Shaqiri's Return Sparks Basel's Title Ambitions

Xherdan Shaqiri's return to Basel has sparked title ambitions. Can they overcome FC Copenhagen in the Champions League?

A Swiss expert on FC Basel, Florian Raz from “Blick,” has shared insights with (link unavailable) ahead of the UEFA Champions League playoff match between FC Copenhagen and FC Basel. According to Raz, FC Copenhagen are considered heavy favorites against a struggling Swiss side. This assessment comes as FC Basel prepares to face FC Copenhagen at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen on August 27, 2025.

With Mohammed Salah as one of their star performers, FC Basel dominated Swiss football between 2010-2018, where they won eight successive championships and three times managed to go beyond the group stages of the Champions League. 

Head-to-Head Record

Historically, FC Basel and FC Copenhagen have had a closely contested rivalry. Their most recent head-to-head encounter ended in a 2-2 draw in a friendly match. In their last five encounters, FC Copenhagen won one, drew one, and lost three, with an average of 2.4 goals scored and 0.8 goals conceded per match.

Current Form

FC Basel's current form has been inconsistent, while FC Copenhagen has shown promising performances. In their last five matches, FC Basel won four and lost one, scoring an average of 2.8 goals per match. Meanwhile, FC Copenhagen won three and drew one of their last five matches, showcasing their strong league performance.

FC Basel's decline can be attributed to various factors, including management changes, misguided strategies, and questionable boardroom decisions. Although specific details about the club's current ownership and management structure aren't available, it's clear that the team is working to regain its former glory. The club's struggles are evident in its inconsistent performance and inability to dominate the league as it once did.

FC Basel, once a formidable force in domestic football, has significantly declined from its glory days. The team tested Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United on four separate occasions, showcasing its strength and competitiveness. However, recent performances have been underwhelming, with the women's team currently ranked second in the Super League with 39 points from 18 matches. They've won 12, drawn 3, and lost 3 games this season.

Current Team Performance

The men's teams, including the U19 and U21 squads, are also competing in their respective leagues. FC Basel U19 ranks third in the U19 Elite league with 3 points from 1 match, while FC Basel U21 stands fifth in the Promotion League with 5 points from 3 matches. Despite their rankings, the teams have shown some promise in recent matches, such as FC Basel U19's 3-1 win over FC Sion.

Challenges Faced by the Club

FC Basel's decline can be attributed to various factors, including management changes, misguided strategies, and questionable boardroom decisions. Although specific details about the club's current ownership and management structure aren't available, it's clear that the team is working to regain its former glory. The club's struggles are evident in its inconsistent performance and inability to dominate the league as it once did.

“FC Basel very surprisingly won the championship last season, but you should see it in the context that while the national team has been doing fine, Swiss domestic football is in a poor state,” says Florian Raz.

“Whenever you have two players who can actually string two passes together, they are immediately sold to foreign clubs. At the moment, you have a league which is very entertaining from the fact that everybody beats everybody, but the quality of the league is very poor.”

“You can see it from the fact that FC Lugano went out already in the second qualifying round of the Conference League against Romanian outfit Cluj, and the following week they beat FC Basel in the Swiss league,” says Raz.

FC Basel 1893 🔴🔵 𝑽𝑺 ⚪️🔵 F.C. København#FCBasel1893 #AlliZämme #imRotblaueRusch #rotblaulive @ChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/FIZKi2AmHY

— FC Basel 1893 (@FCBasel1893) August 20, 2025

FC Copenhagen is riding high on confidence as they prepare to face FC Basel, having won seven of their first nine matches in the new season and lost only one game. Meanwhile, FC Basel sits fourth in the Swiss table, struggling defensively with seven conceded goals in four fixtures. Their upcoming match is scheduled for August 27, 2025, at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, with kickoff at 20:00 WAT.

“FC Basel want to play attacking football and press their opponents high up the field, but they don't really have the team to execute that strategy. They don’t score a lot of goals, and their defense, where they look very fragile, is a work in progress. Their defenders, who are young and inexperienced, are not very tall. They play a zone defense, and they don’t have the awareness to play like that.”

Xherdan Shaqiri made a surprising move in the summer of 2024, leaving Chicago Fire to return to his boyhood club, FC Basel, despite having numerous offers from other clubs outside Switzerland. This decision marked a significant chapter in his storied career, which has seen him play for top European clubs like Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and Internazionale. Shaqiri signed a three-year deal with Basel, expressing his pride and excitement to reunite with the fans.

Shaqiri's return to Basel has been a success, with the Swiss playmaker playing a dominant role in the team's championship win last season. He scored 18 goals and provided 20 assists in the 2024-25 season, helping Basel secure their first league title since 2017. Although he's 34 now and may have lost some pace, Shaqiri remains a key factor in the team. His experience and skill continue to make him a vital player for Basel.

“They are very dangerous from set pieces, which are all handled by Shaquiri, and he still has a magical left foot. But he is quite easy to frustrate. All the teams in the Swiss league man-mark him, and he really hates that. So he argues a lot with the referees and his own team-mates and his body language is usually very poor,” says Raz, who has a clear message for Jacob Neestrup, the coach of FC Copenhagen, before the clash on Wednesday night.

“Man-mark Shaquiri, don’t concede stupid free-kicks close to your box and then put a lot of pressure on their defense. Then you will win the match.”