FC Basel 1893 (Fussball Club Basel 1893), widely known as FC Basel or just Basel, and sometimes referred to as FC Basle in English or FCB, is a Swiss football club based in Basel. They are one of the most successful clubs in Swiss football, having won the Swiss Super League 19 times, the second most for any Swiss club. Besides their current dynasty, they were most successful in the late 1960s and 1970s, winning the title a total of seven times between 1967 and 1980. The 1980s saw hard times for Basel, as they were absent from European competition for many years and suffered relegation in 1987. In the 2000s, Basel returned to the top of Swiss football, winning their first title for 22 years in 2002 and going on to win the title nine more times over the next 13 seasons. Basel have also won the Swiss Cup 11 times.
Basel have competed in European competition every season since 1999–2000. In the 2001–02 season, the club reached the UEFA Intertoto Cup final, losing to Aston Villa; in the 2002–03 season, they qualified for the Second Group Stage of the UEFA Champions League; and in the 2005–06 season, they reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup. They have been in the Champions League more times than any other Swiss club — a total of six times — and are the only Swiss club to have ever qualified directly for the Champions League group stages.
020 Following the 2001–02 season, the club retired the number of Massimo Ceccaroni, a Basel native who played his entire senior career with FCB, between 1987 and 2002.
120 The number 12 in the Basel squad became vacant on 1 July 2008. In October of that year, the board of managing directors announced their decision to dedicate this number to their fans.
Bernhard Heusler
Timo Schultz
