FC Basel holds the frame and brings Smiljanic and Abascal

It was a peculiar way that David Degen tried to express his trust in the head coach Patrick Framework. “That’s not enough for me,” said the owner of FC Basel on December 19 in “Sonntags-Blick” with a view to the past six months. And: He thinks that the FCB team is stronger than the squad of the series champions YB – which should of course enable more than a cup-out against Etoile Carouge, the group win in the Conference League and second place in the championship, one point ahead of YB, seven points behind FC Zurich.

So it was not surprising that names of possible successors were already circulating in the middle of the month; It was said that there was particular interest in the former Hoffenheim coach Alfred Schreuder.

Either Degen has changed his mind in the past two weeks – or more could have been read from the interview than a hidden threat of dismissal. Before Christmas Degen avoided supporting frames in any way, but he also said: “If a tough decision is needed in certain areas, there will be one. If you don’t need one, then don’t. ” Obviously, there was no need – on the contrary: On New Year’s Eve, FCB announced that the contract with the framework would be extended until 2023. This was by no means to be expected, many had assumed that Framework would be employed until the end of the contract in summer 2022.

Framework loyalty

The FCB writes of “open, intensive and always constructive discussions” that would have led to this conclusion. This development was already apparent at the beginning of the week, when insiders pointed out that a decision was pending – but that it would be less spectacular than many assumed. Framework may have accommodated the fact that he never expressed himself cryptically à la Degen in public and certainly not disloyal. In addition, he enjoys a large lobby among management players, also thanks to his down-to-earth and accessible leadership style.

Even in the extended club environment and in the city, Rahmen knows that he has plenty of support, he comes from the region and has been connected to FCB in various ways, as the son of a multiple master player, as a player, as a junior and assistant coach. He is also advised by the office of the former FCB President Bernhard Heusler, under whose leadership eight championship titles in a row resulted.

And last but not least, there should have been open ears, something that Rahm has been emphasizing for weeks: that it “takes a lot of effort” to lead “a squad of this size, with veterans and talents, some of whom still have little experience” – so said he did it in the NZZ at the end of October. The squad has seen many changes in the past few months; Shortly before the end of the transfer, FCB signed four young players whose immediate integration is not a matter of course.

“A Right Commitment”

When the NZZ discovered two months ago that there really shouldn’t be anything nicer for a child from FCB like Rahmen than to train FCB in this familiar environment – he said: «Yes. But conversely, it is also a real obligation, because it is much closer to you when it is your heart club. “

It can therefore be assumed that the framework has played its part in the constructive dialogue over the past few days; that he endeavored not only to achieve the best for himself, but also for his «heart club». And so the FCB management around Degen and the CEO Dani Büchi came to the conclusion that the support staff would be expanded. The trainer and management agreed that “new impulses are needed”, according to the communiqué.

These impulses should come from Boris Smiljanic and Guillermo Abascal. Smiljanic played for a long time for GC and from 2003 to 2007 also for FCB, he first coached professionals at FC Schaffhausen. Abascal coached FC Lugano in 2018 when he was not even 30 years old. Smiljanic will officially become an assistant trainer, Abascal will act as a so-called special trainer with the previous assistant Ognjen Zaric. Michael Silberbauer, previously also an assistant, is leaving the club.

With this, FCB invests in the coaching team – and in a good that is often underestimated in business: in peace.