Two pieces of good news for FC Basel: The 20-time Swiss champions have the best chance of reaching the final of the Conference League (June 7 in Prague) after a 2-1 win in the first leg of the semifinals at Fiorentina. The day after the last-minute success in Italy, Basel also announced that former St. Pauli coach Timo Schultz, 45, would become the new coach for the new season. Schultz will then succeed interim coach Heiko Vogel, who is also Basel’s sporting director. “We have ambitious goals and I’m really looking forward to it,” said Schulz. He was released from FC St. Pauli last December and will receive a two-year contract in Basel. Sports director Heiko Vogel, who comes from the Palatinate, described the signing of his compatriot Schultz as an “absolutely ideal solution”. Since the dismissal of Alexander Frei, Vogel has also taken over the coaching position on an interim basis. A final in the Conference League would be a huge success for him and the club. Basel has been waiting for a title in the Swiss league since 2017. Also in the current season, the former series champion is far behind in fifth place.
