2005–06 FC Basel Season
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The 2005–06 season was Fussball Club Basel 1893's 113th in existence and the club's 12th consecutive season in the top flight of Swiss football. Werner Edelmann was confirmed as the club's chairman for the fourth successive season at the AGM. FCB played their home matches in the
St. Jakob-Park St. Jakob-Park () is a Swiss sports stadium in Basel. It is the largest football venue in Switzerland and home to FC Basel. "Joggeli", as the venue is nicknamed by the locals, was originally built with a capacity of 33,433 seats. The capacity w ...
, in the Basel quarter St. Alban in the south-east of the city.


Overview

Christian Gross Christian Jürgen Gross (born 14 August 1954) is a Swiss football manager and former player. He played as a sweeper and central midfielder. Gross was manager of Basel from 1999 to 2009, winning four Swiss Super Leagues and four Swiss Cups. As ...
was head coach for the seventh successive season. A number of players left the squad.
Marco Zwyssig Marco Zwyssig (born 24 October 1971) is a Swiss former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He is best remembered for his time at FC St. Gallen and FC Basel. He also played for the Switzerland national football team. Following h ...
retired from active football.
Sébastien Barberis Sébastien Barberis (born 31 May 1972) is a Swiss retired footballer who played mainly as defender or right winger. Football career Barberis started his football career with ES Malley in 1990 and then moved to Lausanne Sports in 1992 before m ...
was released on a free transfer, after eight years with the club and he moved on to
FC Bulle FC Bulle is a Swiss football club, based in Bulle. Their home ground is the Stade de Bouleyres. They currently play in Promotion League, the third tier of Swiss football. History Founded in 1910, they last played in the Swiss top tier in 1 ...
. Philipp Degen transferred to
Borussia Dortmund Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, often known simply as Borussia Dortmund () or by its initialism BVB (), or just Dortmund by International fans, is a German professional sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is ...
and Benjamin Huggel transferred to
Eintracht Frankfurt Eintracht Frankfurt e.V. () is a German professional sports club based in Frankfurt, Hesse. It is best known for its football club, which was founded on 8 March 1899. The club currently plays in the Bundesliga, the top tier of the German footb ...
. Goalkeeper Thomas Mandl returned to Austria and signed for Admira Wacker Mödling and defender Kléber returned to Brazil, signing for Santos. The two
Argentinian Argentines, Argentinians or Argentineans are people from Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural. For most Argentines, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their ...
strikers Christian Giménez and
Julio Hernán Rossi Julio Hernan Rossi (born 22 February 1977) is an Argentinian former football striker. Football career Early years Julio Hernán Rossi began his professional career at Argentinian club Club Atlético River Plate in July 1995, as he advanced fro ...
also left the club, Giménez in August and Rossi during the winter break. Giménez parting was somewhat peculiar, he forced his immediate departure to the French team
Olympique de Marseille Olympique de Marseille (, ; , ), also known simply as Marseille, or by the abbreviation OM (, ), is a French professional Association football, football club based in Marseille which competes in Ligue 1, the French football league system, top f ...
by refusing to play against
Werder Bremen Sportverein Werder Bremen von 1899 e. V. (), commonly known as Werder Bremen, Werder or simply Bremen, is a German professional sports club based in Bremen. Founded on 4 February 1899, Werder are best known for their professional association foo ...
. Basel made a few signings before the start of the 2005–06 season. For example, forward
Eduardo Eduardo is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the male name Edward. Another version is Duarte. It may refer to: Association football * Dudu (footballer, born 1992) (Eduardo Pereira Rodrigues), Brazilian footballer * Eduardo (footballer, born 1 ...
, who was signed permanently from
Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...
, following his successful loan spell. The young forward
Felipe Caicedo Felipe Salvador Caicedo Corozo (born 5 September 1988) is an Ecuadorian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Barcelona S.C. A full international from 2005 to 2017, Caicedo represented Ecuador at the Copa América in 2007 and 20 ...
was signed in from Rocafuerte Fútbol Club. Midfielders Baykal Kulaksızoğlu was signed in from
FC Thun Fussballclub Thun 1898 is a Swiss association football, football team from the Bernese Oberland town of Thun. The club plays in the Swiss Super League from 2025–26, the top tier of the Swiss football league system, following promotion from the ...
and Papa Malick Ba from
CS Sfaxien Club Sportif Sfaxien (), known as CS Sfaxien or simply CSS for short, is a Tunisian football club based in Sfax. The club was founded in 1928 and its colours are black and white (Bianconero). Their home stadium, Taieb Mhiri Stadium, has a capac ...
