2003–04 FC Basel season

FC Basel
2003–04 season
Chairman Switzerland Werner Edelmann
Manager Switzerland Christian Gross
Swiss Super League Champions
Swiss Cup Round 3
UEFA Cup Round 2
Top goalscorer Christian Giménez (16)
Highest home attendance 30,800 vs
Switzerland Grasshoppers
(23.11.2003)
30,000 vs
England Newcastle United
(6.11.2003)
Lowest home attendance 21,803 vs
Switzerland Xamax
(28.04.2004)
← 2002–03 2004–05 →

The 2003–04 season was Fussball Club Basel 1893's 111th in existence and the club's 10th consecutive season in the top flight of Swiss football. The Club's main aims for the 2003–04 season were to regain the league title and, as cup holders, to retain their cup title. The third aim was to remain in the UEFA Cup as long as possible. During pre-season Basel won the Uhrencup and the Alpen Cup. After being the surprise package in Europe in the 2002–03 season, Basel could not bring this form into the UEFA Cup in 2003–04 as they were eliminated by Newcastle United in the second round after defeating Malatyaspor in the previous round.

The Super League season started impeccably, Basel won the first thirteen matches straight off. They completed the first half of the season undefeated, with seventeen wins and one draw. Basel remained in top position right up until the end of the season, thus achieving their championship aim. In the club's history this was their tenth championship title.

Overview

Despite the fact that Grasshopper Club Zürich were the reigning Swiss champions, Basel were favourites to win the domestic championship title. As runners-up of the previous Nationalliga A season, Basel entered the UEFA Cup in first round. Basel's biggest signing in advance of the 2003–04 season was Matías Emilio Delgado from Chacarita Juniors[1] But in the other direction Hakan Yakin left the club and transferred to Paris Saint-Germain.[2]

FC Basel started the season of with various warm-up matches. These included teams from the Swiss lower league as well as teams from the German Bundesliga, the French Ligue 1 and the Romanian Liga I. The season began on 16 July 2003 with the home game against Zürich and the 2003–04 UEFA Cup began on 24 September 2003.

Before the winter break Hakan Yakin returned to the club from Paris Saint-Germain and during the winter break they signed Francisco Gabriel Guerrero on loan from FC Zürich.

The Campaign

Domestic League

Basel's priority aim for the season was to win the league championship. The season started impeccably, Basel won the first thirteen matches and moved to the top of the league table from the first round. They completed the first half of the season undefeated, with seventeen wins and one draw.

Basel completed the seasons eighteen home ties undefeated, winning fourteen and drawing four. Their biggest home wins were to 6-0 wins against Servette and Neuchâtel Xamax. Four home games were reported as sold out, the highest attendance being 30,800 spectators on 23 November 2003 in their highest scoring match of the season, a 5–2 win against Grasshopper.

Basel remained in top position in the table until the end of the season, thus achieving their championship aim. This was the club's tenth championship title.

Domestic Cup

As cup holders, Basel's clear aim for the Swiss Cup was to retain the title. In the first two rounds of the 2003–04 Swiss Cup Basel were drawn away games against lower league teams. Both games were won as expected. In the third round they were drawn away in the Hardturm Stadion against Grasshopper Club Zürich but lost 1-0. Thus Basel were eliminated and missed their domestic cup aim.

Europe

The clubs aim was remain in the UEFA Cup as long as possible. But after being the surprise package in Europe in the 2002–03 season, Basel could not bring this form into the UEFA Cup in 2003–04 and they were eliminated by Newcastle United in the second round after defeating Malatyaspor in the previous round.

Club

The Management

Position Staff
Manager Switzerland Christian Gross
Assistant manager Switzerland Fritz Schmid
Fitness Coach Switzerland Harry Körner
Goalkeeper Coach Switzerland Thomas Grüter
Goalkeeper Coach Switzerland Romain Crevoisier
Team Manager Germany Oliver Kreuzer
Team Administrator Germany Gustav Nussbaumer
Youth Team Coach U-21 Switzerland Heinz Hermann

Last updated: July 2003
Source: FC Basel Marketing AG (2004). Rotblau: FC Basel 1893, Das Magazin. FC Basel Marketing AG. ISSN 1660-0878. 

