Manager legend Vogel’s transfer analysis: FCB spending – FCZ not buying anything

Lausanne signed Watford striker Samuel Kalu and Fousseni Diabaté from FK Partizan Belgrade just in time. St. Gallen gets Bastien Toma van Genk, SLO borrows Emmanuel Essiam from FCB. It is the last spurt of extremely hectic transfer days.

Incomprehensible to Erich Vogel. “As a Swiss club you have to make the transfers as early as possible. At the start of the season it is decided whether you qualify for the Europa League, for the Conference League or are completely empty-handed,” says the 84-year-old manager legend. for the championship, the start is extremely important, Vogel continued. “You absolutely have to try to win the first game. You have to be ready for the start of the season. If that is not the case, it does not mean that there is a huge amount of competence.”

Vogel felt that YB has done this in an exemplary manner. ‘The anticipation was excellent. For example, before Rieder was even gone, his successor Lakomy was already there.”

GC and FC Basel in particular have attracted attention in recent weeks due to their busy transfer activities. FCB has sold particularly well: he earned about 50 million francs this summer, just over 40 million ahead of Zeki Amdouni, Andy Diouf and Dan Ndoye. strong value. Thanks to his huge network from the days of the player advisor, David Degen can sell better than any other club manager in Switzerland.

“These teams are still far from a regular formation”

But Degen also shops. More than anyone in the world. Former FCZ captain Kevin Rüegg is new addition number 18 at FC Basel. In total, the club has now spent more than 30 million.

It is the biggest upheaval in the club’s history, even though President Degen promised at the General Assembly in the spring: “90 per cent of the squad will stay together.” The opposite is the case: in the 2-2 win against FCZ last weekend, Marwin Hitz is still one (!) Player in the FCB starting XI who was in the starting line-up in the last classic in May.

Vogel says those who sign so many players hope the competitive situation will push them to perform better. He doesn’t think much about that. “Every newcomer should be able to show themselves and be given a chance. Such teams are by no means a regular formation.”

FCB was busy publishing. The FCZ is at the other end of the scale with four entrants – it’s practically the buy-nothing in the league. That has advantages, says Vogel. “The team is well composed, the hierarchy is clear. You are the leader and if you hadn’t given up the three points three times just before time, you would have even reached the maximum number of points.”

“Such large squads only bring disadvantages”

What despite the different transfer strategy is strikingly similar at FCB and FCZ: their own descendants are currently eating hard bread. With Zé Junior, Axel Kayombo and Leon Avdullahu, three homegrown players are new to FCB’s pro squad, but they have no realistic chance of appearing regularly due to their spending frenzy. With the Reichmuth Guzzo brothers, Bajrami and Junior Ligue, FCZ also has its own youth players in the team, but they have not had a chance so far. Often they even train with the U21s.

For Vogel a matter of team size. All clubs generally have far too large selections, he says. A 20-man squad, including two goalkeepers, would be ideal for him. For clubs not playing European football, 18 would be enough, he says.

Other selection planners speak of 22 field players as the ideal value. In the Super League everyone has more. Basel, GC and Winterthur have 30 players, St. Gallen and FCZ have 27. FC Luzern has the fewest players, but also 26. “Such big teams only bring disadvantages,” says Vogel, summing up: “You give spend money unnecessarily. You have a lot of dissatisfied players. And you don’t promote your own talents. No footballer has gotten better on the bench.”