After Lugano and YB, the small FC Biel wants to create the next sensation and win the Cup with a victory in the final against Basel. Biel defender Damian Kelvin goes into the final with plenty of confidence.
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- FC Biel from the Promotion League will face the great FC Basel in the cup final on Sunday.
- On their way to the final, the Bielers have already managed to get Lugano and YB out of the way. They also fancy their chances against Basel: "We're not going to Bern just to have a nice afternoon. We want to win," says defender Damian Kelvin.
- Kelvin is looking forward to the duel with superstar Xherdan Shaqiri. But he doesn't necessarily want to dust off his jersey after the game: "The cup final is a unique experience, I want to keep my jersey."
The tension is slowly but surely building, says Damian Kelvin when blue Sport asks him about the upcoming cup final. It is the biggest game in the 22-year-old's career to date. "In the few days before such a big game, you only have the match on your mind, everything else becomes a minor matter," says Kelvin, who is studying at the University of Bern.
The Biel team knocked FC Lugano out of the Cup in the quarter-finals. The second sensation followed in the semi-final with victory over YB. Biel became the first third division team ever to reach the Swiss Cup final. It was a fairytale season, although the actual goal for the season - promotion to the Challenge League - was narrowly missed.
Match against FC Basel U21 was lost 0:3
"Missing out on promotion was a big disappointment, because that was our big goal, bigger than the Cup. But that's the way it is in football," says defender Kelvin. After a 3-0 defeat against FC Basel U21 on May 17, of all things, it was clear that Biel could no longer be promoted.
So how are they supposed to win against the FCB professionals, the Swiss champions? "We also lost against FC Lugano's U21s and then managed to beat the Super League professionals," smiles Kelvin. "It's always different to play against the professionals. It gives you extra motivation."
Biel definitely doesn't need a motivational injection before the cup final. The Promotion League club now wants to upset the next Super League team. And as a central defender, Kelvin is likely to be up against FCB star Xherdan Shaqiri in particular. "Xherdan is a very good player, without him Basel wouldn't have had such a strong second half of the season. But you can't focus on one player, the whole team is strong. Anyone can make the difference," says Kelvin.
With a broad chest in the Wankdorf
So he won't be running straight to Shaqiri after the final whistle and asking him for his jersey, the talented defender assures us. "As Admir Mehmedi already said: I'm not there for the Liibli tüschle!" laughs Kelvin. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the cup final! I want to keep my jersey."
The Biel team are aware that they are going into the final as big underdogs. Nevertheless, Damian Kelvin's self-confidence is huge: "We have a chance. If we can shape the game like we did against Lugano and YB, it won't be that easy even for FC Basel. We're not going to the Wankdorf to have a nice afternoon. We want to win!"
