2008–09 FC Basel season

FC Basel started the season of with various warm-up matches against Swiss lower league teams as well as German Bundesliga, Ukranian Vyscha Liha and Polish Ekstraklasa clubs. The goals for FC Basel during the 2008-09 season were to regain their league and cup titles as well as qualify for the UEFA Champions League.

FC Basel

2008–09 season
Chairman	Mrs Gisela Oeri
Manager	Christian Gross
Top goalscorer	League: Chipperfield (4) All: Carlitos (8)
Highest home attendance	30,002 vs Vitória (27 August 2008)
Lowest home attendance	19,829 vs Bellinzona (26 July 2008)

Overall season

After last season, where Basel dominated on the domestic front, winning both the Swiss Super League and Swiss Cup, and reaching the last 32 of the UEFA Cup. This season they will have the opportunity to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. Ivan Ergić resigned from being club captain before the start of the season, and Franco Costanzo was unveiled as the new captain a day before the season kicked off. Basel played their opening game of the season in Bern on 18 July 2008 against BSC Young Boys, which they won 2-1 with goals coming from substitutes Marko Perović and Benjamin Huggel after Eudis put the home side ahead.

Basel entered the Champions League in the Second Qualifying Round and were drawn against IFK Göteborg of Sweden. The first leg was on 30 July 2008 at Ullevi and finished 1-1. Benjamin Huggel put Basel ahead before Thomas Olsson equalised for the home team. The second leg took place on 6 August at St. Jakob-Park; with Basel coming from behind twice to win 4-2. Pontus Wernbloom put Göteborg ahead on 19 minutes before Benjamin Huggel equalised soon after. Early in the second half Robin Söder restored Göteborg's lead. But Basel fought back, with Scott Chipperfield equalising, and Ivan Ergić scoring two late goals to give FCB a 4-2 victory. Basel then faced Vitória S.C. of Portugal in the Third Qualifying Round. The first leg at Estádio D. Afonso Henriques, on August 13, ended honours even, in a 0-0 draw. The second leg took place on August 27 at St. Jakob-Park where Valentin Stocker gave Basel an early lead on 11 minutes before João Alves was fouled in the penalty area by François Marque and João Fajardo dispatched the spot-kick, just four minutes later to draw Vitória level. In the second half, the away side started well but Eren Derdiyok gave FCB a 2-1 lead which they hung on to, to qualify for the UEFA Champions League Group Stages. FCB were drawn into Group C alongside FC Barcelona, FC Shakhtar Donetsk and Sporting Clube de Portugal.

Club

The Management

Position	Staff
Manager	Christian Gross
Assistant manager	Fritz Schmid
Fitness Coach	Thomas Grüter
Fitness Coach	Romain Crevoisier
Youth Team Coach	Patrick Rahmen
Youth Team Co-Coach	Sandro Kamber

Last updated: 17 May 2008
Source: Transfermarkt.ch

Kit

Supplier: Nike
Sponsor(s): Novartis

Home

Away

Source: Official Site

Other Information

Chairman	Mrs Gisela Oeri
Ground (capacity and dimensions)	St. Jakob-Park (42,500 / 120x80 m)

Source: Official Site

First Team

As of 2 September 2008, accounting for official transfers: Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
1	GK	ARG	Franco Costanzo (Captain)
3	DF	SUI	Ronny Hodel
4	DF	SUI	Michel Morganella
6	MF	ARG	Marcos Gelabert
7	MF	GER	Jürgen Gjasula
8	MF	SUI	Benjamin Huggel (Vice-captain)
9	MF	SRB	Marko Perović
10	FW	SUI	Marco Streller
11	MF	AUS	Scott Chipperfield
14	MF	SUI	Valentin Stocker
15	FW	ARG	Federico Almerares
16	MF	SUI	Fabian Frei
17	FW	CHI	Eduardo Rubio
19	DF	ARG	David Abraham

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
20	DF	SWE	Behrang Safari
21	DF	FRA	François Marque
22	MF	SRB	Ivan Ergić
23	FW	BRA	Eduardo
25	GK	SUI	Jayson Leutwiler
26	MF	SUI	Daniel Unal
27	MF	SUI	Pascal Schürpf
28	DF	SUI	Beg Ferati
29	FW	MKD	Orhan Mustafi
30	MF	POR	Carlitos
31	FW	SUI	Eren Derdiyok
32	DF	SUI	Reto Zanni (Vice-captain)
35	GK	SUI	Oliver Stöckli