, goalkeeper
Louis Crayton Louis Crayton (born 26 October 1977 in Monrovia) is a Liberian former footballer. Career Early years Crayton started his career playing for St. Joseph Warriors in Liberia before moving to his first Swiss club, Luzern in 1997. He left the club ...
was signed in from Concordia Basel and a number of youngsters advanced from the U-21 team including
Ivan Rakitić Ivan Rakitić (; born 10 March 1988) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for HNL club Hajduk Split. Rakitić started his professional career at Basel and spent two seasons with them before he was signed by Schalke ...
and Zdravko Kuzmanović. The FC Basel aims for the 2005–06 season were to retain the
league League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football * ''League of Legends'', a 2009 multiplayer online battle a ...
title, win the
cup A cup is an open-top vessel (container) used to hold liquids for drinking, typically with a flattened hemispherical shape, and often with a capacity of about . Cups may be made of pottery (including porcelain), glass, metal, wood, stone, pol ...
and as well as to qualify for the
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
group stage. FC Basel started the season with various warm-up matches. These included teams from the Swiss lower league as well as teams from France, Croatia and Ukraine. They played six pre-season friendlies including the
Uhrencup The Uhrencup is a association football, club football tournament, held annually in Grenchen and Biel/Bienne, Biel in Switzerland. The Uhrencup is seen as a testament to the major influence that is exercised by the local watchmaking industry on the ...
in
Grenchen Grenchen () is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Lebern (district), Lebern in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Solothurn (canton), Solothurn in Switzerland. It is located at the foot of the Jura mountains betwee ...
, winning four matches, but losing in the Uhrencup 0–2 against
1. FC Kaiserslautern 1. Fußball-Club Kaiserslautern e. V., also known as 1. FCK, FCK (), FC Kaiserslautern (), K'lautern or colloquially Lautern (), is a German sports club based in Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate. In addition to Association football, football ...
and drawing the second match in this competition 2–2 against
Trabzonspor Trabzonspor Kulübü is a Turkish professional sports club located in the city of Trabzon, located in Black Sea region, northeastern Turkey. Established in 1967 through the merger of several local clubs, Trabzonspor is one of the most prominent A ...
. The six mid-season friendlies all ended with a victory. During the winter break, the team had their traditional winter break soccer camp in
La Manga La Manga (), or La Manga del Mar Menor (meaning "The Sandbar of the Minor Sea") is a seaside spit (landform), spit of Mar Menor in the Region of Murcia, Spain. The strip is 21 km long and 100 metres wide (average), separating the Mediterran ...
, Spain. The defenders Daniel Majstorović and Kōji Nakata were brought in to replace
Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
-bound Patrick Müller and
Murat Yakın Murat Yakin ( ; born 15 September 1974) is a Swiss football coach and former player. He is the manager of the Switzerland national team. In 2021, following stints as manager at Swiss clubs including Basel, Grasshoppers and Sion, he was appoint ...
who was to retire at the end of the season. The team played two games in their soccer camp, drawing 2–2 against German team
Hamburger SV Hamburger Sport-Verein e.V. (), commonly known as Hamburger SV () or Hamburg (), or HSV (), is a German sports club based in Hamburg, with its largest branch being its Association football, football department. Though the current HSV was founde ...
and beat local team
Ciudad de Murcia Club de Fútbol Ciudad de Murcia, usually abbreviated to Ciudad de Murcia, was a Spanish football club based in Murcia, in the namesake autonomous community. They played at the 16,000-seater ''Estadio de La Condomina''. Ciudad Murcia was reloc ...
2–1. The other three winter break matches were played in Switzerland. Basel beat
Locarno Locarno (; ; Ticinese dialect, Ticinese: ; formerly in ) is a southern Switzerland, Swiss List of towns in Switzerland, town and Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district Locarno (district), Locarno (of which it is the capita ...
and beat Wohlen, bur lost against
Rapid București Rapid(s) or RAPID may refer to: Hydrological features * Rapids, sections of a river with turbulent water flow * Rapid Creek (Iowa River tributary), Iowa, United States * Rapid Creek (South Dakota), United States, namesake of Rapid City Sport ...
. Of their 17 friendlies in this season, Basel won 13 matches, drew two and lost two.


The Campaign


Domestic league

There were ten teams competing in the top tier
2005–06 Swiss Super League The 2005–06 Swiss Super League season was the 109th season of top-tier football in Switzerland. The competition was officially named ''AXPO Super League'' due to sponsoring purposes. It began on 13 July 2005 and has ended on 14 May 2006. Teams ...
. The teams played a double round-robin in the first half of the season and then another double round-robin in the second half. There were three points for a victory and one each for a draw. The champions would enter the
second qualifying round The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of Un ...
of the
2006–07 UEFA Champions League The 2006–07 UEFA Champions League was the 15th season of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, since it was rebranded from the European Cup, and the 52nd season overall. The final was contested by Milan ...
