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I dreamed of the sports city of Basel. And mentally I’m sitting in the stands of Swiss Indoors. The final game had just ended on the field. Rafael Nadal defeated Novak Djokovic in a thrilling game. The room is buzzing, with Honorary President for Life Roger Brennwald and tournament boss Roger Federer competing in the VIP room.
Roger and Roger, two, how bad luck! When Nadal announced his retirement, Federer sat next to the crying Spaniard and held his hand as he sobbed. Swiss Indoors has become the most attended indoor tournament in the world. Sponsors and top players: Thanks to Federer’s connections, everyone wants to play in this tournament. The hall is full every day.
If you order your ticket by phone, Lynette Federer will be on the line. As before, she helps out in the tournament office. In the weeks leading up to the tournament, Rod Laver visited all the nursing homes in the region and organized bingo afternoons. He invites the winners to Swiss Indoors in a senior box equipped with plush seats.
FC Basel players sit in the VIP area next door. A hat-trick from Basel’s Cedric Itten propelled the team through to the last 16 of the Champions League after beating Newcastle 3-0. There are seven Basel natives in the starting lineup. President David Degen stands up in St. Jacobshall and enjoys the ovation. Given the great work with young talent, Novartis has extended its contract as the main sponsor until 2050.
Basel national team coach Murat Yakin, who was present, also received a standing ovation. The field of participants in the European and World Cup finals is now so inflated that qualification is a formality for any football country that can be taken half-seriously. With 24 European Championships and soon 48 World Championship participants, Switzerland has almost always qualified over the last hundred years.
Yakin and Jaka holding hands
But with ten wins from ten qualifying games and exciting, dynamic football, Yakin’s team stormed into the European Championship. And this gave hope that a great summer fairy tale would happen in Germany. Yakin sits in the stands next to his Basel captain Granit Xhaka. They also hold hands from time to time.
The entire tournament week is just a show. Federer and Patty Schneider played exhibitions against Stan Wawrinka and Martina Hingis every lunch break. When Schneider double faults, Wawrinka says with a smile, “Cry, baby, cry.” Everyone laughs. The Federer twins are big kids, and like everyone else, their dad serves pizza every night.
The alarm clock is ringing. From a dream. Back in reality, you realize that the men of Basel are now stumbling around, helpless and disoriented. And you think: no wonder that the canton of Basel-Stadt was the first and only canton to elect five women and no men to parliament.
Only one man can save the honor of the Baselians: Beat Jans. If he is elected to the Federal Council in a few days.
Source: Blick
I am David Miller, a highly experienced news reporter and author for 24 Instant News. I specialize in opinion pieces and have written extensively on current events, politics, social issues, and more. My writing has been featured in major publications such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and BBC News. I strive to be fair-minded while also producing thought-provoking content that encourages readers to engage with the topics I discuss.
