X-Nico

27 unusual facts about FC Basel


Alexandru Tudor

He took charge of a UEFA Cup first round match between Celta de Vigo and Odense Boldklub two months later, but it was not until 4 November 2008 that he refereed his first Champions League group stage match, when he officiated a match between Barcelona and Basel.

Andrea Mandorlini

On 15 September 2010, Andrea Mandorlini was sacked by CFR Cluj due to a poor start in the season; his dismissal was announced only days before his UEFA Champions League debut against FC Basel.

Carlos Alberto Alves Garcia

In July 2007 Carlitos was sold definitely but stayed in the country, moving to FC Basel for a fee of 1.5 million.

Cristian Ianu

Ianu suffered a serious leg injury in Luzern's 4-1 victory away at FC Basel which has ruled him out of much of the 2010-11 campaign.

Daniel Unal

He was loaned to the U21-Team of A.S. Roma for the 2007/08 season and was set to sign on a permanent contract, as Bellinzona and Roma have a deal for players exchange, but he signed for FC Basel on 8 July 2008, instead.

Daniel Wermelinger

The match FC Basel against FC Schaffhausen on 22 July 2006 was his first game as referee in the Swiss Super League.

Dollhouse Museum

Gisela Oeri, honorary president of local football club FC Basel, is heavily involved in the museum on a financial level.

Ernest Witty

However, FC Basel and other Swiss clubs that Gamper played for and his home canton of Zurich have all been credited and/or claimed to be the inspiration.

Fabian Schär

Fabian Schär (born on 20 December 1991) is a Swiss footballer who plays as a centre back for FC Basel.

On 4 July 2012, it was announced that Schär had transferred to FC Basel, much to his girlfriend Barbara Marin's dismay.

Franco Costanzo

Swiss side FC Basel acquired his services in July 2006 for £1.4 million after the departure of veteran goalkeeper Pascal Zuberbühler.

Ljubo Miličević

On 12 January 2011, it was announced that Milicevic was not going to re-sign for the Jets and left for Switzerland, where he trialled with former club FC Basel in the Swiss Super League.

Luís Martins

He made his official debut for the club on 2 November 2011, starting in a UEFA Champions League group stage game against FC Basel and being replaced at the hour-mark of the 1–1 home draw by Miguel Vítor.

Marco Borriello

This followed up, on 19 October 2010, in a 3-1 loss against Basel.

Marco Caneira

On 25 October 2012 he scored only his fourth goal as a professional, netting from close range after a corner kick in an eventual 2–1 home win against FC Basel for the season's UEFA Europa League.

Marco van Ginkel

On 18 September 2013, Van Ginkel played his first Champions League game in a 2–1 home defeat by FC Basel.

Marco Zwyssig

Wacker Tirol went bankrupt, however, and were forced to sell their most valuable players; Zwyssig enevitabley left, signing for FC Basel in 2002.

Mohamed Elneny

FC Basel had been watching Elneny for some time and invited him to their training camp in Estepona from 14 to 24 January 2013.

Nikola Vidović

When the manager, Thorsten Fink, moved to Swiss club FC Basel, in 2009, he brought a number of his training staff with him, including Heiko Vogel and Nikola Vidović.

Oliver Stöckli

In February 2008 his former club, FC Basel, signed him on a short term loan deal after their first team goalkeeper, Franco Costanzo, was injured during a UEFA Cup match against Sporting Clube de Portugal.

Stöckli came through the ranks at FC Basel and signed a professional contract with the club in 1996.

Patrik Baumann

Baumann is a product of the FC Basel youth system and usually plays as a centre-back but has also been deployed at right-back or in midfield.

Robbie Neilson

A high point in his career came in 2004 with his match-winning goal in Hearts' 2-1 away win over FC Basel in the 2004-05 UEFA Cup, his first in any competition for the club.

Robert Kok

In 1988, FC Zürich acquired his services, and he later finished his career shortly after signing with FC Basel in 1992.

Simone Grippo

Grippo came through the ranks in the FC Basel youth system and played for two years in their reserve team.

Stefan Huber

He played there for five years before signing for FC Basel in 1993.

We Are the Faithful

The film's subject is the stadium culture of FC Basel supporters during a game (FC Basel vs FC Zürich) in 2005 at the St. Jakob-Park and the importance of the chief supporter, Tobias Haufler, cheering on the crowd.


ENIC Group

During the football investment boom of the mid to late 1990s it began to acquire shares in football clubs around Europe and bought stakes in Tottenham Hotspur (29,9%), Rangers F.C. (25,1%), SK Slavia Prague (96,7%), AEK Athens F.C. (47%), Vicenza Calcio (99,9%) and FC Basel (50%).

Fwayo Tembo

Fwayo Tembo left FC Basel after he accused club coach Thorsten Fink of making racist remarks towards him during a training session.

Jean-Pierre Maradan

In the summer of 1976 Maradan transferred to FC Basel, with coach Helmut Benthaus, back into the Nationalliga A. Despite the team already having a number of especially good players (Mundschin, Stohler, Geisser, Maissen, Ramseier, Muhmenthaler and Fischli) the right footed Maradan quickly became a key player.

Manuel Cajuda

Cajuda returned to Portugal midway through 2006–07 campaign joining Vitória de Guimarães – being announced on Christmas Day – which he led to promotion and a third position in the following year, just narrowly surpassing S.L. Benfica for the last UEFA Champions League berth and only to lose controversially in the last qualifying round against FC Basel of Switzerland.

Olivier Boumelaha

Boumelaha began his career with FC Basel in 1998 but made only one appearance for the club before moving on to FC St. Gallen in 2000.

Ørjan Berg

He retired at the end of the 2006 season, and has previously played for F.K. Bodø/Glimt, FC Wettingen, TSV 1860 München, and FC Basel.

Peter Marti

In 1975, Marti transferred to Helmut Benthaus' successful FC Basel where he played for six years and won two national championships.

SC Buochs

Reto Zanni who played for the Switzerland national under-21 football team and now plays for FC Basel and Christophe Lambert who currently plays for FC Luzern.

Sorin Cârțu

During Cluj's Champions League tie against Swiss Super League champions FC Basel at St. Jakob-Park, Cârțu destroyed a section of the dugout with his foot after his side conceded a 75th minute goal.

Stefan Frei

Stefan is second-cousin to the recently retired captain of, and all-time leading scorer for, the Swiss national football team, Alexander Frei, an accomplished striker twice voted Swiss player of the year, who used to play for Axpo Super League club FC Basel and is now the sports director for FC Luzern.

Thorsten Fink

Fwayo Tembo left FC Basel after he accused club coach Thorsten Fink of making racist remarks towards him during a training session.

Virgile Boumelaha

Boumelaha began his career with FC Saint-Louis, he moved then to FC Basel and later to FC Sochaux-Montbéliard in 2002 but made two appearance for the club before joined to VfB Stuttgart in 2004.