. The championship runners-up and the third placed team would enter the UEFA Cup first qualifying round. The bottom placed team would be relegated, the second last team would play a play-off against relegation. Basel's priority aim for the season was to win the
league League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football * ''League of Legends'', a 2009 multiplayer online battle a ...
championship for the third time in a row. Despite the 3-0 defeat by
FC Thun Fussballclub Thun 1898 is a Swiss association football, football team from the Bernese Oberland town of Thun. The club plays in the Swiss Super League from 2025–26, the top tier of the Swiss football league system, following promotion from the ...
in the second round, Basel started the season well and led the championship right until the last day of the league campaign. On 26 February 2006, FC Basel broke their own club record of 52 unbeaten league games at
St. Jakob Park St. Jakob-Park () is a Swiss sports stadium in Basel. It is the largest football venue in Switzerland and home to FC Basel. "Joggeli", as the venue is nicknamed by the locals, was originally built with a capacity of 33,433 seats. The capacity w ...
, later extending it to 59. The unbeaten home run ended on the final day of the season with a last-minute goal from
Zürich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...
's
Iulian Filipescu Iulian Sebastian Filipescu (born 29 March 1974) is a Romanian former professional footballer who played as a centre back. Club career Filipescu was born in Slatina, Olt County. He debuted in Divizia A with Steaua București in 1992, where he ...
giving
Zürich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...
their first national championship since 1980–81. A 60th straight home league match undefeated, would have made Basel champions for third time in a row. The final score was 1-2 in favour of
Zürich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...
. The title was lost on goal difference. The last minute loss of the Championship and the subsequent riots, the so-called Basel Hooligan Incident, meant that the club would suffer the consequences. As well as a huge fine, the first two home games of their 2006–07 season were held completely without fans, behind closer doors. The following three matches were held with just a part of the stadium capacity, without the fans from the "Muttenzer Kurve" (the eastern fan block).


Domestic cup

Basel's clear aim for the
Swiss Cup The Swiss Cup (; ; ; ) is a football cup competition that has been organised annually since 1925–26 season by the Swiss Football Association. The Swiss Cup final is usually the most important game of the year with a high attendance. The co ...
was to win it. In the first round of the 2005–06 Cup Basel were drawn away against lower league team
Solothurn Solothurn ( ; ; ; ; ) is a town, a municipality, and the capital of the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. It is located in the north-west of Switzerland on the banks of the Aare and on the foot of the Weissenstein Jura mountains. The town is ...
. Basel won this 4–1, with goals from
David Degen David Degen (born 15 February 1983) is a former Switzerland, Swiss Association football, footballer who last played for FC Basel, mostly as a right midfielder, in the Swiss Super League. He is half Dutch as his mother is from the Netherlands. His ...
, and
Eduardo Eduardo is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the male name Edward. Another version is Duarte. It may refer to: Association football * Dudu (footballer, born 1992) (Eduardo Pereira Rodrigues), Brazilian footballer * Eduardo (footballer, born 1 ...
and twice
Mladen Petrić Mladen Petrić (; born 1 January 1981) is a retired professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. During his career, he played for Grasshopper Club Zürich, Grasshopper, FC Basel, Basel, B ...
. In round two they were drawn away against local lower league team Old Boys. Basel won this 6–1 and here
Mile Sterjovski Mile Sterjovski (born 27 May 1979) is an Australian former professional soccer player. He played predominantly as a right winger or as a second striker, but also played as a left winger and central midfielder. Sterjovski is the current head coac ...
scored four goals and Zdravko Kuzmanović scored the other two. However, despite an early goal from
Julio Hernán Rossi Julio Hernan Rossi (born 22 February 1977) is an Argentinian former football striker. Football career Early years Julio Hernán Rossi began his professional career at Argentinian club Club Atlético River Plate in July 1995, as he advanced fro ...
and two further goals from
Matías Delgado Matías is the Spanish version of Matthias. In Scandinavian languages (Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and Finnish) and in Portuguese it is unaccented as Matias. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Matías Alemanno, Argentine rugby pl ...
, Basel were defeated in the third round home tie against
FC Zürich Fussballclub Zürich, commonly abbreviated to FC Zürich or simply FCZ, is a professional football club based in Zurich, Switzerland. The club was founded in 1896 and has won the Swiss Super League thirteen times and the Swiss Cup ten times. ...
3–4. Basel's domestic cup aim was clearly missed. Second tier Sion won the trophy at the end of the season, beating Young Boys in the final after a
penalty shoot-out The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...
.


