Twelve years after leaving Basel, Xherdan Shaqiri is returning to FCB. Shaq is by no means the first to want to try Basel a second time. How have other returnees fared? We do the check.
Marco Streller
In 2007, Marco Streller returned to FC Basel, which he had left for Stuttgart three years earlier. Streller's years after his return were marked by success, and today he is considered one of the club's greatest legends. The current blue Sport expert won seven league titles and three cup victories before his retirement in 2015.
Benjamin Huggel
Like Streller, Huggel also found his way back to his home club in 2007 and remained there until the end of his career. He was also one of the defining figures in Basel's successful era, winning four more league titles and the Cup three times.
Alex Frei
In 1997, the Beebbi let the then 18-year-old Frei leave on a free transfer. After successful spells at Rennes and Dortmund - Frei even became top scorer in Ligue 1 - the goalscorer returned to FCB in 2009. And he continued to score goal after goal. Frei scored 108 goals and 48 assists in a total of 167 games for FCB and celebrated numerous titles.
Philipp Degen
His spells in Dortmund, Liverpool and Stuttgart were marked by injuries. In 2011, the right-back returned to FCB, which he had left in 2005. Degen played in Basel for five years, but was often out injured and had a difficult time with the coaches at the time. Nevertheless, he was still able to celebrate five championship titles after his return.
David Degen
The current FCB club president returned to Basel several times. First after a year on loan at Aarau, then as a loan player from Gladbach and the last time in 2012 after four years with Young Boys. Crazy: David Degen was able to celebrate the championship title in every season as an FCB professional. However, he only won the Cup once in 2008.
Matias Delgado
The euphoria in Basel in 2013 was as great as it is now with Shaqiri. The reason: former crowd favorite Matias Delgado re-signed with FCB, seven years after his departure and stints in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. The Argentinian was able to inspire the Basel public once again, winning four more league titles and once the Cup, before the captain shocked the fans with his unexpected retirement in 2017. Even FCB fan Roger Federer took to Twitter with a "Dangge".
Zdravko Kuzmanovic
Unlike most other returnees, FCB fans probably don't remember Kuzmanovic too fondly. After the midfielder had earned the Basel club €3 million in 2007, he was one thing above all else from 2015 onwards: expensive. In sporting terms, Kuz was only rarely able to impress, followed by loans to Udinese and Malaga, before ending his career in 2020. The 51-time Serbian international played just 40 games for FCB after his return, celebrating one more league title and one more cup win.
Valentin Stocker
When Stocker left FCB in 2014, he had won six league titles and three cup wins with the Bebbi in seven professional years. After returning from Berlin in January 2018, Stocker played another four and a half years at the Joggeli, but "only" won the Cup once again. With more than 400 competitive matches in red and blue, the Kriens-born attacker is one of FCB's greatest ever legends.
Fabian Frei
With 540 appearances, Fabian Frei is FCB's record player and is still playing in Basel today at the age of 35. Having joined the professional squad from the juniors in 2009, the midfielder initially left the club on loan to St.Gallen for two years. A move to Mainz 05 followed in 2015, and Frei returned to Basel two and a half years later. While his "first era" was still crowned with success (5 league titles, 2 cup wins), FCB has struggled since Frei's return in January 2018.
Michael Lang
Lang left FCB in 2018 after three successful years. After three years in the Bundesliga (Mönchengladbach and Bremen), Basel brought the right-back back in 2021. Now, another three years later, Lang's contract has been terminated prematurely. Certainly not the end Lang envisioned in Basel. But he still has a place in the hearts of FCB fans.
