On 18 January 2012, the Swiss Football League expelled Neuchâtel Xamax FCS for financial irregularities, ending the reign of Bulat Chagaev, one of football's most bizarre owners.
The situation grew stranger at the start of the 2011-12 Super League season, with Chagaev going through three different managers in the span of a month and firing staff and players immediately after bad losses. During the season, the SFL imposed an eight-point penalty on the club for "irregularities" in player payments.
The last straw came in January 2012. Suspecting Chagaev of forging a financial security document, they revoked the club's license and suspended the CLUB from the league. The club folded later that month. Shortly afterward, a new club......free of Chagaev's influence.......formed under the name Neuchâtel Xamax 1912 and entered the Swiss league's fifth tier for the 2012-13 season. They have since been promoted to the second tier where they currently sit 10 points clear at the top of the table.
After many financial crises, the club declared bankruptcy on 26 January 2012 and was consequently excluded from Swiss Super League. The club was reformed, but had to restart in the Swiss amateur leagues, entering the "2 Liga Interregional", the fifth tier of the Swiss Football League, for the 2012–13 season.The club finished first in 2013 and was promoted to the 1.Liga Classic, for 2013–14. Once again, Xamax finished first, winning the play-off to secure a second successive promotion. Xamax won 1. Lioga Promotion, the third tier of Swiss league system was and promoted to the Challenege League, after having a third successive promotion in 2014–15 season.The club finally won promotion back to the Swiss Super League in 2018, marking the end of a 6-year absence from the top flight of Swiss football.
The club plays at the Stade de Maladadiere which began construction in 2004 and was opened in 2007. It has a capacity of 12,500 spectators.
Daniel Joseph "Don" Givens (born 9 August 1949) is an Irish former footballer and coach. A forward, he played for Manchester United, Luton Town, QPR, Birmingham City, AFC Bournemouth, Sheffield Utd and Neuchatel Xmax in Switzerland and was capped 56 times for the Republic of Ireland.
In 1981, Givens moved to Switzerland to play for Neuchatel Xmax. In the 1981-2 UEFA Givens scored against Hamburger SV in a quarter-final tie. He had the honour of leading Neuchâtel to their first Swiss National League A championship in the 1986-7 season. He made 149 appearances in all for Xamax, scoring 34 goals. Givens brought an end to his playing days soon afterwards.
His 19 senior international goals was a national record for several years. He went on to coach at Xamax and Arsenal, and spent ten years as manager of the ROI Under 23s.
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