Europe


Champions League qualifying round

As Swiss champions, Basel entered the
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
third qualifying round and their aim was to reach the
group stage A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
. However, they were drawn against German Bundesliga club
Werder Bremen Sportverein Werder Bremen von 1899 e. V. (), commonly known as Werder Bremen, Werder or simply Bremen, is a German professional sports club based in Bremen. Founded on 4 February 1899, Werder are best known for their professional association foo ...
and they lost 4-2 on aggregate. Three goals in eight second-half minutes in the return leg swung the tie decisively in the German side's favour. ;Werder Bremen (10 August 2005) Goals in either half from
David Degen David Degen (born 15 February 1983) is a former Switzerland, Swiss Association football, footballer who last played for FC Basel, mostly as a right midfielder, in the Swiss Super League. He is half Dutch as his mother is from the Netherlands. His ...
and substitute
Julio Hernán Rossi Julio Hernan Rossi (born 22 February 1977) is an Argentinian former football striker. Football career Early years Julio Hernán Rossi began his professional career at Argentinian club Club Atlético River Plate in July 1995, as he advanced fro ...
ensured
Christian Gross Christian Jürgen Gross (born 14 August 1954) is a Swiss football manager and former player. He played as a sweeper and central midfielder. Gross was manager of Basel from 1999 to 2009, winning four Swiss Super Leagues and four Swiss Cups. As ...
's side the advantage before the return leg at the
Weserstadion Weserstadion () is a football stadium in Bremen, Germany. The Weserstadion is scenically situated on the north bank of the Weser River and is surrounded by lush green parks (the name 'Werder' is a regional German word for "river peninsula"). The ...
on 24 August. However, the German team still had every confidence of overturning the deficit, thanks to
Miroslav Klose Miroslav Josef Klose (, ; born Mirosław Marian Klose; 9 June 1978) is a German professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player who currently serves as head coach of 1. FC Nürnberg. A Forward (as ...
's strike on 72 minutes.
Thomas Schaaf Thomas Schaaf (born 30 April 1961) is a German professional football manager, who last managed Werder Bremen and former player who played as a defender. A ' one-club man', Schaaf spent his entire playing career with Bundesliga club Werder Bremen ...
's men were behind after 27 minutes after some lax defending. Goalkeeper Andreas Reinke was stranded after
Scott Chipperfield Scott Kenneth Chipperfield (born 30 December 1975) is an Australian former soccer player who played as a midfielder for Wollongong Wolves, FC Basel, FC Aesch and the Australia national soccer team. His 2010 FIFA World Cup profile describes him ...
's shot had been blocked and Degen made no mistake when well placed. The wayward defending continued into the second half, allowing Argentinian striker Rossi to double the home team's advantage on 52 minutes by drilling through Reinke's legs to the obvious delight of a sell-out 29,000 crowd at
St. Jakob Park St. Jakob-Park () is a Swiss sports stadium in Basel. It is the largest football venue in Switzerland and home to FC Basel. "Joggeli", as the venue is nicknamed by the locals, was originally built with a capacity of 33,433 seats. The capacity w ...
. Yet the home fans were given pause for thought when Germany forward Klose pulled one back in the closing stages. ;Return match (24 August 2005) Three goals in eight second-half minutes swing the tie decisively in the German side's favour. Until the opening goal Basel had protected Pascal Zuberbühler's goal with some ease, but a fortuitous deflection unhinged their defence after 63 minutes. A clearance from the Basel defence hit Patrick Owomoyela on the chest and the ball bounced into the penalty area, Bremen striker
Ivan Klasnić Ivan Klasnić (; born 29 January 1980) is a Croatian former professional footballer who played as a striker. He began his career with local side FC St. Pauli, and moved to Werder Bremen in 2001 after helping his previous team to promotion to th ...
was quickest to react and he tapped the ball into the empty net from close range. Basel found themselves further in arrears moments later when
Johan Micoud Johan Cédric Micoud (born 24 July 1973) is a French former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He was considered a skilled midfielder and a dead-ball expert. During a 16-year career he played professionally in France ...
was fouled in the penalty area by Reto Zanni.
Tim Borowski Tim Borowski (born 2 May 1980) is a German football manager and former player. A midfielder, Borowski spent 11 years of his 12-year professional career with Werder Bremen, amassing Bundesliga totals of 236 games and 32 goals and winning three ma ...
made no mistake, slotting the ball into the bottom left-hand corner. The home side then guaranteed their spot into the draw for the next round, with Klasnić's second goal after 72 minutes. The striker latched on to
Daniel Jensen Daniel Monberg Jensen (born 25 June 1979) is a Danish former professional footballer. A central midfielder, he was known for making good passes in the final third of the field. He played more than 50 matches and scored three goals for the Denma ...
's pass to send a left-footed strike in off the post beyond Zuberbühler from 15 metres.


UEFA Cup

Subsequently Basel dropped into the
2005–06 UEFA Cup The 2005–06 UEFA Cup, the 35th edition of the UEFA Cup, was won by Sevilla, beating Middlesbrough in the final. It was the first victory for Sevilla in a European competition, and the first appearance by Middlesbrough in a European final. The ...