Kit

Supplier: Nike
Sponsor(s): Novartis

Home
Away

Source:

Other information

Chairman Switzerland Mr Werner Edelmann
Ground (capacity and dimensions) St. Jakob-Park (33,433 / 120x80 m)

Source: Homepage FCB

Players

First team squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 Switzerland GK Pascal Zuberbühler
4 Switzerland DF Alexandre Quennoz
5 Switzerland DF Marco Zwyssig
6 Switzerland MF Benjamin Huggel
7 Switzerland FW Esposito
8 Australia MF Mile Sterjovski
9 Switzerland FW Marco Streller
11 Cameroon FW Hervé Tum
12 Switzerland MF Sébastien Barberis
13 Argentina FW Christian Eduardo Giménez
14 Algeria MF Djamel Mesbah
15 Switzerland DF Murat Yakin
16 Switzerland DF Grégory Duruz
No. Position Player
17 Switzerland MF Mario Cantaluppi
18 Switzerland GK Eric Rapo
19 Brazil DF Kléber
20 Argentina MF Matías Emilio Delgado
21 Switzerland MF David Degen
22 Serbia MF Ivan Ergić
23 Switzerland DF Philipp Degen
24 Cameroon DF Timothée Atouba
26 Australia MF Scott Chipperfield
29 Bosnia and Herzegovina MF Damir Džombić
30 Switzerland DF Boris Smiljanić
33 Argentina FW Julio Hernán Rossi
35 Austria GK Thomas Mandl
Switzerland MF Hakan Yakin

Transfers Summer 2003

In

21 Switzerland MF David Degen (from FC Aarau – on loan) [3]
Brazil DF José Maria Claudino ("Zé Maria") (from Prudentópolis Esporte Clube – on loan)
20 Argentina MF Matías Emilio Delgado (from Chacarita Juniors - n/a) [1]
Switzerland MF Hakan Yakin (return transfer from Paris Saint-Germain)[4]

Out

Switzerland DF Philippe Cravero (to Servette – free transfer)
Switzerland DF Bernt Haas (to West Bromwich Albion – end of loan)[5]
Spain FW Carlos Varela (to FC Aarau – on loan)[3]
Switzerland MF Hakan Yakin (to Paris Saint-Germain - transfer)[2]
Australia MF Ljubo Miličević (to Zürich - end of loan)

Transfers Winter 2003-04

In

Argentina FW Francisco Gabriel Guerrero (from FC Zürich – on loan) [6]

Out

Switzerland MF Antonio Esposito (to Varese – free transfer)[7]

Results and Fixtures

Friendlies

Pre-season/First Half Season friendlies

Uhrencup

The Uhrencup is a club football tournament, held annually in Grenchen.

Alpen Cup

Winter Break/Second Half Season friendlies

Swiss Super League 2003–04

For more information, see Swiss Super League 2003–04

First half of season

The Swiss Super League season 2003–04 was contested by ten teams.

Second half of season

Final league table

Pos
 Team
 Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 Pts
Qualification or relegation
1 Basel (C) 36 26 7 3 86 32+54 85 2004–05 UEFA Champions League Third qualifying round
2 Young Boys 36 22 6 8 75 48+27 72 2004–05 UEFA Champions League Second qualifying round
3 Servette 36 15 7 14 61 62−1 52 2004–05 UEFA Cup Second qualifying round
4 Zürich 36 14 8 14 58 52+6 50
5 St. Gallen 36 14 8 14 54 57−3 50
6 Thun 36 13 10 13 51 57−6 49 2004 UEFA Intertoto Cup Second round
7 Grasshopper Club Zürich 36 12 5 19 62 74−12 41
8 Aarau 36 9 11 16 57 69−12 38
9 Neuchâtel Xamax 36 10 6 20 46 63−17 36 Relegation play-off
10 Wil (R) 36 7 8 21 37 73−36 29

Source: RSSSF
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.

Swiss Cup

Main article: Swiss Cup

Swiss Cup 2003–04

For more information, see Swiss Cup 2003–04

UEFA Cup

For more information, see 2003–04 UEFA Cup

First round

Aggregate: 3-2 / Basel win on silver goal

Second round

Aggregate: Newcastle win 4-2 on aggregate

Sources and references

  1. 1 2 FC Basel 1893 (2003). "Vierjahresvertrag für Matias Delgado" (in German). FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 2003-08-26.
  2. 1 2 FC Basel 1893 (2003). "Hakan Yakin wechselt definitiv zu PSG" (in German). FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 2003-07-30.
  3. 1 2 FC Basel 1893 (2003). "Varela zu Aarau, D. Degen zu Basel" (in German). FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 2003-07-09.
  4. ↑ FC Basel 1893 (2003). "Hakan Yakin: Neuer Arbeitsvertrag mit FCB" (in German). FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 2003-08-29.
  5. ↑ FC Basel 1893 (2003). "Bernt Haas verlässt den FC Basel" (in German). FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 2003-07-05.
  6. ↑ FC Basel 1893 (2004). "Guerrero leihweise zum FCB" (in German). FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 2004-02-12.
  7. ↑ Si/BaZ (2004). "FC Basel löst Vertrag mit Esposito auf" (in German). BaZ. Retrieved 2004-01-29.

External links

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