After a disappointing fifth-place finish last season and a meagre average of 1.05 points per game, FC Basel manager Stephan Lichtsteiner faces immense pressure as the new campaign kicks off from day one. Recent results tell the story: 0-3 against YB, 1-3 versus St. Gallen, and a 0-4 drubbing at Lugano - a run that underlines the urgent need for a turnaround. Yet Lichtsteiner remains defiant. «This team is ready to achieve the goals we set,» he told reporters on Thursday at the pre-season press conference. League standing (final 2025 table -- new season not yet under way): 4th in Super League, 53 pts, 15W-8D-10L from 33 games, recent form LDWWL.
Why Lichtsteiner is under the microscope
Despite club president David Degen’s public backing, Lichtsteiner, 42, is widely seen as on thin ice. Six wins from 19 games and a dismal 1.05-point average have left little room for error. Critics point to a listless squad and results that speak volumes. Yet Lichtsteiner has reinforcements. Mario Cantaluppi joins as assistant coach, while Valentin Stocker steps in as sporting director - both with deep ties to the club’s history at the St. Jakob-Park.
Stocker, a former teammate of Lichtsteiner’s in 27 Swiss national-team matches, praises his meticulous approach: «The precision he brought as a player, he now brings to coaching.» Stocker also handles contract talks with new arrivals - and FC Basel has already landed eight external signings this window.
Squad overhaul and fresh faces
The Basel XI is almost entirely reshaped. Lichtsteiner sounds upbeat: «I’m very satisfied with the squad as it stands.» The rebuild is meant to inject energy, but proof is still pending. The season’s stated aim? European spots. «Our season goal is to reach Europe - from there, you can start dreaming,» Lichtsteiner said.
A silver lining: no European fixtures this term means no extra load. That could ease the path. But the start must be strong. Lichtsteiner has turned to team-building events - padel, a riverside run, darts - to lift morale.
Servette as the first acid test
The first acid test comes against Servette Geneva. The visitors limped to an eighth-place finish last season and crashed out of the Swiss Cup in the second round. Yet their late surge was undeniable: from matchday 31 to 38, they went unbeaten (6 wins, 2 defeats), with their last loss a 1-3 home defeat to Basel on 15 March at the St. Jakob-Park.
Basel now must prove it’s more than the sum of its new parts. Lichtsteiner’s words are bold. The deeds begin on 20 September when FC Basel host St. Gallen to open the new season.
