Change in winter?: GC plans to transfer FCB star

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The Grasshoppers wanted to lure defensive veteran Michael Lang to Niederhasli in the summer – without success, the 32-year-old pushed for his contract with FC Basel until 2025 and wanted to assert himself in red and blue. It is quite possible that the transfer will still take place in the winter: according to sports director Bernt Haas, GC is still keen on a return campaign. And Lang is just a benchwarmer at FCB under the third coach of the season, Fabio Celestini.

The temporary solution becomes a permanent solution. FCZ goalkeeper coach Davide Taini (47) no longer has his previous job after his six-month break due to a knee operation, temporarily Dean Santangelo (30) retains Taini’s place in the professional staff and will not return to the youth rankings. Taini responded on Instagram to his forced departure through the back door: “Unfortunately, it is now time to say goodbye. After eight years at FC Zurich, those in charge told me that I no longer had a future at the club. The ex-professional was a companion in the career of regular goalkeeper Yanick Brecher for a long time. With Taini on the staff, the FCZ were promoted from the Challenge League in 2017, won the cup in 2018 and the championship in 2022. Even as an active FCZ goalkeeper, Taini became a cup winner (2005) and champion (2006). The club itself presents the termination of the contract as follows: “After the absence of Davide Tainiv due to an injury of several months, we have decided, after consultation with everyone directly involved, to continue on the path we have taken with Dean Santangelo as goalkeeper coach of the first team. Davide Taini will therefore leave the city club.”

The Hoppers have announced they can count on the support of long-time Man Utd and Tottenham scout Peter Braund, 57, as they plan their squad this winter. From 2007 to 2010, the Englishman was also chief scout for the then Bundesliga club Hannover for three years.

FC Basel could not have wished for a better place to end the year than the Swisspor Arena: Red-Blue won its last six (!) away games in Lucerne, which is a positive or negative club record from the perspective of both clubs. But you can also look at it another way: of the eight home games this season, Lucerne has only lost one and won six. From this perspective, the FCL is the favorite on Sunday – at least if you look at the table.

Eleven (!) FC Basel players are injured before the last match of the year in Lucerne. Of course, it hurts coach Fabio Celestini that Renato Veiga and Taulant Xhaka also have two suspended players. In particular, Xhaka’s red card against GC after a kick in the groin from Bradley Fink was something to talk about: bad luck from some people’s perspective, an act of violence from someone else’s. Xhaka subsequently apologized to the team. That’s the end for Celestini: “I get angry when players are thrown off the field because they insult the referee or because they push an opponent away. That was not the case with Tauli. It was bad luck that he met Fink like that. With his aggressiveness, Xhaka is very important for us.”

After the 2-1 defeat at the end of the Champions League group stage in Leipzig, YB sports boss Christoph Spycher takes a closer look at the players. Before the last league match in the most boring place in the Super League, he demands in the Berner Zeitung: “There is currently only one goal: Saturday’s match against Lausanne-Ouchy. For me this game is extremely important because it can be groundbreaking. When you play in Leipzig, you don’t have to do much. The national anthem plays and an incredible amount happens. But when you walk into the Pontaise on Saturday and the referee whistles, you have to be ready immediately. I expect the team to then show how they have grown from the Champions League campaign. In terms of results, we have been successful so far.”

Source : Blick