The Super League says goodbye to the winter break. We present nine characters who shaped the first phase of the season – with angry speeches, goals or fantasista.
Timo Schultz, the FCB atypical
After three months, Timo Schultz is released from FC Basel.
Patrick B. Kraemer / Keystone
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When Timo Schultz took up the coaching job at FC Basel, he said that in his previous position it was clear right from the start that time would come to an end at some point. At FCB there was “sometime” after a good three months. After Schultz’s dismissal and seven league games with one win and a points average of 0.71, sports director Heiko Vogel said: “You only get to know a person over time, not in a conversation.”
Schultz probably would have said the same thing if he had said anything. But everything else said enough. Vogel replaced Schultz, FCB didn’t score a goal in four games, average points: 0.0. President David Degen said of Schultz: He doesn’t follow anyone, “that’s not FC Basel-like, we’ll never do that. But I can maybe take up two or three topics.” And so some people grew fond of Schultz because he wasn’t FC Basel 2023-like.
Loris Benito, the express speaker
Always believed in returning to the national team: Loris Benito.
Peter Schneider / Keystone
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Some had already forgotten him, during that time when he was without a club, in the fall of 2021. Two years later, however, Loris Benito was called up to the Swiss national team again. “I always believed in it,” said Benito in November, “I always hoped and knew that it would come to that.” This is how he, the YB defender, speaks, not exactly without periods and commas, but without long pauses and breathtakingly quickly.
As if there was something to be caught up on, maybe that phase without a job, which is so far away today because as a central defender he cleans up and tackles and heads so much that he would hardly have thought possible. But what sets him apart from others is that Benito talks so quickly that you have to listen to his interviews three times to know what he said – and then you realize: He has said more exciting things than those who speak so slowly that you thinks they are thinking.
Fabian Frei, the legendary angry speech
Fabian Frei rages: “The damn Gotthard”.
Gian Ehrenzeller / Keystone
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By the time he got to the Gotthard, it was clear that Fabian Frei’s angry speech could become legendary. It started with the red card against Taulant Xhaka in the defeat against GC a week ago. Frei did not find the expulsion illegitimate. The speed with which the video referee confirmed it alone led the captain to allege that FCB was being systematically disadvantaged. And then one thing led to another.
“The damn Gotthard”, which was closed for three hours at night when FCB returned home after the game in Lugano three days earlier. “Our groundskeepers didn’t do a great job either,” Frei continued associatively. And because it was the self-conscious Frei who was complaining, he added: “Maybe you can’t help it,” before coming to the conclusion of the day: “It’s just a load of shit.” Don’t we all feel like that sometimes?
Matteo Di Giusto, Playmaker at the Schützenwiese
Matteo Di Giusto brings glamor to the Schützenwiese.
Walter Bieri / Keystone
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Matteo Di Giusto was sorted out at FCZ, took a detour to Vaduz and has been playing in Winterthur for a year and a half. And how he plays! When the 23-year-old has the ball at his feet, a touch of glamor blows across the Schützenwiese. It is the glamor of the “Fantasistas”, the splendor of playmakers like Lionel Messi, Alessandro Del Piero or Roberto Baggio. Like the greats of football history, the Wetziker with Italian roots also wears the number 10 on his shirt.
The magic number of the football magicians is the antithesis of the Winterthur credo of honest martial arts on swampy ground, where the opponent’s grit is stolen. If Di Giusto starts dribbling, plays the last pass or the 168 centimeter tall number 10 steals the ball, the door to football heaven is also open in Winterthur, as was the case with his winning goal on Sunday against Lausanne-Sport. At least for a nice moment.
Bo Henriksen, good guy, bad guy
Bo Henriksen can be unpleasant on the sidelines, but he’s a pleasure to talk to.
Imago
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Conversations with Bo Henriksen are fun. The FCZ coach doesn’t need a warm-up phase, he is rhetorically skilled, sprinkles in sayings, is humorous and self-ironic anyway, but also goes into depth when necessary. You enjoy being with him. At the same time, you’re happy not to be the fourth official at FC Zurich matches – because Henriksen can rage on the sidelines that you don’t want to be with him.
