Frustration instead of flow: blue Sport experts analyze Shaqiri's difficult start to the season

FC Basel responded to their opening game loss in St. Gallen (1:2) with a win against GC on Saturday evening. However, the reigning champions were still a long way off their last year's gala form at the Joggeli. This also had to do with the performance of Xherdan Shaqiri. The FCB captain had the third fewest ball actions in the team (behind Hitz and Ajeti). No comparison to last season, when the number 10 was the outstanding player in the Super League and every attack ran through him.

"Shaqiri scored so many goals that it was automatic because they had so much self-confidence," explained expert Rolf Fringer in the blue Sport studio. Now they have lost the first game, the team and Shaqiri simply have to work on getting back into the flow, says the former national team coach.

Focus on your own performance

"He is ambitious. He wants things to go well as quickly as possible and he wants to score goals again. But he has to learn this season that he has to work first," emphasizes Fringer.

"The air is getting thinner, the teams are also playing a bit harder against him. He has to digest all that, even if you have to protect him as a referee so that he's not fair game," says Fringer, adding: "But he still has to complain less and concentrate more on the game." Concentrating on one's own performance is hugely important, and the sense of achievement is crucial. "Wins then bring the flow back."

Xherdan Shaqiri is dissatisfied.

KEYSTONE

Moderator Stefan Eggli wants to know whether coaches are allowed to criticize Shaqiri. "It's not that you can't tell him what you expect of him," says Philippe Montandon. "He's not in the flow yet. He had a shadow against GC with Hassane, who kept working him over. He had a Neziri in St. Gallen who guarded him very well for 90 minutes. That's sometimes frustrating for a Shaqiri," he says.

Not an easy task for Magnin

This is not an easy situation for his new boss Ludovic Magnin either. "As a coach, you have to have a sure instinct. What can I ask for? He then starts to become dissatisfied."

Montandon emphasizes, however, that the 125-time international was important for FCB even with a mixed performance: "He once again got the decisive ball for the second goal. A standing ball when things aren't going well from play."

With his first assist in the league, the 33-year-old has been directly involved in at least one goal in each of his last eight home games. At the same time, it was goal participation number 27 for him in the 2025 calendar year (13 goals, 14 assists). That's a minimum of 12 more than any other player.