A Basel city derby is celebrating its premiere: one Gugge, three goals and 2,000 fans
On the shooting mat, FCB left it 3-0 against VfR Kleinhüningen, who play five classes lower.
Folk festival on the Schützenmatte: After the final whistle, the fans surround the FC Basel players.
Image: Christoph Kieslich
Kleinhüningen may be familiar to those who know football because Gottfried Dienst played there in the 1940s. The referee who achieved eternal fame with the Wembley goal in the 1966 World Cup final. Last year, the Basel neighborhood club VfR Kleinhüningen, which emerged from a merger in 1996, turned 100 years old, but a game against FC Basel has never happened in all that time.
This has now been made up for as part of the “Uswärts dehei” series, with which FCB seeks proximity to clubs and fans in the region. Because the Schorenmatte sports field is far too small for such an event, around 2,000 spectators made a pilgrimage to the Schützenmatte for the city derby.
FCB coach Fabio Celestini had nine national players unavailable, as well as the six injured players who were recently missing. In return, players like Benjamin Kololli, who recently fell out of rank and on the agenda, or Mo Dräger, who had been convalescing for a long time, were phased out.
In addition, Yannick Schweizer, the U21’s regular central defender who turned 22 last week, was able to present himself in the starting line-up for the professionals, as did Noah Streit, a promising offensive talent. And the U19 national player made his 19th birthday tomorrow with the goal to make it 3-0, a win.
That was also the final score – a bit meager from FCB’s point of view – in a game in which the sixth-class after-work kickers put up a brave fight. Naturally, the two Kleinhüningen goalies were able to excel, but VfR was denied a consolation goal, even though it created a handful of dangerous situations.
At the end there was the usual orgy of substitutions, Celestini let the youth do their research, spared Xherdan Shaqiri (“He’s got his calf”), but after the final whistle, no consideration was given to the peaceful storming of the pitch and the run for the autograph cards.
And when the Guggemusik (Kratzbyrschte) had played, Celestini’s conclusion was: “It was a celebration for the fans.” He didn’t want to say much about his team’s performance, was pleased that no one got injured on difficult terrain and noted that Kevin Carlos scored his first two goals (two headers) in an FCB uniform. Everything else became irrelevant.
VfR Kleinhüningen-FC Basel 0:3 (0:1)
Shooting mat. – 2000 spectators. – SR John of Mandach. – Tore: 12. Carlos (Cissé) 0:1, 48. Carlos (Kololli), 0:2, 73. Streit (Jordan) 0:3.
Kleinhüningen: Erovic (46. Maliqi); Sylla (60. Di Lisa), Mulaj (80. Schwab), Kastrati (56. Abazi), Amrani (70. Charles); Xheladini, Islamaj (60. Aebischer), Delija (75. Shala); Akong (70. Danev), Gaye (17. Barkin), Hoxha (46. Simonetta).
FCB: Salvi (46. Pfeiffer); Dräger (75. Senaya), Vouilloz (75. Ismaili), Schweizer, Cissé (75. Makaya); Essiam (75. Sow), Xhaka (62. Casadei), Leroy (46. Baro); Streit, Carlos (62. Akalé), Cololli (62. Jordan).
Remarks: FCB without Adjetey, Barisic, Traoré, Avdullahu, Fink, Soticek, Kade, Beney, Akahomen (national teams), Hitz (not called up), Shaqiri, Schmid (rested), Comas, van Breemen, Rüegg, Sigua, Junior Zé, Ajeti (injured).
