FC Basel
Austrian football team.
FC Basel is a professional football club based in Basel, Switzerland, that competes in the Swiss Super League. Founded in 1893, Basel is one of the most successful and popular clubs in Swiss football history. The club plays its home matches at St. Jakob-Park, which has a capacity of 38,512 spectators, making it the largest football venue in Switzerland.
Basel's colors are red and blue, earning them the nickname "RotBlau" (Red-Blue). Throughout their history, they have won 20 Swiss Super League titles, 13 Swiss Cups, and 1 Swiss League Cup, making them one of the most decorated clubs in the country. Their first major success came in 1933 when they won the Swiss Cup, defeating Grasshopper Club Zürich in the final.
The club's golden era began in the late 1960s under the management of Helmut Benthaus. During his tenure, Basel won seven league titles between 1967 and 1980. This period also saw the club make its mark in European competitions, reaching the quarter-finals of the European Cup in 1974, where they narrowly lost to Celtic.
After a period of relative decline, Basel experienced a resurgence at the turn of the millennium. The opening of St. Jakob-Park in 2001 coincided with a new era of dominance for the club. Between 2002 and 2017, Basel won 11 league titles, including an unprecedented run of eight consecutive championships from 2010 to 2017. This period also saw success in the Swiss Cup, with the club achieving several domestic doubles.
In European competitions, Basel has become a regular presence, particularly in the UEFA Champions League. They have reached the group stage of the competition multiple times and have achieved notable victories against top European clubs. In the 2011-12 season, Basel famously defeated Manchester United in the group stage, knocking them out of the competition. The club has also enjoyed success in the UEFA Europa League, reaching the semi-finals in 2013.
Basel is known for its excellent youth academy, which has produced numerous talented players who have gone on to have successful careers both in Switzerland and abroad. Notable academy graduates include Xherdan Shaqiri, Granit Xhaka, and Yann Sommer.
The club has a fierce rivalry with Grasshopper Club Zürich, with matches between the two teams known as the "Klassiker" of Swiss football. Basel also maintains strong rivalries with FC Zürich and BSC Young Boys.