2016–17 FC Basel season

Management

Urs Fischer has a running three-year contract as first team manager, which started in June 2015. His assistants are Werner Leuthard, Marco Walker and Markus Hoffmann. Massimo Colomba is the Goalkeeper coach. Massimo Ceccaroni is head of the FCB Youth System. The new coach of the Youth Team (U–21) will be Raphaël Wicky.

Further information

Last updated: 1 June 2016
Source: FCB Official Site

Offseason and preseason

At the end of the 2015–16 FC Basel season Walter Samuel and Philipp Degen ended their football careers. Behrang Safari left the club to continue his career by his home club Malmö FF. Breel Embolos transfer to Schalke 04 was confirmed by both teams on 26 June. Despite the fact that he still had a valid contract Naser Aliji joined 2. Bundesliga side 1. FC Kaiserslautern on a free transfer.

Basel announced on 31 August that the contract between them and the 26-year-old Egyptian international Ahmed Hamoudi had been resolved on mutual consent with immediate effect. On 2 September Basel announced that Nicolas Hunziker had been loaned out to the Grasshoppers to gain playing experience. That far during the current season Hunziker had played four games in the Promotion League with the FCB U-21 team, scoring five goals.

On 4 May Basel announced that they had signed 18 year old Paraguayan defender Blás Riveros from Olimpia Asunción on a five-year deal. Due to Riveros commitments with the Paraguay national football team and the Copa America, he was not be expected to join the Basel first team until the beginning of July. On 10 May Basel also announced that they had signed Egyptian defender Omar Gaber from Zamalek on a four-year deal. On 15 June Serbian goalkeeper Đorđe Nikolić transferred in from Jagodina, signing a four-year contract. Basel announced on 28 June that they had signed Seydou Doumbia on loan from Roma until 30 June 2017. Three further transfers in were Mohamed Elyounoussi who signed in from Molde, Kevin Bua who came from Zürich and Éder Balanta who transferred in from River Plate. Each of whom signed a four-year deal. One former player transferred back in from VfB Stuttgart, Geoffroy Serey Die, who had left the club a year and a half before due to differences with the former team manager Paulo Sousa.

Mid-season break

On 25 January 2017 Basel announced that Birkir Bjarnason had transfered out and Aston Villa confirmed the move. On 31 January 2017 Basel announced that Jean-Paul Boëtius was loaned out to K.R.C. Genk until the end of the season.

Domestic League

Basel's priority aim for the new season is to win the league championship for the eighth consecutive time. The 2016–17 Swiss Super League season started on the week-end 23/24 July. Basel played at home game against Sion. Four of the new signings, Gabar, Balanta, Elyounoussi and Doumbia made their first team league debuts in the 3–0 home win. Doumbia scored his first goal for his new club in the same game and just one week later on 31 July during the away game against Vaduz he scored his second. It was the last goal of the game and Basel won 5–1. Basel took first position in the league table from the very beginning. In fact they started the season very well, winning each of their first seven games, scoring at least three goals in each fixture. After these seven games they were nine points clear of BSC Young Boys in second place and Luzern in third. They had scored 24 goals conceding just five. By the winter break Basel had extended their lead to 12 points ahead of the Young Boys who were in second place in the league table, winning 15, drawing two and only one defeat, scoring 49 and conceeding just 15 goals in their 18 matches.

The second half of season began on 4 February 2017. In their first game Elyounoussi scored a hat trick for Basel during the home game against Lugano. These were the first three goals and were scored during the first 36 minutes of the game that Basel won 4–0.

Domestic Cup

Basel's clear aim for the 2016–17 Swiss Cup is to regain the title that they last won in 2011–12. The draw for the first round was held on 1 July 2016 and the team was drawn away against Rapperswil-Jona. The game was won 1–0, the goal being scored by Jean-Paul Boëtius in the 58th minute. In the second round Basel were drawn away against Zug 94, the game played on 18 September, and also won 1–0, the goal scored by Daniel Høegh in the 45th minute. The third round was played on 26 October 2016 and Basel won 4–1 away against FC Tuggen Tuggenfrom the 1. Liga Promotion, the third highest tier in the Swiss football pyramid. The Qarterfinal will be played on 2 March 2017, Basel drawn at home against Zürich.

Champions League

Basel entered into this season's Champions League in the Group stage. The draw was held on 25 August 2016, at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. Basel were drawn into Group A along with Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and Ludogorets Razgrad. The first game was at home against Razgrad on 13 September and the last being the home game against Arsenal on 6 December. The clubs initial aim is to remain in the competition after the group stage.

The first game was played in St. Jakob-Park. Basel took control of the game from the start. But despite a few chances early in the game, Bjarnason (2), Steffen (6) and Delgado (7), Basel were not able to create many chanes against the massive Ludogorets Razgrad defence. Ludogorets waited for conter attacks. Basel's Janko injured himself and was replaced by Doumbia in the 40th minute. Ludogorets went into the lead just before half time breakaway goal by Brazilian forward Cafu. He ran on to a measured pass from Marcelinho, he turned Marek Suchý inside out and sloted in a low shot past Tomáš Vaclík (45). Basel created few clear scoring opportunities but were gifted a chance to equalize when Ludogorets goalkeeper Vladislav Stoyanov flapped at defender Michel Lang's cross. The ball dropped to Steffen, who volleyed into an unguarded net from a tight angle (79).

