FC Basel is doing better this season than it has for a long time. FCB boss David Degen has played a big part in this, blue Sport football expert Alex Frei and editor-in-chief Andreas Böni agree.
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- FC Basel is enjoying an upswing in the first half of the 2024/25 season.
- In the Sport kompakt program, football expert Alex Frei and blue Sport editor-in-chief Andreas Böni praise the work of David Degen.
- Shaqiri's influence is also emphasized, but the experts doubt whether it will ultimately be enough to win the championship.
FC Basel finished the first half of the Super League season in second place, just one point behind leaders Lugano. Although this comes as a surprise after the last few weak years, it was certainly on the cards in the background. This is what football expert Alex Frei says in the Sport kompakt program on blue Sport.
"It's not just down to Shaqiri. The people in the background are doing a good job," says the 45-year-old. blue Sport editor-in-chief Andreas Böni agrees and adds: "FC Basel is probably better positioned at the back than ever before. The board of directors includes people like Dan Holzmann, who give David Degen certain structures."
The two discuss FCB's strong performances in the first half of the season in the program Football Compact (see video above). "They were patient with Celestini for a long time, although they probably didn't always see eye to eye. They managed it well," praised Böni.
148 squad changes under Degen
Almost exactly a year ago, David Degen sat on blue Sport at the home match and explained: "We started with a structural deficit of around 35 million. It was bleeding out everywhere, we had to stop this bleeding." At the end of 2023, the deficit was still around CHF 15 million. The target for 2024 was eight million. FCB's exact position is expected to be communicated in April 2025.
Degen's successful transfer policy is certainly one of the reasons for the resurgent success of the red and blue team. FCB has made a total of 148 squad changes since he took over. The Basel club has thus generated net income of around 70 million francs.
These profits probably also played a part in Shaqiri's successful return. There is no doubt that the former national team star is also contributing to Basel's good form. With 16 scoring points in 16 Super League games, Shaqiri has been FCB's outstanding player to date.
"Shaqiri has the quality to decide games and also make other players better. Since he's been there, other players are more liberated because they don't have the pressure," analyzes Frei. Will it even be enough to win the championship in the end? The experts are not sure, not least because there is strong competition from Ticino. And Böni warns: "FC Basel have done well. But they are not as stable as Lugano."
FCB president David Degen took over at FC Basel in May 2021, turned the club around and made a lot of money with clever transfers.
Image: Keystone
FCB's cash cow, even if he was only there for twelve months: Riccardo Calafiori flushed well over 20 million into Basel's coffers, thanks in part to a sell-on clause.
Image: Keystone
Renato Veiga also only played one year in Basel, but was able to leave his mark and now regularly plays for the big Chelsea FC.
Image: Keystone
Zeki Amdouni and Dan Ndoye were able to use FCB as a springboard and are now among the key players in the national team.
Image: Keystone
Many came, many went. Only one has been there for what feels like an eternity: Taulant Xhaka.
Image: Keystone
FCB president David Degen took over at FC Basel in May 2021, turned the club around and made a lot of money with clever transfers.
Image: Keystone
FCB's cash cow, even if he was only there for twelve months: Riccardo Calafiori flushed well over 20 million into Basel's coffers, thanks in part to a sell-on clause.
Image: Keystone
Renato Veiga also only played one year in Basel, but was able to leave his mark and now regularly plays for the big Chelsea FC.
Image: Keystone
Zeki Amdouni and Dan Ndoye were able to use FCB as a springboard and are now among the key players in the national team.
Image: Keystone
Many came, many went. Only one has been there for what feels like an eternity: Taulant Xhaka.
Image: Keystone