“I was pushed out of FC Basel by him”: Gigi Oeri attacks Bernhard Heusler

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Bernhard Heusler stands for the most successful time in the history of FC Basel. Eight championship titles in a row, magical evenings in the European spotlight, full cash registers. The cornerstone of this success was laid by patron Gigi Oeri, who initially supported FCB with millions and was president of the club from May 2006 to January 2012. She would have liked to have stayed longer, but Heusler “pulled her chair away at the time”, as Oeri now claims in an interview with the “Basler Zeitung”.

“We had a great time, it only went up. Many people in the club have been very supportive of us. Until day X, when I was kicked out of FC Basel by Bernhard Heusler,” said 67-year-old Oeri.

Heusler, who had led the club operationally under Oeri and then became her successor, took over the day-to-day operations, Oeri claims. “Everything went its way. That’s why I withdrew relatively quickly.”

“It needed my money, that’s all”

The accusations against Heusler come out of nowhere and were made in response to the death of former FCB chairman Werner Edelmann. Oeri: «Bernhard Heusler did a very good job, there is no doubt about that. He also helped me a lot. But in the end it is like this: Heusler has never invested anything in the club except for his knowledge and skills. But he got credit for everything before he retired in 2017.”

She doesn’t want to bash Heusler, says Oeri. But she believes that without him she would still be with FCB today. “I never took a penny from FC Basel. I put millions of francs into it. Heusler was rhetorically perfect and immensely capable, he also made a lot of good money for the club. We were a dream duo. But nowadays people only talk about the master maker Heusler and the financier Oeri. I think that’s unfair. I worked hard for FCB for ten years.”

No return from FCB

Nowadays, Oeri no longer watches FCB matches. Returns are also no problem. “I was never asked, even though I have loose contact with David Degen.” She says about the current club management: “You could read on the charter: You did your best. Everything is a matter of money. Few people can really run a club. And you can’t buy a player for the Champions League for three francs. The club is apparently all blown up. I didn’t blow it up. We used the money wisely.”

When asked by Blick, Bernhard Heusler said: “I have taken note of Mrs. Oeri’s statements. First and foremost, I join her in mourning the passing of our much-esteemed former president and mutual colleague Werner Edelmann. My memories of him and that time are nothing but positive, including the collaboration with Mrs. Oeri. During our time together in the FCB management, Ms. Oeri was much more than ‹just› a donor, which is why I also arranged for her to be named the club’s first honorary president. There was no reason to force Mrs. Oeri out of the club. Frankly, I was shocked by today’s statements. Otherwise, respect and understanding of my role dictate that I abstain from public debate.”

David Degen does not want to comment on the interview. (skr/cmu)

Source : Blick