A duel between neighbors who couldn't be more different: When the eternal outsider Freiburg is favorite against the giant Basel

Ottmar Hitzfeld says: "For me, FC Basel is bigger than SC Freiburg. They have celebrated success in the Champions League and won many national titles."

Bernhard Heusler says: "It's a question of perspective. FC Bayern has been a top club in Switzerland for a long time, but SC Freiburg plays in a top European league and has developed strongly."

Klemens Hartenbach says: "It's a 50-50 game. Perhaps the home advantage is slightly in our favor."

Xherdan Shaqiri says: "It will be a match on equal terms. Sure, SC Freiburg plays in the Bundesliga, but we don't have to hide."

When FC Basel faces SC Freiburg away in their Europa League opener on Wednesday evening, they will have had a shorter journey than for any Super League match. The cities are only about 75 kilometers apart. But it's a clash between clubs that have no rivalry – and that play opposing roles in different countries and leagues. FC Basel is a giant in Switzerland, while SC Freiburg cultivates the role of the likeable underdog in Germany.

The question is: Which club is actually bigger?

One can approach the topic soberly. Basel, the third-largest city in the country, has just over 180,000 inhabitants; Freiburg im Breisgau, with around 240,000, ranks 32nd in Germany. With its economic power and cultural scene, as well as its airport, Basel is a metropolis with international appeal.

There are the emotions. Basel has been a prominent football city for decades, and FC Basel is the pride of the entire region. Former Swiss national coach Ottmar Hitzfeld grew up in the border town of Lörrach; the 76-year-old still lives there today, and he says FC Basel has a strong connection to the city. "It was like that even when I was a little boy."

At the age of 22, Hitzfeld moved from Lörrach to FC Bayern Munich, having offered himself to then-coach Helmut Benthaus. "When I was younger, we didn't look to Freiburg. It's fantastic what they've become." Back then, Freiburg FC was the city's better club. They won the German championship in 1907 and were still playing in the 2nd Bundesliga in 1982. Today, they play in the 2nd Division of the Landesliga Südbaden – the seventh-highest league in Germany.

SC Freiburg, on the other hand, has undergone astonishing development. Under long-time coaches Volker Finke and Christian Streich, the club established itself in the Bundesliga and participated in several European Cups. Neither Finke nor Streich were dismissed after relegation. This is a level of continuity that would be almost impossible to achieve at other venues. At FC Basel, coaches are even released from their positions after winning the championship.

And there are the sporting metrics. In the UEFA five-year ranking of clubs, Basel ranks 66th, just ahead of Freiburg in 69th. However, according to the website Transfermarkt, the SC's squad value, at €150 million, is roughly twice that of FCB. Ottmar Hitzfeld says the quality of a team is reflected not only in the market value of its players. Xherdan Shaqiri, with his game intelligence, still performs at an international level , and his set pieces are even world-class.

SC Freiburg once again achieved clear financial records in the season before last: Total revenues, with a profit of €40 million, almost exceeded the €200 million mark for the first time, equity rose to €151 million, and total assets reached €189 million. Records, records, records. FC Basel's revenue in 2024 was just under CHF 100 million, once again half that of Freiburg.

After a difficult few years, FCB not only won the double last season, but also reported a profit of over CHF 15 million thanks to high transfer revenues of CHF 57 million. On the other hand, SC Freiburg has significantly more members (75,000 compared to just under 10,000) and, for the past few years, has enjoyed a higher average attendance at its new stadium (around 34,000 last season compared to just under 26,000).

The SC has surpassed FCB in many areas and has recently narrowly missed out on the Champions League several times. Xherdan Shaqiri says that during his first time as a player in Basel, people from Freiburg also came to the Joggeli Stadium because they were watching the Champions League: "I felt like FC Basel was at least as big as Freiburg back then, if not bigger." During his time at FC Bayern Munich, Shaqiri scored three goals in five appearances against Freiburg. He says his good friend, GC captain Amir Abrashi, told him a lot about the familiar and down-to-earth club during his six years in Freiburg. "And that's how the SC comes across."

A busy, loud, and dominant manager like David Degen, as well as FCB's speculative transfer policy, are unimaginable at SC Freiburg. Klemens Hartenbach has been the sporting director there for twelve years. He was born in Freiburg, played for both Freiburg clubs, and has held various positions at SC Freiburg for two decades, leading calmly and as a team player. "As a child, Basel was like Paris to me, a big city with endless possibilities," says the 61-year-old.

Hartenbach vividly remembers being at the Joggeli in 1979 as a 14-year-old when FC Barcelona won the European Cup Winners' Cup final against Fortuna Düsseldorf 4-3 after extra time. "Basel is football, it's always been that way." And Basel has considerably more financial clout. There are no pharmaceutical multinationals or patrons in Freiburg; Hartenbach describes the city as "small and medium-sized," at least compared to other Bundesliga cities.

The cozy, cramped Dreisamstadion, which had a capacity of less than 15,000 when the club first gained promotion to the Bundesliga in 1993, gradually grew into an arena almost twice as large. Since 2021, SC Freiburg has played its home games at the Europa-Park Stadium. Home tickets have been sold out for over ten years, and the waiting list for season tickets stands at around 40,000.

Values ​​such as humanity, respect, and consistency continue to shape SC Freiburg despite its ascent to new heights. "As long as I'm working, I want to maintain a certain romanticism about football," says Hartenbach. "I would never sign a player just because we're thinking about their resale value." But he's not naive. "We know that we, too, have to make investments with sums that would have been unthinkable for us recently."

Excellent youth development and good scouting remain the foundation of Freiburg's success. A talent like Ottmar Hitzfeld in Lörrach would be discovered early today. One example is Johan Manzambi, who was signed from Servette two and a half years ago at the age of 17. Manzambi will soon turn 20 and is a promising prospect for the Swiss national team and SC Freiburg .

The midfielder is fueling speculation and could soon become the club's new record sale in the frenzied transfer market – so far, that's Kevin Schade, who left for Brentford for €25 million in 2023. "It would be ideal if Johan stayed with us for at least another season," says Hartenbach. "With us, he's allowed to make mistakes and develop in peace."

Interestingly, for some people in Basel, SC Freiburg has served as a positive counterpoint to the success-spoiled FCB. Bernhard Heusler, president during Basel's championship years last decade, says: "I heard from time to time that we should do things like SC Freiburg. There are no problems with fans there; everything is more peaceful and family-oriented."

However, one must always consider a club's environment and cannot copy concepts, says Heusler. "If FCB were to play in the Bundesliga, for example, it would have significantly more TV revenue. Therefore, I don't rule out the possibility that it could play a significant role there."

There are limitations in small Switzerland. Heusler experienced how difficult it is to attract spectators in neighboring countries. "SC Freiburg's appeal has increased enormously, which has cost us potential there," says Heusler. A common element has always been Europa Park, which sponsors both clubs.

Europa-Park was also a driving force behind the construction of the new arena in Freiburg. Heusler says the stadium symbolizes SC Freiburg in its modern form as an established Bundesliga club. It is no longer the small neighbor of FC Basel – even if St. Jakob-Park is still a bit larger.

Tonight, all things considered, SC Freiburg is the slight favorite as the two clubs meet for the first time in a competitive match. For decades, it would have been a very bold prediction that a Europa League clash between SC Freiburg and FCB would ever occur.