Slavisa Jokanovic has been appointed as the new head coach of FC Basel. The 58-year-old Serbian has signed a contract until the end of the current season and is set to take charge of the team from next week.
The club confirmed the move in a media release on Friday afternoon. Jokanovic will replace interim coach Luigi Nocentini after the international break. His first training session is scheduled for Tuesday, with a friendly against FC Winterthur on October 3 likely to be his first match in charge.
Experience the priority
The appointment matches the profile previously outlined by FC Basel. Technical Director Andreas Herrmann had emphasised during the search that the new coach should bring a certain level of experience, authority and seniority. This marks a shift from the failed experiment with Stephan Lichtsteiner, who has not been on the sideline for over two weeks.
Jokanovic was most recently in charge of Al-Nasr in the United Arab Emirates until June. He takes over a team currently sitting 4th in the Super League with 13 points from 9 games. Recent form, with one win, one draw and three defeats in the last five matches, highlights the need for improvement. The next competitive fixture is away to 11th-placed FC Vaduz on October 11.
The new manager must quickly stabilise the squad. Supporters had been waiting impatiently for the successor's name.
Further reading: Blick
On Wednesday, Slavisa Jokanovic appeared publicly for the first time as the new FCB coach. President David Degen said he is open to a contract extension with Xherdan Shaqiri. The 43-year-old stated: "I shook Slavisa Jokanovic's hand for the first time yesterday, and I can tell you, he already makes an impression." Jokanovic takes over a team sitting 4th in the Super League with 13 points, having scored and conceded 17 goals.
