Review of the classic FC Basel vs. FC Zurich
From time to time you should dare to think outside the box and examine the situation a little more closely. I was sitting in the “Paddenwirt” having a beer with a friend from Lucerne and was quite amazed that FC Zurich became Swiss champions last season. Admittedly, that completely passed me by. Didn’t they play in the second division for a year? Oh yes, that’s right, that was back in 2016/17. kids, how time flies. Speaking of which, the same thing happened to city rivals Grasshopper Club Zürich. After 70 years, at the end of the 2018/19 season, they went down one level, two years later they returned to the Super League.
I was just as amazed that the BSC Young Boys became champions four times in a row from 2018 to 2021. I was already aware that FC Basel had changed the guard, but I would have said off the top of my head that the guys from Bern could maybe win the title twice after the long Basel championship title series.
Well then, let’s concentrate on the current day-to-day business. Last Thursday, the explosive duel FC Basel vs. FC Zurich took place in St. Jakob-Park, which sounds like a top game but isn’t currently one. The 20-time champions (the title was last won in 2017) are currently in the no-man’s-land of midfield, and the reigning champions FC Zurich are at the bottom of the table with six meager points.
Although the current table situation is not exactly rosy for either of them, 23,241 spectators were in the stands last Thursday evening, including 1,700 visiting fans from Zurich. “Everything’s always good!” was the motto in the guest area, while “Finger us em arse” could be read on a double holder on the home page. The fans show at the start of the game what it means to give 100 percent. “BASEL” was written in bold white letters on a black background. Blue ponchos were worn on the upper tier of the Muttenzer Curve, and red ones on the lower tier. And then: Fire at will! Around 130 torches (it’s quite possible that there were exactly 126 or 127 respectively) were marked across the board at the top and bottom. This resulted in a 1a sight.
“Red is our love, blue is eternal trust” – that’s the motto of the Muttenzer curve. After exactly 12 minutes, the correspondingly positioned Basel fans in the curve pulled white shirts over it, resulting in a large bordered 12. Just at that moment, FCZ player Ivan Santini from Croatia had to leave the field with a straight red after an elbow hit. Shortly before, the Zurich player Nikola Katic, who also comes from Croatia, had gotten a teammate’s foot on his head and had to be treated afterwards. Fortunately, he was then able to continue playing.
What followed? Very little. The Basler managed a single shot in the first half hour. It was always hot. On the lawn there was a lot of excitement and game scenes worth discussing. In the heat of the battle, FCZ coach Henriksen was also shown the red card by the referee. Basel kept running, Zurich defended with man and mouse – and saved the 0-0 over time outnumbered.
The 13th matchday was completed and FC Basel was able to win 3:1 against Winterthur yesterday and thus keep up with fourth place. For FC Zurich, however, it was rock hard yesterday. In the Letzigrund stadium there was a sensitive 1: 4 smack against city rivals Grasshopper Club Zurich. The top game BSC Young Boys vs. FC Sion ended 1:1, pursuers Servette Geneva could not benefit from it, who also did not get more than 1:1 at FC St. Gallen.
Annotation: On May 20, 2022, the Swiss Football League decided to increase the number of teams from 10 to 12 for the 2023/24 season. In addition, play-offs for the championship title, for the European starting places and against relegation will be introduced. The majority of fans, on the other hand, are quite clear about the petition www.playoffs-nein.ch was started.
Photos: stadium tower
> To the turus photo gallery: Impressions of Swiss football
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