller, Basel won the Swiss Cup in the 2018-19 season. Their cup run included away victories against FC Montlingen (3-0), Echallens Région (7-2), Winterthur (1-0), Sion (4-2 after extra time), and Zürich (3-1). The final was held on 19 May 2019 at the Stade de Suisse Wankdorf Bern against FC Thun. Basel won 2-1, with goals from Albian Ajeti and Fabian Frei. Stocker played in five cup games, scoring two goals during extra time in the match against Sion.
On 17 May 2022, Basel announced that Stocker would retire from playing at the end of the 2021-22 season but would remain at the club as an assistant to the sporting director. Five days later, on 22 May, Stocker was substituted in to play the final 14 minutes of his last professional game.
2.1.6. Overall statistics and honours at Basel
During his two spells with FC Basel (between 2007 and 2014, and again from 2018 to 2022), Stocker played a total of 515 games, scoring 116 goals. This includes 286 appearances and 74 goals in the Swiss Super League, 33 appearances and 9 goals in the Swiss Cup, 57 appearances and 18 goals in Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League competitions, and 99 friendly games with 15 goals. With 416 competitive games played, he ranks among the top five players in the club's history. Despite not being a primary striker, he holds the 12th position in FC Basel's historic goal-scoring rankings.
With Basel, Stocker won the Swiss championship six times and the Swiss Cup four times.
2.2. Hertha BSC
2.2.1. Transfer and Bundesliga career
On 18 May 2014, Hertha BSC officially announced the signing of Stocker. He reportedly received a four-year contract after Hertha and FC Basel agreed on a transfer fee of around 5.00 M EUR. He played for Hertha BSC in the German Bundesliga for multiple seasons before returning to Basel in 2018. During his tenure, he also made two appearances for Hertha BSC II in the Regionalliga Nordost in the 2014-15 season, scoring one goal.
2.2.2. Overall statistics and honours at Hertha BSC
During his time at Hertha BSC, Stocker made 68 league appearances, scoring 8 goals. Across all competitions, including the DFB-Pokal and UEFA Europa League, he played 77 matches and scored 9 goals. He did not win any major team honours with Hertha BSC.
3. International career
Valentin Stocker represented Switzerland at various levels, from youth teams to the senior national squad, including a FIFA World Cup appearance.
3.1. Youth international career
Stocker played international football at various age levels for Switzerland. He made his debut for the Switzerland U16 team on 25 April 2005, coming on as a substitute in a 0-2 away defeat against Scotland U16. He also featured for the Swiss U17 (11 appearances, 6 goals), Swiss U18 (1 appearance), and Swiss U19 (13 appearances, 3 goals) teams. In 2008 and 2009, he played seven games for the Switzerland U21 team. His U21 debut was on 26 March 2008 in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification Group 5, a 1-2 away defeat against Macedonia Under-21.
3.2. Senior international career
Stocker made his debut for the Switzerland senior national team on 20 August 2008, in Ottmar Hitzfeld's first match as manager. The friendly game was played against Cyprus at Stade de Genève, and Stocker scored the opening goal in a 4-1 victory. He continued to be a part of the national team, notably scoring two goals on 12 October 2010 in a UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying match against Wales, which Switzerland won 4-1. Overall, Stocker earned 36 caps for the Swiss national team between 2008 and 2016, scoring six goals.
3.2.1. 2014 FIFA World Cup
Stocker was included in Switzerland's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup held in Brazil. He made one appearance in the tournament, starting in the opening group stage match against Ecuador before being substituted at halftime.
4. Career statistics
4.1. Club statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Basel U-21 | 2005-06 | Swiss 1. Liga | |||||||||
| 2006-07 | Swiss 1. Liga | ||||||||||
| 2007-08 | Swiss 1. Liga | 37 | 13 | - | - | 37 | 13 | ||||
| Basel | 2007-08 | Swiss Super League | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 | |
| 2008-09 | Swiss Super League | 32 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 41 | 6 | ||
| 2009-10 | Swiss Super League | 31 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 41 | 14 | ||
| 2010-11 | Swiss Super League | 26 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 36 | 10 | ||
| 2011-12 | Swiss Super League | 15 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 20 | 5 | ||
| 2012-13 | Swiss Super League | 31 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 3 | 50 | 10 | ||
| 2013-14 | Swiss Super League | 30 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 3 | 47 | 16 | ||
| Total | 176 | 50 | 7 | 3 | 63 | 11 | 246 | 64 | |||
| Hertha BSC II | 2014-15 | Regionalliga Nordost | 2 | 1 | - | - | 2 | 1 | |||
| Hertha BSC | 2014-15 | Bundesliga | 26 | 3 | 2 | 0 | - | 28 | 3 | ||
| 2015-16 | Bundesliga | 22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | - | 24 | 1 | |||
| 2016-17 | Bundesliga | 17 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 5 | ||
| 2017-18 | Bundesliga | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||
| Total | 68 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 77 | 9 | |||
| Basel | 2017-18 | Swiss Super League | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 2 | |
| 2018-19 | Swiss Super League | 17 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 26 | 4 | ||
| 2019-20 | Swiss Super League | 29 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 14 | 2 | 48 | 13 | ||
| 2020-21 | Swiss Super League | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 4 | ||
| 2021-22 | Swiss Super League | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 28 | 2 | ||
| Total | 90 | 17 | 11 | 5 | 29 | 3 | 130 | 25 | |||
| Career total | 336 | 76 | 24 | 9 | 95 | 14 | 455 | 99 | |||
4.2. International statistics
Valentin Stocker scored six goals for the Switzerland senior national team.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 August 2008 | Stade de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland | Cyprus | 1-0 | 4-1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 12 October 2010 | St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland | Wales | 1-0 | 4-1 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 3 | 4-1 | |||||
| 4 | 31 March 2015 | Letzigrund, Zürich, Switzerland | United States | 1-1 | 1-1 | Friendly |
| 5 | 5 September 2015 | St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland | Slovenia | 2-2 | 3-2 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying |
| 6 | 7 October 2016 | Groupama Arena, Budapest, Hungary | Hungary | 3-2 | 3-2 | 2018 World Cup qualification |
5. Honours and titles
Valentin Stocker's career was decorated with numerous team trophies, particularly during his extensive time at FC Basel.
5.1. Club honours
- Basel youth
- Swiss champion at U-18 level: 2005-06
- Swiss Cup at U-19/U-18 level: 2005-06
- Swiss champion at U-21 level: 2006-07, 2007-08
- Basel
- Swiss Super League (6): 2007-08, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14
- Swiss Cup (4): 2007-08, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2018-19
- Swiss Cup runner-up (2): 2012-13, 2013-14
- Uhren Cup (2): 2008, 2013
5.2. Individual awards
- Swiss Youngster of the Year: 2008-09
- Swiss Super League Team of the Year: 2013