Early career Born in
Geneva, to
German father, and
Swiss mother, Vogel joined Swiss amateur club
FC Meyrin in his youth, but made the cut into professional football by joining
Grasshopper Club Zürich. In his time at Grasshoppers, he usually played central defence or rightback although on occasion, he could be called to feature in a central defensive midfield role. In his role as a defensive midfield player, in which he uses his ability to pass accurately and to effectively retain possession of the ball, Vogel can be counted on to add depth to either defence or attack.
PSV and AC Milan Dutch club
PSV sought his services in 1999 and he became a prominent member of the team until he decided to leave to join
A.C. Milan at the end of the 2004–05 season. In his final season with PSV, he was noted for forming a formidable midfield partnership with
Mark van Bommel and
Phillip Cocu where the club managed to reach the semi-finals of the
Champions League tournament.
Real Betis On 31 August 2006, he joined
Real Betis in an exchange deal for
Ricardo Oliveira. Vogel made his Betis debut against
Athletic Bilbao on 10 September 2006 at the
Manuel Ruiz de Lopera, which Betis won 3–0. Vogel made his last
La Liga appearance for Betis on 19 May 2007 against
Tarragona. On 27 December 2007, he agreed to leave Betis after suing them.
Everton confirmed they were in talks to sign the player after being told he could leave his then club Real Betis in July 2007. However the deal hit problems due to Real Betis wanting payment for him.
Blackburn Rovers On 18 March 2008, he agreed a two-and-a-half-year contract (with Blackburn having an option for a further year) with Mark Hughes' Blackburn Rovers. Vogel joined fellow Swiss footballers
Stéphane Henchoz and
Bruno Berner at
Ewood Park, as well as his former PSV-colleague
André Ooijer. After receiving International clearance to play for
Blackburn Rovers on 25 March, he was given the number 8 shirt by
Mark Hughes, the shirt vacated by
Robbie Savage after his move to
Derby County. Vogel made his debut for Rovers on 5 April against
Tottenham Hotspur. However, in the 2008–09 season, Vogel found himself frozen out at
Ewood Park. He came on as a substitute in a 3–1 defeat by
Liverpool. On 7 April 2009, his contract was terminated by
Blackburn Rovers with immediate effect and by mutual consent. After that, he announced his retirement from professional football.
Grasshoppers comeback Two and a half years after his retirement, Vogel decided to return to the field again. He made comeback with Grasshoppers where he made his professional debut and appeared in the starting line-up against
FC Thun on 5 February 2012. After appearing in another two league matches, he retired for the second time. ==International career==