Football Season Guide

The sole real positive regarding Basel's 2019/20 season was their Europa League run, while they disappointed domestically, finishing third in the league and losing the cup final to Young Boys. It was announced in mid August that Marcel Koller and the club would be going their own separate ways, with his final game in charge being the cup defeat to the Berners. Their new manager is Ciriaco Sforza, who has had far more success than a player than as manager, with his most recent Super League stint being in charge of Thun in 2015. The Red-Blues have not changed too much over the summer when it comes to their playing squad. The biggest change is in the goalkeeper's position, with Jonas Onlin leaving and Heinz Lindner, whose previous spell in Switzerland saw him impress at Grasshopper, joining. The big news is that Ricky van Wolfswinkel has agreed a contract extension. The striker, who was originally set to depart, missed the majority of the previous season due to an aneurysm and will be like a new signing. He is certainly one of Basel's best players on form. While a big question mark looms over the Red-Blues as Sforza has never managed a club of their size, it is hard to disagree with the assessment that they have underperformed last season and that another similar performance this time around would be seen as unacceptable.