FC Basel season 2008-09

Infobox Football club season
club = FC Basel

season = 2008–09
manager = flagicon|Switzerland Christian Gross
chairman = flagicon|Switzerland Mrs Gisela Oeri
league = Swiss Super League 2008-09
league result =
cup1 = Swiss Cup 2008-09
cup1 result =
league topscorer =
flagicon|Australia Chipperfield (4)
season topscorer =
flagicon|Portugal Carlitos (8)
highest attendance = 34,820 vs flagicon|Ukraine Shakhtar
(16 September 2008)
lowest attendance = 19,829 vs Bellinzona
(26 July 2008)

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.

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

Kit

Out on loan:

Basel League Goalscorers/Assist in the 2008-09 Season

"Updated to games played 5 October 2008"

Basel European Goalscorers/Assist in the 2008-09 Season

"Updated to games played 16 September 2008"

Basel's Swiss Cup Goalscorers in 2008/09

"Updated to games played 20 September 2008"

*some friendlies are missing due to lack of information

External links

* [http://www.fcb.ch Official site]
* [http://www.football.ch football.ch]
* [http://www.transfermarkt.de Transfermarkt.de]

References