FCB boss Degen talks about contracts: Will Hitz’s time as FCB’s regular goalkeeper be over soon?

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Since Fabio Celestini (48) took over at FC Basel, the form curve has been going up. Since the end of October, FCB has collected 23 points – 15 more than under Timo Schultz (46) and Heiko Vogel (48) in the twelve games until the coaching change. From 12th place, Celestini led the club to 8th place, the Champions Group is again within reach.

However, the contract of the French-speaking Swiss only runs until the end of the season. Would you like to extend it, David Degen? “We have been talking for three weeks, but not before there is a conclusion,” says the FCB chairman in the ‘Yyneruggt’ podcast. Celestini is demanding clear future plans from management to consider whether a commitment beyond the summer is the right thing to do.

“Fabio told me: ‘I have already won the cup, I have seen everything in Switzerland. I want to win the title here, that must be my goal if I stay here,” says Degen. Of course he respects that, but a little later he says: “I don’t want to set goals, I have become too modest.” The 41-year-old apparently does not want to know anything about a championship title (yet).

Will Hitz remain number 1?

It is not yet clear what happens to Celestini afterwards. The same applies to goalkeeper Marwin Hitz (36). In the two-hour conversation the question arises: will he remain the regular goalkeeper in the FCB goal given his age? Not really, says Degen.

“We have a three-year contract with him. The agreement was: two years as a permanent goalkeeper, one year as a supplement to a young goalkeeper. Because this is Hitz’s second season on the Rhine Knee, a changing of the guard is planned in the summer. But the successor is missing. Tim Spycher (19), currently on loan to FC Baden, is doing well, but is not ready yet.

In addition to Celestini and Hitz, other personal details are also discussed, such as Michael Lang (33). His contract was extended last year, but since Celestini arrived he no longer plays a role. Degen: “He has done nothing wrong, it is purely a performance decision.” Degen believes it is unlikely that the right back, who received substitution offers last summer, will play again – unless “the entire defense is out”.

“You should have cut off my hands.”

The selection situation at FCB is discussed in detail in the podcast. Who comes? Who’s going? Degen does not allow himself to look too deeply into the cards. He only says that “there will be more departures than arrivals in the summer.” Finding the right players is difficult anyway because everything has to be right: performance, motivation, character and money.

The latter was the reason why, for example, Renato Steffen (32) did not return to FCB in the summer of 2022. “Renato could have helped us, but financially we couldn’t do it.” At Lugano, the Nati player now collects a proud amount of money, says Degen: “What Steffen earns in Lugano, you should have cut off both my hands so that I could pick up the pen and sign.”

Source : Blick