Multiple Nationality

• 1 Franco Costanzo
• 7 Jürgen Gjasula
• 11 Scott Chipperfield
• 13 Daniel Unal
• 15 Federico Almerares
• 17 Eduardo Rubio
• 20 Behrang Safari
• 22 Ivan Ergić
• 28 Beg Ferati
• 29 Orhan Mustafi
• 31 Eren Derdiyok

2008-09 Summer transfers:

In:

5	MF	GER	Jürgen Gjasula (from FC St. Gallen - free transfer)
6	MF	ARG	Marcos Gelabert (from FC St. Gallen - 644.000 SFr)
9	MF	SRB	Marko Perović (from Red Star Belgrade - 1.288.000 SFr)
13	MF	SUI	Daniel Unal (from AS Roma)
15	FW	ARG	Federico Almerares (from River Plate)
17	FW	CHI	Eduardo Rubio (loan from Cruz Azul with buy-out option)
17	DF	SUI	Patrik Baumann (loan return from FC Concordia Basel)
19	DF	ARG	David Abraham (from Gimnàstic de Tarragona)
20	DF	SWE	Behrang Safari (from Malmö FF - 644.000 SFr)
25	FW	MKD	Orhan Mustafi (from FC Zürich - free transfer)
26	MF	SUI	Pascal Schürpf (from Basel U-21)
33	MF	SUI	Samet Gündüz (from Basel U-21)

Out:

5	DF	SWE	Daniel Majstorović (to AEK Athens F.C.)
6	DF	JPN	Kōji Nakata (to Kashima Antlers)
7	MF	SUI	David Degen (loan return to Borussia Mönchengladbach)
12	MF	SEN	Papa Malick Ba (contract not re-newed)
15	MF	LIE	Franz Burgmeier (Mutual Consent)
18	GK	LBR	Louis Crayton (to DC United)
19	FW	CZE	Vratislav Lokvenc (loan return to FC Red Bull Salzburg)
29	MF	SUI	Simone Grippo (to Chievo Verona)

Out on loan:

24	MF	SUI	Cabral (on loan toSevilla FC)
33	MF	SUI	Samet Gündüz (on loan to FC Wil)
--	DF	SUI	Patrik Baumann (on loan to FC Concordia Basel)
--	GK	SUI	Yann Sommer (on loan to FC Vaduz)

Pre-Season/First Half Season friendlies

Date	Competition	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Score	Basel's Goal Scorers
23.Jun.2008	Pre-Season Friendly	Lugano	1	Basel	3	Ergic (19'), Burgmeier (22'), Carlitos (81')
28.Jun.2008	Pre-Season Friendly	FC Wil	1	Basel	2	Ergic (33'), Boumelaha (90')
2.Jul.2008	Pre-Season Friendly	BSC Old Boys	1	Basel	3	Carlitos (44'), Ergic (57'), Mustafi (75')
5.Jul.2008	Pre-Season Friendly	Shakhtar Donetsk	3	Basel	2	Stocker (32'), Ergic (36')
10.Jul.2008	Uhrencup	Legia Warszawa	1	Basel	6	Gjasula (15'), Carlitos (44', 56'), Schürpf (67'), Mustafi (85', 89')
12.Jul.2008	Uhrencup	Borussia Dortmund	2	Basel	2	Sanata (19' og), Gjasula (65')
15.Jul.2008	Pre-Season Friendly	FC Oberdorf	1	Basel	7	Derdiyok (29', 45'), Carlitos (36'), Stocker (70'), Mustafi (78', 86'), Gjasula (91')
9.Sept.2008	Season Friendly	SV Muttenz	0	Basel	5	Abraham (10'), Gjasula (26'), Eduardo (51'), Almerares (81', 87')