The Dane has revitalized the FCZ since autumn 2022, and this season the team has impressed for a long time despite hardly any reinforcements in the squad. Nevertheless, Henriksen plans to leave the club at the end of the season. Nothing has been officially communicated, but that should – and above all should – be the case soon. After the FCZ defeats in Winterthur (1:2) and St. Gallen (0:1) in the last few days, it will be interesting to see what happens next.
Chadrac Akolo, faithful scorer
God is always with him – Chadrac Akolo has scored seven goals in the last seven games.
Imago
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His form was even worth an article on the website www.jesus.ch. The word “God” is part of Chadrac Akolo’s standard vocabulary. Perhaps that is the greatest quality of the FC St. Gallen striker: that he never loses faith. This season had started badly for him, he didn’t score a goal in eleven Super League games and he seemed to be despairing. He has now scored seven times in the last seven games.
On Saturday, in the 1-0 win against FCZ, he shot his team to second place, with the pastor’s son Christian Witzig providing the preparatory work. Akolo, born in Congo-Kinshasa, fled to French-speaking Switzerland as a teenager, where trainer Peter Zeidler became a mentor to him. This was followed by a move to the Bundesliga club Stuttgart for around six million francs. Zeidler and Akolo have now found each other again via a detour. It could be God’s plan.
Ardon Jashari, aus der Spur, in der Spur
Freiburg, West Ham or Bologna? There is no lack of interest from abroad at Ardon Jashari.
Imago
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Last week, appointment with David Degen: The boss of FC Basel raves highly about Ardon Jashari as a person and footballer: “He was really our absolute dream player before this season.” Jashari only turned 21 in the summer, he was a World Cup participant a year ago, but he has already made a few capers, for example recently not making the U-21 national team because he didn’t feel like it.
Jashari will continue to shape Swiss football for a long time. The central midfielder is captain of FC Luzern again after the FCB change theater and has a bright future ahead of him with his qualities. It will hardly be in Basel, but for now it may be very close: SC Freiburg is among those interested, but also West Ham, Villarreal, Bologna and many other clubs. One thing is certain: Jashari will continue to make headlines in 2024 – ideally at the European Championships.
Keigo Tsunemoto, the laudable exception
Keigo Tsunemoto (right) follows trainer René Weiler to Europe.
Valentin Flauraud / Keystone
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Professional footballers are dishonorable mercenaries who only care about their salaries and will move to Saudi Arabia if necessary. The cliché is often true, but there are laudable exceptions like Keigo Tsunemoto. When Servette FC lost 2-0 in Lucerne in September, the Japanese right-back was seen sitting on the bench with watery eyes. After an injury, the 25-year-old was unable to take part, which hurt him doubly – he feared the dismissal of the coach René Weiler, for whom he feels responsible.
Weiler had already coached Tsunemoto in Japan, and a dream came true for him this summer: Europe. He immediately became an audience favorite at Servette with his life-affirming manner and excellent performances. And is now supposed to help recruit the next Japanese: Ryuji Izumi is visiting Geneva, another of Weiler’s former protégés near Kashima.
Jenny Wang, das GC-Phantom
Does Jenny Wang know the GC trainer? And who is the captain of the Grasshoppers?
Michael Buholzer / Keystone
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The Chinese Jenny Wang has owned a football club in Zurich for almost four years. It’s called the Grasshopper Club, has a nice training ground in Niederhasli and plays bravely in the bottom half of the table in a championship called the Super League. Sometimes you wonder whether Ms. Wang knows that the coach’s name is Bruno Berner and the captain’s name is Amir Abrashi.
Or whether for Ms. Wang GC means as much as a handbag that she left behind in a luxury hotel somewhere. Or the sunglasses left behind in the taxi. The sunglasses that Ms. Wang wore on her only rumored match visit to Letzigrund a long time ago, but who knows? China is far away, and so is Ms. Wang. And who knows, maybe Jenny Wang doesn’t exist at all, only as a phantom or as an avatar of an artificial football intelligence. Doesn’t matter. The main thing is that the Grasshoppers exist.