, where they met Bosnian club
NK Široki Brijeg Nogometni klub Široki Brijeg () is a professional association football club from the city of Široki Brijeg, that is situated in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Currently, Široki Brijeg plays in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina and plays ...
in the first round. ;NK Široki Brijeg (15 September 2005, 29 September 2005) In the first leg of the first round Basel played at home in the
St. Jakob-Park St. Jakob-Park () is a Swiss sports stadium in Basel. It is the largest football venue in Switzerland and home to FC Basel. "Joggeli", as the venue is nicknamed by the locals, was originally built with a capacity of 33,433 seats. The capacity w ...
and
Matías Delgado Matías is the Spanish version of Matthias. In Scandinavian languages (Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and Finnish) and in Portuguese it is unaccented as Matias. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Matías Alemanno, Argentine rugby pl ...
scored a hat-trick as Basel won 5–0. The return match in
Široki Brijeg Široki Brijeg () is a city and the regional capital of West Herzegovina Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. the town itself had a population of 6,149 and the municipality of 28,929. Name ...
was also won. Basel sealed a 6–0 aggregate win to qualify for the Group stage. ;Group stage Here Basel were then drawn into Group E, alongside
Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...
,
Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: People, characters, figures, names * Roma or Romani people, an ethnic group living mostly in Europe and the Americas. * Roma called Roy, ancient Egyptian High Priest of Amun * Roma (footballer, born 1979), born ''Paul ...
,
Red Star Belgrade Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club), commonly referred to as Crvena zvezda () and colloquially referred to as Red Star Belgrade in anglophone media, is a ...
and
Tromsø Tromsø is a List of towns and cities in Norway, city in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. The city is the administrative centre of the municipality as well as the administrative centre of Troms county. The city is located on the is ...
. ;RC Strasbourg (20 October 2005) Basel lost their first home match against
Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...
0–2 after defender Patrick Müller was sent off for pulling down
Amara Diané Amara Salim Diané (born 19 August 1982) is an Ivorian former professional footballer, who played as a forward. Club career Born in Abidjan, Diané started his career training at the famous youth academy at ASEC Abidjan, before moving to the ...
in the 33rd minute. Diané himself had put the guests one up in the 15th minute and fellow Ivorian Arthur Boka scored a second ten minutes later. ;Red Star Belgrade (3 November 2005) An away win against
Red Star Belgrade Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club), commonly referred to as Crvena zvezda () and colloquially referred to as Red Star Belgrade in anglophone media, is a ...
in the second match day. Rossi ran on to a pin-point pass from
Matías Delgado Matías is the Spanish version of Matthias. In Scandinavian languages (Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and Finnish) and in Portuguese it is unaccented as Matias. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Matías Alemanno, Argentine rugby pl ...
with just two minutes remaining as Basel vanquished memories of their 0-2 defeat by RC Strasbourg on Matchday 1. It completed a well-earned turnaround after Milan Purović had given the home side the lead midway through the first half. Basel soon drew level when Delgado converted a penalty on the half-hour mark, paving the way for a thrilling win. ;Tromsø IL (1 December 2005) The Basel side rallied from being 1-3 down after 29 minutes to secure an unlikely 4-3 win to move second, while eliminating
Tromsø Tromsø is a List of towns and cities in Norway, city in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. The city is the administrative centre of the municipality as well as the administrative centre of Troms county. The city is located on the is ...
. Tromsø had gone ahead as early as the second minute when Lars Iver Strand headed in Ole Andreas Nilsen's cross. Basel attempted to respond and came close a minute later, only for
Eduardo Eduardo is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the male name Edward. Another version is Duarte. It may refer to: Association football * Dudu (footballer, born 1992) (Eduardo Pereira Rodrigues), Brazilian footballer * Eduardo (footballer, born 1 ...
to header over the bar, while 60 seconds later
Matías Delgado Matías is the Spanish version of Matthias. In Scandinavian languages (Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and Finnish) and in Portuguese it is unaccented as Matias. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Matías Alemanno, Argentine rugby pl ...
also shot wide.
Petrić Petrić ( sr-Cyrl, Петрић) is a South Slavic surname, a patronymic of Petar. Notable people with the name include: * Daniel Petric (born 1991) American murderer * Bojan Petrić (born 1984), Bosnian f ...
did equalise as he fired in a left-footed shot after
Smiljanić Smiljanić ( sr-cyr, Смиљанић) is a surname found in Serbia and Croatia, derived from the given names Smilja (feminine) or Smiljan (masculine). Notable people with the name include: * Smiljanić family, a medieval family in Venetian Dalm ...
had headed Patrick Müller's free-kick into his path. However, Tromsø regained their lead three minutes later when
Ole Martin Årst Ole Martin Årst (born 19 July 1974) is a Norwegian retired professional association football, footballer who played as a forward (association football), forward. He is a former top scorer in both Belgium's and Norway's top leagues. Club career ...
collected Joachim Walltin's pass before hitting an angled shot into the net from 12 metres. After 29 minutes the visitors opened up a 3-1 lead and this time Årst was the provider, playing the ball from the right for Strand to score his second of the evening. Basel piled on the pressure in the second half but were almost caught out when
Patrice Bernier Patrice Bernier (born September 23, 1979) is a Canadian retired professional soccer player. A long-time mainstay of the Canada national team, the midfielder played the majority of his career with Montreal Impact in addition to playing in Denma ...
