Degen's master plan at FC Basel Back to success with 148 squad changes in 3.5 years

FC Basel

FCB president David Degen took over at FC Basel in May 2021, turned the club around and made a lot of money with clever transfers.

Image: Keystone

FCB's cash cow, even if he was only there for twelve months: Riccardo Calafiori flushed well over 20 million into Basel's coffers, thanks in part to a sell-on clause.

Image: Keystone

Renato Veiga also only played one year in Basel, but was able to leave his mark and now regularly plays for the big Chelsea FC.

Image: Keystone

Zeki Amdouni and Dan Ndoye were able to use FCB as a springboard and are now among the key players in the national team.

Image: Keystone

Many came, many went. Only one has been there for what feels like an eternity: Taulant Xhaka.

Image: Keystone

FC Basel

FCB president David Degen took over at FC Basel in May 2021, turned the club around and made a lot of money with clever transfers.

Image: Keystone

FCB's cash cow, even if he was only there for twelve months: Riccardo Calafiori flushed well over 20 million into Basel's coffers, thanks in part to a sell-on clause.

Image: Keystone

Renato Veiga also only played one year in Basel, but was able to leave his mark and now regularly plays for the big Chelsea FC.

Image: Keystone

Zeki Amdouni and Dan Ndoye were able to use FCB as a springboard and are now among the key players in the national team.

Image: Keystone

Many came, many went. Only one has been there for what feels like an eternity: Taulant Xhaka.

Image: Keystone

David Degen took over at FC Basel in May 2021. Since then, there have been almost 150 changes to the squad. A look at FCB's numerous transfers and how much money they have brought the club.

"We are convinced that by the end of 2024, we will have set up the club in such a way that all legacy issues and mistakes from the past have been cleared up. Then the club will be stable and independent and back where it belongs and where we want to see it." FCB Board of Directors member Andy Rey said this in a statement in August 2023.

And indeed, FC Basel has recovered. After difficult years, the former serial champions are back on track in sporting terms. FCB is in second place in the Super League after the first half of the season, just one point behind leaders Lugano. The fans can dream of winning the championship again.

Financially, things are also looking much better than three years ago, thanks in particular to the club's transfer policy. The strategy is simple: buy young players with a lot of potential for as little money as possible and sell them for a lot of money. Even if these players only play at the Joggeli for a short time.

70 million francs more in transfers during the Degen era

David Degen and his team have managed to pull off several coups. Riccardo Calafiori, Renato Veiga, Andy Diouf, Thierno Barry and Zeki Amdouni all played just a single season in Basel. With these five players alone, FCB generated a transfer profit estimated at more than 70 million francs.

Of the ten most expensive sales in the club's history, six were made during the Degen era. However, it is also true that a total of 47 players have been signed permanently since the summer of 2021 - i.e. in seven transfer windows. This does not include the many loan players.

In total, there have been 148 squad changes at FCB since Degen took over (see overview below). That's an average of 21 additions, departures or loans per transfer window. Young players who have made the leap to the first team from the club's own youth ranks are not included. With their transfers, Basel generated revenue of over 130 million francs and spent more than 60 million on new players.

Financially on course

Almost exactly a year ago, David Degen sat on blue Sport's Home Match and explained: "We started with a structural deficit of around 35 million. It was bleeding out everywhere, we had to stop this bleeding." At the end of 2023, the deficit was still around CHF 15 million. The target for 2024 was eight million. FCB's exact position is expected to be communicated in April 2025.

Degen spoke of a "five-year plan" in the home game. Phase one, stopping the bleeding, had been successful. Also thanks to numerous loan deals with which the club was able to keep its head above water. Phase two, signing players permanently and thinking more long-term again, also appears to be complete. Only Albian Ajeti, Benjamin Kololli and 37-year-old Marwin Hitz have contracts expiring at the end of the season.

"We are putting the club on a stable financial footing in the long term so that we can then grow," explained Degen - and in doing so, probably heralded the start of the next phase: The return to sporting success.

Things are looking up again at FC Basel. However, the focus will remain on finances in the new year. The club will continue to rely on transfer income in the future. Now the question arises: will Basel, in its good sporting situation, maintain its pace in the coming winter transfer window and replace half the team in January?

All transfers since David Degen took over at a glance

Transfer sums according to "transfermarkt.ch"