Football Season Guide

Basel have been a cut above all other Swiss sides for nearly a decade now and the Red-Blues, who have won their last seven domestic championships, will enter the new season looking to maintain their monopoly of Swiss football in the current decade. As expected, they have lost their highly-rated forward Breel Embolo, who has joined German giants Schalke, although it needs to be noted that the majority of the hype surrounding Embolo is a consequence of his ability and age, and that Basel still have plenty of options of similar current quality in the attacking areas. The sole other player to have left of real note is Behrang Safari, who will continue his career in Sweden, but the Red-Blues have, as usual, been very active on the transfer market and have signed a combination of proven Super League talent and players from abroad, with their scouting system resulting in them bringing in several top players from exotic leagues over the recent years. Without doubt, the biggest name among their summer signing is Seydou Doumbia, with the Ivory Coast star, who made his footballing name with Young Boys Bern, joining after a brief and unsuccessful stay at Newcastle - needless to say, he will have a big point to prove now. If anything, Basel's squad seems a bit stronger than it was last season and the Red-Blues will be expected to once again win the title and have a good run in Europe.