FCB coach with message to Xhaka, Frei and Co: Celestini takes a closer look at leading players

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On Monday morning, Fabio Celestini prepares his birthday party. Then Ruedi calls Zbinden and asks Celestini for an interview in Basel. With football boots and a whistle in his luggage, Celestini sets off, convinces the FCB sports committee in long conversations and then signs a contract until the end of the season on Tuesday, his 48th birthday. “A wonderful gift,” the Roman laughs.

And an unexpected one. In October 2021, he said in an interview with ‘Le Matin’: ‘I will never get the position at FC Basel. I know that.” Now he is here. When asked, he tells Blick: “That was a statement based on emotions. Twice before I almost ended up at FC Basel. And by that I mean really close. Looking back, I can laugh at that statement. .”

During his presentation, Celestini also talked about…

…his first impressions of the team: “After three training sessions I can say: we especially have to work on communication and relationships between the players on the field. And by that I don’t mean: where are we going to eat after training? What is missing is that they talk to each other, that they push each other. Many are with their thoughts. And if something negative happens, for example a goal is conceded, they feel alone and lose confidence. You can also train that, but that is more difficult than tactics and technique.”

…the intensive one-on-one conversation with Thierno Barry after the victory in Kriens: “He is a great boy and was disappointed not to be substituted. He can do that too. But I made it clear to him: your personal disappointment must come second in our situation. First and foremost he must be happy with our victory.”

…Contact with Heiko Vogel: ‘We haven’t spoken to each other. But Heiko left a written message in the trainer’s office. The note read, “Good Luck and Good Luck.” I think that’s an incredible gesture from him.”

…why he doesn’t bring an assistant: “Everything has happened so quickly since Monday. The most important thing now is: getting points against Yverdon and Servette. I can get a sense of the team right up until the national team break – not just the team, but the coaching staff as well. Then we will decide whether one or two more people will be added.”

…his contacts in the seven-member sports committee: “So far I have mainly spoken directly with Marco Streller and Ruedi Zbinden. I spoke to David Degen a lot on the phone; he couldn’t be there at first because of his shoulder surgery. But on Friday he was at training. These people know FC Basel inside and out and can tell me everything I need to know.”

…Ruedi Zbinden’s team criticism: ‘I just get to know the players. My focus is only on the team we have. It is very important that we beat Yverdon on Sunday. I don’t have time to think about what will happen during the winter break.”

…his preference for beautiful football: “That has been my philosophy for fifteen years. And it remains that way. But in our situation, game concepts are not that important. We don’t have time for this. I can’t throw everything out the window in a few workouts and convey twenty new ideas every day. I want to see a team that is hungry to win, that fights for each other, that wins duels. Kriens had the will, even though it was not perfect from a football technical point of view. Look: Lucerne lost in Delémont, Bayern lost in Saarbrücken. There are no easy matches in the cup.”

…the role of the protagonists Xhaka, Frei and Co.: «These are legends of FC Basel! But I was once an older player myself and learned: how much you play is not the most important thing. Most importantly, being a leader and being a regular player are two different roles. I can always be a leader, even if I’m not always on the field. I expect that. As a coach I have to find the best eleven for every match, regardless of someone’s past.”

…the FCB crash: “Unbelievable! But I’m not interested in the past, I have to make sure we get points quickly. The first messages from friends abroad were: Good luck at this big club! And then people looked at the table and asked: what is going on? FC Basel is Switzerland’s biggest club abroad, synonymous with success.”

…his relationship with Zinedine Zidane: “We lived together in Madrid for five years and our children went to school together. I was lucky enough to get to know Zizou’s personal side. But it’s not like we’re on the phone every week. When we see each other there is great joy. He currently has no club. So if he wants to be my assistant in Basel: very welcome!” (laughs)

…his family: “I’m used to traveling a lot to see my family. My two sons live in Lausanne, my daughter in Panama. My wife is from Valencia. I have many friends in Madrid. I have an apartment in Zion. And most of my relatives live in Italy.”

Source : Blick