Xherdan Shaqiri returns to FCB and triggers a wave of euphoria in Basel. The fans are storming the fan store and the returnee is certain that he can lead FCB back to success with his class and experience.
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- Xherdan Shaqiri is back at FC Basel. 12 years after the midfielder left Basel to play abroad, he returns to the Rheinknie with plenty of experience and titles under his belt.
- FC Basel has had a difficult few years in sporting terms and is losing more and more figures of identification. A returnee like Xherdan Shaqiri comes at just the right time.
- The 32-year-old is certain that he can help the team with his qualities: "I'm like a red wine, the older the better"
On July 12, 2009, the then 17-year-old Xherdan Shaqiri made his debut for FC Basel in the Super League. The midfielder quickly became an indispensable key player. By May 2012, he had made 130 appearances for FCB, scoring 50 goals in the process. Then comes the logical departure - Shaqiri is too good for the Super League and FC Basel.
So, at the age of 20, Shaqiri moves to another FCB for 11.8 million euros. To FC Bayern. It was the biggest career leap possible. Although Shaq is not a regular player in Munich, he wins the treble of championship, cup and Champions League at the first attempt. "That team was incredible. People still talk about the best Bayern team of all time today," Shaqiri looks back.
A European tour followed for Shaqiri, which took him to Liverpool FC via Inter Milan and Stoke City. The Swiss also wins the Champions League with the English club. Shaqiri has so many successes that, when asked, he can't decide on a favorite moment or a best teammate: "There were just too many."
Now Shaqiri is back where it all began. At his first press conference since his return, Shaqiri finds it "nice to be back home". He made it clear that his return was a decision of the heart. There had been offers from various countries, especially when his contract in Chicago was terminated, "many people had contacted me". But Xherdan wanted to go home. The fact that he would earn less was not important: "I knew from the start that we could come to an agreement financially. They pay a lot more in England than in Switzerland. I would definitely have earned a lot more there."
"I've always been captain, with or without the armband"
Xherdan Shaqiri is one of the few Swiss players who can claim to have made a name for himself in world football. His expectations in Basel are correspondingly high: "That's normal in football. I'm someone who likes to have these enormous expectations and go into every game with them." Above all, he wants to take the experience from his twelve years abroad back to Basel. He has experienced positive and negative things that have shaped his character. Above all, however, it is important for Shaqiri to bring his winning mentality with him.
It is therefore hardly surprising that there is no question for him as to what role he will play in Basel: "I have always been captain as a player, with or without the armband. I want to help the team as a leader."
FC Basel can definitely use some help. When Shaqiri left the club in 2012, Basel were the undisputed league leaders and serial champions. That is all a long way off, FCB is now just a shadow of its former self. Last season, red and blue only finished in 8th place, so a beacon of hope like Shaqiri, who cheerfully spoke of the "bucket" at his presentation on Monday, comes at just the right time.
One day after his introduction, Shaqiri chooses his words carefully: "You have to realize that we haven't won much in the last seven years. I'm down-to-earth, so you have to stay grounded. I didn't sign for one year, but for three years. It's a process."
But Shaqiri wouldn't be Shaqiri if he didn't have clear ideas and aspirations: "I know how to win titles here and what it's like to win titles here." He clearly underlines the fact that, at 32, he himself is a mosaic on the way to the long-awaited next title: "I'm like a red wine, the older the better."
A fan store full of XXL Shaqiris
A glance into the FCB fan store at St. Jakob-Park shows just how much hype there is around Xherdan Shaqiri in Basel. The Shaqiri shirts are still prominently displayed right at the entrance to the store. But a closer look shows that the popular sizes S, M and L are gone. This is also confirmed by an employee in the fan store: "The good sizes are largely sold out."
Shirts are therefore being printed in advance to meet the high demand: "We've been overrun since Friday," says the fan store. Since the transfer was announced, they have been working on flocking shirts with "Shaqiri" printed on them. Monday was also a busy day. Countless fans attended the official presentation of Shaqiri at St. Jakob-Park. Many of them then helped themselves to a Shaqiri jersey in the fan store.
Will the many Shaqiri fans already see their favorite on Sunday in the home game against Yverdon-Sport? Shaqiri met coach Celestini for the first time on Monday: "We both still need to get a picture, we don't know each other that well yet." Shaqiri also admits that he still needs a while to get back to 100 percent. But he adds with a smile: "I want to recommend myself for Sunday."
