FC Basel appoint Slavisa Jokanovic as new head coach

FC Basel have appointed 58-year-old Serbian Slavisa Jokanovic as their new head coach to stabilise the team after a difficult start to the season.

FC Basel have appointed Slavisa Jokanovic as their new head coach. The 58-year-old Serbian has signed a contract until the end of the season and is tasked with steering the team out of crisis after the club lost four of their first five home games and conceded 17 goals, the leakiest defence in the Super League.

Sporting director Andreas Herrmann explained the decision by highlighting the experienced coach's qualities. "Slavisa Jokanovic is characterised by his pragmatism, his adaptability and his ability to quickly integrate into existing squad structures," said Herrmann. Jokanovic himself expressed his motivation for the challenge. "FC Basel is a top address in international football." stated the new coach.

International Pedigree

Jokanovic brings experience from eleven clubs, including two successful promotions to the English Premier League with Watford and Fulham. His last position was at Al-Nasr SC in the United Arab Emirates. He is no stranger to FC Basel, having eliminated the club from Champions League qualification in 2015 while managing Maccabi Tel Aviv. His new coaching team at Basel includes assistants Jovan Damjanovic and Goran Vukovic, with Aleksandar Jankovic joining the athletic staff. Interim coach Luigi Nocentini departs the club.

FCB's Current Situation

The team currently sits fourth in the Super League with 13 points from nine games, but trails leaders Lugano by twelve points. Recent form highlights a clear issue: the last five matches have yielded just one win, one draw and three defeats (LWLLD). The 1-3 home defeat to St. Gallen last weekend marked a third consecutive home loss, a streak never before seen for FC Basel since the introduction of the Super League in 2002/03.

A bright spot was the 4-2 away win at Luzern following the dismissal of Stephan Lichtsteiner, where Xherdan Shaqiri scored twice and provided an assist. Lichtsteiner had only arrived in January on a three-and-a-half-year deal but was dismissed after just half a year. The defence remains the biggest concern.

Jokanovic's first task is the away fixture against 11th-placed FC Vaduz on October 11th. The last meeting ended in a 2-5 defeat for Basel back in March. The new coach now has just under two weeks to prepare the team for this important match and organise the backline. The coming fixtures will reveal if the experienced pragmatist can initiate the desired turnaround. His contract runs until the summer of 2027.