's header forced a save from Pascal Zuberbühler. Delgado reduced arrears when he converted a cross from Petrić just after the hour and it was all-square six minutes later when
Scott Chipperfield Scott Kenneth Chipperfield (born 30 December 1975) is an Australian former soccer player who played as a midfielder for Wollongong Wolves, FC Basel, FC Aesch and the Australia national soccer team. His 2010 FIFA World Cup profile describes him ...
headed in a
Julio Hernán Rossi Julio Hernan Rossi (born 22 February 1977) is an Argentinian former football striker. Football career Early years Julio Hernán Rossi began his professional career at Argentinian club Club Atlético River Plate in July 1995, as he advanced fro ...
cross. With 16 minutes remaining, Basel took the lead for the first time as
David Degen David Degen (born 15 February 1983) is a former Switzerland, Swiss Association football, footballer who last played for FC Basel, mostly as a right midfielder, in the Swiss Super League. He is half Dutch as his mother is from the Netherlands. His ...
collected an
Eduardo Eduardo is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the male name Edward. Another version is Duarte. It may refer to: Association football * Dudu (footballer, born 1992) (Eduardo Pereira Rodrigues), Brazilian footballer * Eduardo (footballer, born 1 ...
pass and scored from close range. Basel secured the most unlikely of wins to move into second place in the standings. ;AS Roma (14 December 2005) An away defeat against
Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: People, characters, figures, names * Roma or Romani people, an ethnic group living mostly in Europe and the Americas. * Roma called Roy, ancient Egyptian High Priest of Amun * Roma (footballer, born 1979), born ''Paul ...
followed. Roma pressed from the very first moment and it was inevitable that Rodrigo Taddei put the home team one up after just 12 minutes. But Basel reacted and fought back. Ivan Ergić saw his header rebound from the cross bar after 25 minutes and
Delgado Delgado is a Spanish and Portuguese surname originating from Latin ''delicatus'', meaning 'delicate' or 'soft'. Notable people with the surname include: * Adrián Delgado, Venezuelan actor * Agustín Delgado (born 1974), Ecuadorian footballer * Ai ...
's shot rebounded from the post just two minutes later, but the equaliser did not fall. In fact
Francesco Totti Francesco Totti (; born 27 September 1976) is an Italian former professional Association football, footballer who played solely for AS Roma, Roma and the Italy national football team, Italy national team. He was a technically gifted and creati ...
put the home team two up just seconds before the half time whistle and shortly after the start of the second period
Shabani Nonda Shabani Christophe Nonda (born 6 March 1977) is a former professional footballer who played as a striker. Born in Burundi, he played for the DR Congo national team, earning 36 caps and scoring 20 goals. He was selected for DR Congo's squad for ...
added a third goal. With this three goal lead, AS Roma just tried to control the game and played just in midfield. Towards the end of the game Basel turned up their efforts and after 78 minutes
Mladen Petrić Mladen Petrić (; born 1 January 1981) is a retired professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. During his career, he played for Grasshopper Club Zürich, Grasshopper, FC Basel, Basel, B ...
pulled a goal back. But it wasn't enough to turn the game and Basel lost 1-3. Because, at the same time,
Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...
scored the 2-2 equaliser in the fourth minute of over time against
Red Star Belgrade Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club), commonly referred to as Crvena zvezda () and colloquially referred to as Red Star Belgrade in anglophone media, is a ...
, with some luck Basel qualified for the knock-out stages. ;AS Monaco (15 February 2006) In the round of 32 Basel were drawn against
AS Monaco Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club, commonly referred to as AS Monaco (), is a professional football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. Although not in France, they are a member of the French Football Federation (FFF) and currently ...
and the first leg of this tie was played in
St. Jakob-Park St. Jakob-Park () is a Swiss sports stadium in Basel. It is the largest football venue in Switzerland and home to FC Basel. "Joggeli", as the venue is nicknamed by the locals, was originally built with a capacity of 33,433 seats. The capacity w ...
. Having dropped to ninth spot in the domestic league, Monaco were eager to impress on the continental stage, but always appeared vulnerable against a solid Basel outfit. The Swiss side took control of the match from the off, and went close to breaking the deadlock in the 19th minute as Lucas Bernardi cleared
Eduardo Eduardo is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the male name Edward. Another version is Duarte. It may refer to: Association football * Dudu (footballer, born 1992) (Eduardo Pereira Rodrigues), Brazilian footballer * Eduardo (footballer, born 1 ...
