COMMENT - Thanks to Xherdan Shaqiri, FC Basel has found its way back, but its luck could be fleeting

This was supposed to be the season in which the Super League would once again offer a title race, with excitement and drama right down to the final round. For a long time, there was much to suggest this would be the case. Eight teams were within six points of each other at the beginning of March, and the metaphor of a snail race for the championship title was a frequently used one in those days.

But now, at the beginning of May and with three rounds to go, FC Basel has already been crowned Swiss champions. For a long time, Basel were among the sluggish players. But then the prospect of their first championship title since 2017 sent them into a frenzy of speed and victory. They blasted away from the competition, winning seven consecutive league games with a goal difference of 25-4. It's a fitting end to an at times bizarre season.

FC Basel has already won its 21st championship, but this title is not just another in its rich palmarès; it will go down in history as a special achievement because it comes as a surprise like few before it.

After all, it wasn't that long ago that FC Basel was on the rocks. A year and a half ago, they were bottom of the Super League table. The club was beside itself, reeling from the transfer whirlwind that president David Degen had subjected it to.

Now FC Basel has more stability again; the question is just how sustainable it has been in finding its feet again. And how much Xherdan Shaqiri, this little, big footballer who grew up in Basel, moved into the world of football, and returned at the age of 32, will cover up old problems.

When Shaqiri presented himself to the euphoric Basel crowd in August, it wasn't long before the homecoming player started talking about the "Barfi," the Barfüsserplatz, where the club celebrates its titles. At the time, that sounded bold, a bit arrogant. There were observers who predicted that things wouldn't go well with the aging Shaqiri and the struggling FC Basel. And the Basel officials were taking a big risk with the transfer, because Shaqiri is an expensive footballer and one whose fitness had long been in question.

It turned out well, more than that. Shaqiri blossomed once again in his hometown, where the warmth and comfort of his hometown make him the center of everything. 31 games, 18 goals, 20 assists, 87 percent of minutes played: That says a lot, but the numbers aren't enough to capture Shaqiri's impact.

He returned home as a prodigal son to rebuild the club. This task would have overwhelmed others , but not Shaqiri; he shouldered it with characteristic ease. In the last seven games alone, as Basel sprinted to the championship title, he was involved in 17 goals. Shaqiri was at the back, at the front, everywhere. It was as if he wanted to show everyone what was at stake.

Shaqiri has written a story that will be told for a long time, in Basel and beyond. He has dominated the league like no other player before him, and one can certainly ask what that says about the Super League. He is Basel's most important protagonist this season. Another is David Degen, the president.

It's been four years since Degen took over the club from Bernhard Burgener. It was a turbulent, even wild time, during which Degen sometimes whizzed through the transfer market like a whirlwind, until at some point nothing seemed to fit anymore, everything fell apart, as evidenced by the last-place finish in the fall of 2023.

Degen also explained his approach by saying that he had to restructure the club first before he could stabilize it. His FC Basel team's record on the transfer market is excellent. He is a good scout, has connections, and demonstrates business acumen. This is illustrated by the annual trade surpluses – most recently CHF 27 million – which have helped stabilize the club's finances.

Degen often demonstrated a keen nose in the transfer market; the same is less true in the personnel market . He once parted ways with coach Patrick Rahmen too early, as he later admitted. He subsequently tinkered endlessly with the sporting structures. He made a mistake with coach Timo Schultz. He also had to dismiss sporting director Heiko Vogel and many others from all sorts of positions.

But recently, something like calm has returned to Basel, at least by Degen standards.

For a year now, Daniel Stucki has been the sporting director, who has handled complicated issues like the departures of iconic figures Fabian Frei and Taulant Xhaka with astonishing calm, and who generally seems to have a calming effect on President Degen and the club. FC Basel now fields significantly fewer players than in the previous season; the club has gained in stability and maturity. With Shaqiri, Basel have acquired the crucial piece of the puzzle, one that, while it has no resale value, has brought the club and the city back together.

There was some discussion about coach Fabio Celestini in the fall and spring. This illustrates how fragile Basel's calm was at times. But Celestini is still there. Anything else would be surprising, given that he took over the club when they were bottom of the table, back in the dark autumn of 2023. He has mastered the difficult task of giving Shaqiri complete freedom while still maintaining balance within the team. And now he's on the verge of winning the double.

Over the last 15 years, FC Basel won eight consecutive titles, followed by YB six out of seven. Now there's little evidence that another era is dawning. FC Basel is a deserving champion, and its resurrection is spectacular, but a look into the future also reveals many uncertainties.

Without Xherdan Shaqiri, this season would likely have been very different, and it's anyone's guess how long he'll remain as good as he has been recently. Shaqiri turns 34 this fall, and the new season will bring Basel back to European football, perhaps even the Champions League, but certainly many more games, all of which Shaqiri won't be able to play.

Whether the coach's name will still be Fabio Celestini is at least questionable. President Degen and sporting director Stucki recently emphasized their desire to continue with the French-speaking team, but they didn't do so heartily. That's the fundamental question: How sustainable is Basel's calm? They'll certainly make one or two transfers, if only to cover their structural deficit—recently, there was talk of a deficit of CHF 10 million. And sometimes just one or two new adjustments are enough to throw things into disarray.

However great Basel's happiness may be right now, it could soon turn out to be fleeting.