BIOGRAPHY
Andre (or Andy) Schmid retired from his playing career for Switzerland after the Men’s EHF EURO 2024 as the most-capped and highest scoring Swiss player of all time, having played 218 matches and scored 1,094 goals.
Born in Horgen, Schmid began his professional career in 2004 with local side Grasshopper Club Zürich, though such was his talent, he received his first call-up to the Swiss national team in 2003. A switch to ZMC Amicitia Zürich in 2007 started his medal haul, winning two Swiss Handball League titles.
In 2009, he moved abroad for the first time, signing for Bjerringbro-Silkeborg, and though he did not pick up any major honours in his only season in Denmark, he made enough of an impact to be named the league’s All-star playmaker and earn a move to Rhein-Neckar Löwen.
In 12 years at the German club, Schmid cemented himself as one of the game’s greats, winning the Bundesliga Player of the Season award five times in a row from 2014 to 2018.
The Löwen had never won a major honour before Schmid’s era, but they had secured two Bundesliga titles, the German cup, three German supercups and the EHF Cup by the time he departed in 2022.
Schmid finished his playing days back home in Switzerland with HC Kriens-Luzern before retiring aged 40 after the Men’s EHF EURO 2024, in which he scored 19 times, enough to surpass Marc Baumgartner as Switzerland’s all-time top scorer.
Shortly after retirement, Schmid was announced as the head coach of the Switzerland men’s national team.
