FC Basel play FCZ at home on Saturday. A match made for Xherdan Shaqiri, who is always at his best in big games. In the "Basler Zeitung", he talks about his return to FCB and his retirement from the national team ahead of the classic.
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- Ahead of the classic against FCZ on Saturday (20:30 live on blue Sport), returnee Xherdan Shaqiri looks back on his first month at FCB.
- He is being recognized and approached everywhere. "It's a huge boom," says Shaqiri. There have been a few occasions when he has stepped out of the elevator and several children have been waiting outside his front door to take selfies with him.
- The 32-year-old also talks about his retirement from the national team after the European Championship in Germany.
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On his return just over a month ago, Shaqiri is celebrated like a rock star. Around 2000 fans cheer the prodigal son around St. Jakob-Park. At the press conference to introduce him, he is in a joking mood. Someone is clearly feeling good.
In an interview with the "Basler Zeitung" newspaper, he talks about how he has experienced the first few weeks. After many years abroad - he left FCB for Munich in 2012 after three years as a professional - he has not yet fully realized that he is back, close to his family: "I've only ever been in Switzerland for a short time in recent years. Now I see my parents and my family every day. It's wonderful for me, but I'm still not used to seeing them every day or being able to go over to see them quickly."
At the first press conference, he reveals where he lives and says, followed by a mischievous smile: "I hope there won't be too many people ringing the doorbell in the next few days. Because I finally want to start training in peace and quiet."
The wish does not come true. "It's ringing all the time. I've come out of the elevator two or three times in the last few weeks, and then five or six children are standing in front of the door wanting to take a photo with me. Or they ring my parents' doorbell. It used to be like that, but at the moment it's extreme. It's unbelievable for people to see me. They also have to get used to the fact that I'm back in Basel."
He is recognized and approached everywhere. "It's a huge boom." Some are "shocked" in a positive sense when they see him. "And it's not just teenagers or small children, but also older people. Sometimes it feels like a rock star. And that's despite the fact that people in Switzerland are rather reserved and down-to-earth."
Shaqiri is generally happy about this, but there are limits: "I was asked for an autograph in a restaurant during a meal. Then, for once, I had to say: Hey, sorry, not right now!"
When asked what his craziest request has been so far, Shaq says: "A fan came up to me after training and asked me to sign his calf. He wanted to have it tattooed - and I think he did."
Shaqiri wants to "bring FCB back to where it belongs"
When the offer was on the table, he didn't think twice, returning home was reason enough. "And the timing was perfect for me. Of course, there were better offers financially. But I have a good environment here, and it's very appealing to be able to take FCB back to where it belongs."
In his career, in which he won the Champions League with Bayern Munich and Liverpool and collected many titles, he has set some highlights. At Chicago Fire, his last employer, things didn't quite go to plan. One of his best performances came against Inter Miami, when he scored a brace in a 4-1 win in front of 60,000 fans.
Does Shaq need the big stage to be at his best? "I don't need it. But I was always there in the big games. A good player is ready for the important games. When the chips are down, you have to be there."
The classic match between Basel and FC Zurich is also a big game. And it is precisely this match that is on the program on Saturday evening (8.30 pm live on blue Sport). The 32-year-old is very much looking forward to it. "This is Switzerland's game. For a Basel player like me, it's a very special affair. It's about emotions, about fighting. A win against FCZ is worth more than three points. It can give you energy for the next few weeks and the next few games. And that's what we want to offer the fans."
He proved at a young age that this affair suits him. In ten duels against FCZ, he scored seven goals and set up two. He probably scored the most beautiful of his seven goals in April 2010 at the age of 18. "After a corner, the ball came to me and I flicked it beautifully into the corner with my left foot. I'm sure you can find that on YouTube." And of course he is right with this statement ...
Shaqiri scores the winning goal in the Cup
He has come off the bench in each of his three games since his return. 24 minutes against Yverdon Sport (2-0), 19 minutes against Sion (1-1) and most recently in the Cup against Stade Nyonnais. Coach Fabio Celestini actually wanted to do without Shaqiri in order to protect his calf. But when the score was still 0-0 after 79 minutes, he sent him on after all.
And it was indeed Shaqiri who scored the winner. In the third minute of stoppage time, he converted a penalty that he had taken himself. "I went to the spot and knew I was going to score. I love moments like that: staying cool and helping the team."
Shaqiri on his retirement from the national team
In an interview with the "Basler Zeitung", the 125-time international (32 goals, 34 assists) also talks about his retirement from the national team. "I was already toying with the idea before the European Championship in Germany. I felt that I had done a lot for the Swiss team and that it was time to concentrate more on the club level. Now was exactly the right moment to step down."
He will never forget his dream goal against Scotland, the only match in which he started at the last European Championship and was substituted in the 60th minute after completing his work.
His only other appearance came in the European Championship quarter-final against England, where he was substituted in the 109th minute and almost decided the game with a stroke of genius. He tried to convert a corner directly and only just failed - the ball hit the crossbar. He kept his nerve in the penalty shoot-out and converted his attempt, unlike Manuel Akanji, who was the only one to miss.
Looking back, however, he is not happy about his role at the European Championship. "Of course I would have liked to have played more. Everyone wants to play as much as possible at a big tournament." He had also given the coach arguments to play from the start, but "he decided otherwise, and that's okay. I have to accept that. Nevertheless, the European Championship with our performances and the atmosphere in the stadiums was a perfect farewell for me.
He then announces his resignation a few minutes before the press conference at which Murat Yakin talks about his contract extension. The timing is debatable, but it's the right time for him, says Shaqiri. It's a prankster who believes that his resignation is also linked to Yakin's contract extension. When asked whether Murat Yakin had contacted him after his resignation, he said: "No, I haven't had any contact with him since then."
Now his full focus is on FC Basel, with whom he would love to win another title or two. A win against FCZ would be a small but important step in the right direction.
