Sometimes funny, sometimes snarky, sometimes strange: nine legendary bird moments

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In his four years – spread over two terms – as assistant coach, interim coach, trainer and sports director at FC Basel, the German provided unforgettable moments.

Here is a selection:

First match on October 15, 2011 after the departure of Thorsten Fink. Cup in Schötz. After the progress, the Muttenzerkurve celebrates Fink’s former assistant Vogel for several minutes and even hoists a banner. It says: “Heiko must stay.” Background: Vogel was still an interim coach at the time and only received a head coach contract in December.

On 7 December 2011, in the big 2–1 win over Manchester United, FC Basel’s German right back Markus Steinhöfer fired the ball onto his own crossbar in the 60th minute. Comment from coach Heiko Vogel at the press conference immediately after the match: “On good days he does it.”

On March 13, 2012, Basel lost 7–0 to Bayern Munich in the round of 16 of the same Champions League campaign. Vogel grins at the start of the press conference and says into the microphones: “It went well…” Laughter. The violent blow is almost forgotten.

On October 15, 2012, Vogel was released during the national team’s hiatus. Then-president Bernhard Heusler paved the way for the new coach Murat Yakin with the legendary sentence: “I want the FCB coach to shop in Freie Strasse.” Background: On his days off, Vogel preferred to go out at home on Lake Tegernsee rather than in the center of Basel.

Vogel should be introduced as FCB’s new sports director on December 14, 2022. Only: the press conference will take place without him. Vogel could not travel from Munich because the airport runway was icy. Bird is stuck in Munich because his bird cannot take off.

On February 11, 2023, sports director Vogel talks about the dismissal of coach Alex Frei. “That was a very difficult decision. I have an incredible amount of respect for Alex as a person,” says Vogel. Although it was Frei who had suggested him for the position of team leader a few weeks earlier, Vogel believes that their friendship would not suffer as a result. Wrong: The two have not spoken to each other to this day.

On May 21, 2023, after the 1-1 draw against Lugano, it was anything but funny. After the final whistle from referee Lukas Fähndrich, Vogel sees yellow, within a few seconds red and curses like a bird! He tells Fähndrich: “I hope I never have to see her again.” Even at the press conference, he still has an angry blush on his face. Vogel says: “I have to be honest: I am very concerned about this person, whether he is suitable to referee such things.” His repeated outbursts towards referees earned him a ban.

On September 21, 2023, Vogel said in response to Blick’s thesis that he would soon be back on the FCB bench to support the new coach Schultz: “I am looking forward to the new season in my role as team leader. And no matter what happens, my place in this role is in the stands and not in the dugout. In the 1-1 draw against Lucerne in the 8th round, he sat next to Schultz and the next day he took over his place on the coaching bench.

At the press conference about Schultz’s departure on September 29, 2023, Vogel President David Degen even interrupted the question of whether the decision against Schultz was unanimous. And says, “You don’t have to answer this question.” By the way, Degen said at the time about Schultz’s successor: “It would be fatal not to transfer responsibility to Heiko Vogel.” A fatal mistake, FCB is no longer allowed to leave the relegation zone under Vogel’s successor Fabio Celestini.

Source : Blick