's goalbound header from
Mladen Petrić Mladen Petrić (; born 1 January 1981) is a retired professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. During his career, he played for Grasshopper Club Zürich, Grasshopper, FC Basel, Basel, B ...
's long free-kick. Six minutes later Petrić dispossessed Monaco's Maicon and fizzed a fierce shot narrowly wide. Monaco playmaker
Camel Meriem Camel Meriem (born 18 October 1979) is a French former professional Association football, footballer who played as a midfielder for FC Sochaux-Montbéliard, Sochaux, FC Girondins de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, Olympique de Marseille, Marseille, AS Monaco ...
tested Pascal Zuberbühler in the 31st minute, and teenager Serge Gakpé was close to scoring on his European debut as the visitors pressed. Petrić,
Matías Delgado Matías is the Spanish version of Matthias. In Scandinavian languages (Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and Finnish) and in Portuguese it is unaccented as Matias. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Matías Alemanno, Argentine rugby pl ...
and
Mile Sterjovski Mile Sterjovski (born 27 May 1979) is an Australian former professional soccer player. He played predominantly as a right winger or as a second striker, but also played as a left winger and central midfielder. Sterjovski is the current head coac ...
all threatened
Guillaume Warmuz Guillaume Warmuz (born 22 May 1970) is a French football coach and former player who played as a goalkeeper. He played 374 games in Ligue 1 during 13 seasons, representing in the competition Lens and Monaco. Playing career Born in Saint-Vallie ...
's goal early in the second half, while the Monaco keeper also frustrated
Bruno Berner Bruno George Berner (born 21 November 1977) is a Swiss professional football manager and former player. He most recently was head coach of Grasshopper Club Zürich in the Swiss Super League. Throughout his playing career, Berner played predomin ...
and Petrić again before he was finally beaten by
David Degen David Degen (born 15 February 1983) is a former Switzerland, Swiss Association football, footballer who last played for FC Basel, mostly as a right midfielder, in the Swiss Super League. He is half Dutch as his mother is from the Netherlands. His ...
, the midfielder finishing coolly following
Eduardo Eduardo is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the male name Edward. Another version is Duarte. It may refer to: Association football * Dudu (footballer, born 1992) (Eduardo Pereira Rodrigues), Brazilian footballer * Eduardo (footballer, born 1 ...
's pass in the 78th minute. ;AS Monaco return match (23 February 2006) After being eliminated from the Champions League in the third qualifying round back in August, Monaco president Michal Pastor had made UEFA Cup success the club's main priority, saying: "We must win it. It's a question of honour." AS Monaco FC's pledge to win the UEFA Cup this season was broken as FC Basel 1893's Swedish defender Daniel Majstorović secured a priceless equaliser at the
Stade Louis II The Stade Louis II (, ), or simply Louis II is a stadium located in the Fontvieille district of Monaco, near the border with Cap-d'Ail commune of France. It serves primarily as a venue for Athletics and football, being the home of AS Monaco ...
. The home side had been handed a 21st-minute lead when on-loan striker
Christian Vieri Christian Vieri (; born 12 July 1973), commonly known as Bobo Vieri, is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a centre forward. Having been born in Italy, Vieri moved with his family to Australia as a child, before returning ...
converted from the penalty spot after
Jaroslav Plašil Jaroslav Plašil (; born 5 January 1982) is a Czech former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He spent most of his career in France with Monaco and Bordeaux, making 411 Ligue 1 appearances. He played 367 total times for the lat ...
was brought down by
Matías Delgado Matías is the Spanish version of Matthias. In Scandinavian languages (Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and Finnish) and in Portuguese it is unaccented as Matias. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Matías Alemanno, Argentine rugby pl ...
. However, Basel took what proved to be the decisive advantage eleven minutes into the second period as
Mladen Petrić Mladen Petrić (; born 1 January 1981) is a retired professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. During his career, he played for Grasshopper Club Zürich, Grasshopper, FC Basel, Basel, B ...
's cross from the left was headed by Majstorović past Flavio Roma to leave Monaco needing at least two goals for victory. While substitute
Olivier Kapo Obou Narcisse Olivier Kapo (born 27 September 1980), known as Olivier Kapo, is a French former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or left winger. Early life Born in Marcory, Ivory Coast, Kapo acquired French natio ...
had a couple of good efforts late on, but Basel's nerve held and another goal was not scored. Basel won 2-1 on aggregate. ;RC Strasbourg (9 March 2006) Then, in the round of 16 Basel were drawn against Strasbourgh and were able to revenge themselves for the defeat in the Group stage.