Swiss Super League season 2008/09

For more information, see Swiss Super League 2008-09

Round	Date	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Score	Basel's Goal Scorers
1	18.Jul.2008	Young Boys	1	Basel	2	Perovic (69'), Huggel (87')
2	23.Jul.2008	Basel	1	Grasshoppers	0	Perovic (45')
3	26.Jul.2008	Basel	2	Bellinzona	0	Chipperfield (8'), Ergić (75')
4	2.Aug.2008	Sion	2	Basel	0
5	9.Aug.2008	Basel	4	Vaduz	0	Zanni (17'), Mustafi (56', 63'), Rubio (77')
6	17.Aug.2008	Zürich	1	Basel	4	Stocker (13'), Chipperfield (21'), Carlitos (54', 90')
7	23.Aug.2008	Basel	4	Xamax	3	Huggel (24'), Derdiyok (27', 33'), Carlitos (43')
8	30.Aug.2008	Aarau	0	Basel	2	Chipperfield (45'), Gelabert (63')
9	13.Sep.2008	Basel	2	Luzern	0	Huggel (16'), Chipperfield (84')
10	27.Sep.2008	Basel	-	Young Boys	-
11	5.Oct.2008	Grasshoppers	-	Basel	-
12	26.Oct.2008	Bellinzona	-	Basel	-
13	1.Nov.2008	Basel	-	Sion	-
14	9.Nov.2008	Vaduz	-	Basel	-
15	16.Nov.2008	Basel	-	Zürich	-
16	30.Nov.2008	Xamax	-	Basel	-
17	5.Dec.2008	Basel	-	Aarau	-
18	14.Dec.2008	Luzern	-	Basel	-

Basel League Goalscorers/Assist in the 2008-09 Season

Updated to games played 13 September 2008

League Scorer	Goals
Scott Chipperfield	4
Carlitos	3
Benjamin Huggel	3
Marko Perovic	2
Orhan Mustafi	2
Eren Derdiyok	2
Reto Zanni	1
Eduardo Rubio	1
Ivan Ergić	1
Valentin Stocker	1
Marcos Gelabert	1
Total goals scored	21

Name	League Assists
Eren Derdiyok	4
Eduardo Rubio	2
Carlitos	2
Valentin Stocker	1
Jürgen Gjasula	1
Scott Chipperfield	1
Marcos Gelabert	1

UEFA Champions League

For more information, see UEFA Champions League 2008-09

Round	Date	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Score	Basel's Goal Scorers
QR2 Leg 1	30.Jul.2008	IFK Göteborg	1	Basel	1	Huggel (26')
QR2 Leg 2	6.Aug.2008	Basel	4	IFK Göteborg	2	Huggel (26'), Chipperfield (71'), Ergic (pen 82', 90')
QR3 Leg 1	13.Aug.2008	Vitória Guimarães	0	Basel	0
QR3 Leg 2	27.Aug.2008	Basel	2	Vitória Guimarães	1	Stocker (12'), Derdiyok (54')
GS1	16.Sep.2008	Basel	1	Shakhtar Donetsk	2	David Abraham
GS2	1.Oct.2008	Sporting Lisbon	-	Basel	-
GS3	22.Oct.2008	Basel	-	Barcelona	-
GS4	4.Nov.2008	Barcelona	-	Basel	-
GS5	26.Nov.2008	Shakhtar Donetsk	-	Basel	-
GS6	9.Dec.2008	Basel	-	Sporting Lisbon	-

Basel European Goalscorers/Assist in the 2008-09 Season

Updated to games played 17 September 2008

European Scorers	Goals
Benjamin Huggel	2
Ivan Ergić	2
Scott Chipperfield	1
Valentin Stocker	1
Eren Derdiyok	1
David Abraham	1
Total goals scored	7

Name	European Assists
Jürgen Gjasula	2
Eren Derdiyok	1
Marko Perović	1
Ivan Ergić	1
Valentin Stocker	1

Swiss Cup 2008-09

Round	Date	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Score	Basel's Goal Scorers
Round 1	20.Sep.2008	FC Schötz	-	Basel	-

Basel's Total Goalscorers/Assist in 2008-09

Updated to games played 16 September 2008

All Game Scorer	Goals
Carlitos	8
Ivan Ergić	7
Orhan Mustafi	7
Eren Derdiyok	5
Benjamin Huggel	5
Scott Chipperfield	5
Valentin Stocker	4
Jürgen Gjasula	4
David Abraham	2
Marko Perović	2
Federico Almerares	2
Pascal Schürpf	1
Reto Zanni	1
Eduardo Rubio	1
Marcos Gelabert	1
Eduardo	1
Franz Burgmeier	1
Sabri Boumelaha	1
Total goals scored	56

Name	All Assists
Jürgen Gjasula	6
Eren Derdiyok	5
Carlitos	2
Valentin Stocker	2
Eduardo Rubio	2
Michel Morganella	1
Samet Gündüz	1
Pascal Schürpf	1
Marko Perović	1
Scott Chipperfield	1
Marcos Gelabert	1
Ivan Ergić	1
Total Assist Made	24

• some friendlies are missing due to lack of information

External Links

Official site
football.ch
Transfermarkt.de