Basel's second game was away from home in the Emirates Stadium as guests of Arsenal Football Club. This was the first ever meeting between the clubs in European competition. Arsenal made two changes to the side that had beaten Chelsea in the Premier League on the previous Saturday, with David Ospina replacing Petr Čech between the posts. Replacing the injured Francis Coquelin in the centre of midfield, Granit Xhaka started against the team he began his career with and also faced his brother Taulant for the first time in club football. Mohamed Elneny was also brought on as a substitute against his former side. Urs Fischer, on the other hand, had shuffled his pack from their visit to St. Gallen at the weekend, with his front four completely changing. Theo Walcott scored a first half double, with a brace in assists from Sánchez securing a 2-0 win. The first was a lightning break from Arsenal, a ball over the top found Alexis Sánchez in acres of space in the right hand channel and he deftly whiped in a volleyed cross which the Englishman made no mistake with, burying his header past Vaclík. The second was almost too easy for Arsenal, as they waltzed through the Basel defence again. Walcott strolled up to the edge of the box unchallenged, played a perfect one-two with Alexis Sánchez, who was standing with his back to goal, and clinically dispatched the return ball into the far corner, off the post. The home team were all over the visitors, and their one touch passing was sublime to watch. Walcott and Özil played back to Sánchez, but his shot was incredibly saved by Vaclík. Bellerín had a chance and again Vaclík did brilliantly to parry. It was completely and utterly one sided in North London and Basel looked shell shocked, especially during the first half.

Basel's second away game in the third round was in the Parc des Princes as guests of Paris Saint-Germain. This was also the first ever meeting between these two clubs in European competition. In the 5 Minute Delgado kicked a corner which was headed in to the middle by Bjarnason and Lang headed the ball onto the cross bar. Lang, Steffen and Doumbia missed good chances. Another chance for the visitors in the 36th Minute and Doumbia's angled header hit the post. In the 40th minute Blaise Matuidi's low cross was touched off by Edinson Cavani and Ángel Di María thundered his right-foot strike into the roof of the net.Lucas Moura put the hosts two goals up on 62 minutes. Suchý had a chance in the 66th minute but his header hit the cross bar, the third time basel struck the woodwork. In the 93rd miunte Cavani scored from the penalty spot to make the end result a very unlucky 0–3.

The return game was played two weeks later and Omar Gaber played his Chapions League debut for the home team. Saint-Germain had the early goal chances but these were not enough to beat Tomáš Vaclík. After about 20 minutes Basel got into the match better, getting support up for their sole striker Doumbia Seydou. But Paris struck with impeccable timing as half-time approached. A corner was not cleared properly and Meunier latched onto the loose ball, driving a fierce shot at goal through a crowd of bodies. One of those is the unmarked Matuidi who, perhaps unintentionally, flicked the ball into the net (43 minute). In the second half Basel searched for their chances but had no luck. Just as it looked like a goal would not come from anywhere for Basel, it came practically out of nowhere. Substitute Luca Zuffi took aim from almost 40 metres out and suddenly everything had the desired impact. The substitute way out on the byline tried to pick out Marc Janko in the area with a cross, but instead he drifted a ball in that sailed over goalkeeper Alphonse Areola and into the net (76 minutes). In the 84th minute Serey Dié received a second yellow card and was sent off Despite this, only two minutes later Janko had the best chance for a winner for Basel but he missed the crossed ball. Thomas Meunier, however, scored that for Paris in the last minute of the game.

The return game against Ludogorets Razgrad was played in Vasil Levski National Stadium in Sofia. Basel fielded their strongest team, but Ludogorets had to withdraw midfielder Marcelinho with a hamstring injury. Ludogrets had 55% ball possession, but Basel created the most chances. Goalkeeper Vladislav Stoyanov made several fine stops to keep Basel at bay. However the game ended goalless and both teams collected their second point in the group stage. Basel coach Urs Fischer said after the match; "We gave our best, we had a good game, but we failed to convert our chances. There is one more game left, but it could have been much better if we had won tonight. We tried everything, I played with all my forwards, but that was not enough, unfortunately."

The situation before this last group stage match was clear, Basel had to obtain more points than Ludogorets Razgrad to qualify for the Europa League knock out stage and Arsenal had to obtain more points than Paris Saint-Germain to win the group. Two former Basel players were in the Arsenal team, Mohamed Elneny and Granit Xhaka whose elder brother Taulant lined up for the home team. The game was decided early, two defending mistakes soon after the kick-off gave Arsenal two goal scoring chances. Both of which were taken with ease and the visitors were leading by two goals after just quarter of an hour. Lucas Pérez's hat-trick in the 47th minute inspired Arsenal to a 4-1 triumph, with Alex Iwobi adding the fourth after 53 minutes. Basel substitute Doumbia grabed fine second-half consolation for hosts, but too late to make any change in the outcome. Paris's 2-2 draw with Ludogorets meant Arsenal win Group A, Basel finished bottom.

First team squad

The following is the list of the Basel first team squad. It also includes players that were in the squad the day the season started on 23 July but subsequently left the club after that date.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Results and Fixtures

Kickoff times are in CET

Legend

  Win   Draw   Loss   Postponed

Swiss Cup

The draw for the first round was held on 1 July 2016. The Super- and Challenge League clubs were seeded and could not be drawn against each other. The lower division teams were granted home advantage and Basel were therefore drawn away, in Rapperswil. The home advantage was also granted to the team from the lower league in the second and third rounds.

Group stage

Basel were qualified for the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League in the Group stage. The draw was held on 25 August 2016, at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. Basel were drawn into Group A along with Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and Ludogorets Razgrad. The first match was at home game against Razgrad.