Why Cedric Itten is now hunting for goals at YB and not in his homeland: will the prodigal son finish off FCB?

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Why does Basel’s Cedric Itten score his goals for YB and not FCB? There is only one ending. The team from Basel (with then coach Wicky) failed in 2017.

October 4, 2023. Cedric Itten will never forget this date as long as he lives. It is the date on which he scores his first goal in the Champions League. A penalty kick with a deafening whistle concert. But Itten does not score this goal for FC Basel, as logic would have suggested five years ago. But for YB. At Nikola Tesla Airport in Belgrade, the excited young man says: “This is a childhood dream come true. That was something I missed and it means a lot to me.”

FCB? Itten just shrugs

Champions League. A stage from which the residents of Basel are currently light years away. Red-Blauw failed somewhere this year in the steppes of Kazakhstan, against Tobol Kostanay, the number 178 in Europe, and is in last place in the Super League. Equal points with GC and Lausanne. FCB’s deep fall is unprecedented.

It is not easy to analyze the demise of his youth club. “It’s a bit difficult at FCB at the moment,” he said before the Basel team went to Bern. YB vs FCB. This has always been the magical match in recent years. The two market leaders. Now it is the match between the Champions League participant and the co-bottom team, who have the same number of points as GC and Lausanne. Surreal? “The current situation is that Basel currently occupies an unusual place in the table,” Itten says dryly and shrugs.

And what does Itten’s friend Kevin Rüegg say?

It is difficult for him to follow this from the outside. «I am in contact with Kevin Rüegg, a good friend. He calls it a difficult phase. But I hope they get out of there.”
Someone like Itten would be very useful. Just like in May 2016, when FCB last won at YB. With a very young Itten in the team. “That was under Urs Fischer and my first half of the season as a professional. We were already champions then.” Tempi passati.

And shortly afterwards Itten left FCB. “I was the number three or four striker at the time. That would also have been the case next season. So a loan to Lucerne made perfect sense.” The attackers were Seydou Doumbia, Andraz Sporar and Marc Janko.

The FCB with coach Wicky sells Itten for a sandwich

Itten is establishing himself in the Super League this FCL season. He returns to FCB. He may play twice from the start. He is Joker eight times. Twice not in the selection. Now Ricky van Wolfswinkel stands opposite him in the sun. And in October, FCB brings back Albian Ajeti. The coach at the time: a certain Raphael Wicky. FCB plays in a 4-2-3-1 system. So with a striker. It’s just the three. “I was told I would play an important role. But that wasn’t the case. So there was no point in staying with Basel anymore. But in St. Gallen they trusted me.”

It’s a second loan. Even there you can still have some level of understanding. But in the summer Itten is sold to Eastern Switzerland. For about half a million francs. Basel with coach Wicky no longer needs him. But St. Gallen benefits from Itten. He scored 36 goals in two and a half seasons for Green-Weiss. And a nice transfer profit, around 2.5 million francs, when he moved to Glasgow Rangers.

YB had Itten on their radar for a long time

FCB should then be back in the match at the latest. But it’s YB that has Itten on the radar. And not just then. “YB had been watching me for a long time. My advisor kept telling me about the Bernese’s interest. This appreciation was also something that argued for the switch to YB.”

Now Itten plays in yellow and black. He has already scored 29 goals for the champions. Last season he was number two in the SL behind teammate Jean-Pierre Nsame. YB takes back the title. Wins the cup. And is in the Champions League. In addition, Itten has also been included in the national team with Amdouni since Embolo’s injury. His record in the Nati uniform: 11 games, 5 goals. Excellent.

Is the idea of ​​returning home even permissible? Itten: “You never know what the future will bring. But right now I’m more than happy at YB and that’s all I have in mind.”
And so Itten plays a different role. The ones who personified FCB terror. He scores by far the most against Basel. Ten times in sixteen games. Heiko Vogel and Co. already shaking about Sunday and the prodigal son.

Source : Blick