Matías Delgado Matías is the Spanish version of Matthias. In Scandinavian languages (Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and Finnish) and in Portuguese it is unaccented as Matias. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Matías Alemanno, Argentine rugby pl ...
scored one and set up the other as the Swiss side took the initiative, right from the start. Just eight minutes had elapsed when Argentinian midfielder Delgado picked himself up after an Edgar Loué foul and curled a superb free-kick around the wall to break the deadlock. The French team fought back in the second half, before Zdravko Kuzmanovic scored following another Delgado free kick to secure a healthy two-goal lead to take to
Stade de la Meinau The Stade de la Meinau (), commonly known as "la Meinau", is a football (soccer), football stadium in Strasbourg, France. It is the home ground of Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace, RC Strasbourg and has also hosted international matches, includi ...
a week later. ;RC Strasbourg return match (16 March 2006) In the
Stade de la Meinau The Stade de la Meinau (), commonly known as "la Meinau", is a football (soccer), football stadium in Strasbourg, France. It is the home ground of Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace, RC Strasbourg and has also hosted international matches, includi ...
in front of just 8,000 spectators, Brazilian striker
Eduardo Eduardo is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the male name Edward. Another version is Duarte. It may refer to: Association football * Dudu (footballer, born 1992) (Eduardo Pereira Rodrigues), Brazilian footballer * Eduardo (footballer, born 1 ...
gave the visitors a third-minute advantage, tapping in
Mladen Petrić Mladen Petrić (; born 1 January 1981) is a retired professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. During his career, he played for Grasshopper Club Zürich, Grasshopper, FC Basel, Basel, B ...
's unselfish square ball. However, Rudy Carlier soon levelled for the home team. That lifted Strasbourg and
Alexander Farnerud Alexander Hans Christian Farnerud (born 1 May 1984) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as attacking midfielder. Starting out at Landskrona BoIS in the early 2000s, he went on to represent clubs in France, Germany, Denmark, Sw ...
saw three efforts denied, before Eduardo destroyed their hopes with an emphatic volley from
David Degen David Degen (born 15 February 1983) is a former Switzerland, Swiss Association football, footballer who last played for FC Basel, mostly as a right midfielder, in the Swiss Super League. He is half Dutch as his mother is from the Netherlands. His ...
's left-wing cross. There were still only 26 minutes on the clock and although the game calmed down before half-time, Basel began the second period with renewed verve as Boris Smiljanić and
Mile Sterjovski Mile Sterjovski (born 27 May 1979) is an Australian former professional soccer player. He played predominantly as a right winger or as a second striker, but also played as a left winger and central midfielder. Sterjovski is the current head coac ...
forced impressive saves from
Nicolas Puydebois Nicolas Puydebois (born February 28, 1981) is a French former footballer who played as goalkeeper. Honours * Trophée des Champions: 2002, 2004 *Ligue 1 Ligue 1 (; ), officially known as Ligue 1 McDonald's France, McDonald's for sponsorsh ...
. Cédric Kanté eventually made it 2-2 at the other end with 12 minutes remaining, but it was too little, too late as the Swiss side progressed to the quarter-finals. ;Middlesbrough (30 March 2006) Basel were drawn against
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
in the quarter-finals and played the first leg at home at
St. Jakob-Park St. Jakob-Park () is a Swiss sports stadium in Basel. It is the largest football venue in Switzerland and home to FC Basel. "Joggeli", as the venue is nicknamed by the locals, was originally built with a capacity of 33,433 seats. The capacity w ...
. Two goals just before half-time inflicted a serious blow to the English Premiership side as Basel made the best of difficult conditions. On 43 minutes
Matías Delgado Matías is the Spanish version of Matthias. In Scandinavian languages (Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and Finnish) and in Portuguese it is unaccented as Matias. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Matías Alemanno, Argentine rugby pl ...
collected his seventh goal of the competition when his hopeful long-range effort took a wicked bounce off the greasy surface and arced over the unfortunate
Mark Schwarzer Mark Schwarzer ( , ; born 6 October 1972) is an Australian former professional football player who played as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper. He represented Australia men's national soccer team, Australia at international level ...
. The Australian international was beaten again before the interval as
David Degen David Degen (born 15 February 1983) is a former Switzerland, Swiss Association football, footballer who last played for FC Basel, mostly as a right midfielder, in the Swiss Super League. He is half Dutch as his mother is from the Netherlands. His ...
earned Basel a valuable first-leg two goal cushion. It was a deserved strike for Degen, whose tireless running proved a constant threat to the visitors' shaky defence. After
Eduardo Eduardo is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the male name Edward. Another version is Duarte. It may refer to: Association football * Dudu (footballer, born 1992) (Eduardo Pereira Rodrigues), Brazilian footballer * Eduardo (footballer, born 1 ...
glanced a header wide on ten minutes, he was given a clearer opening when he met Degen's pullback, before testing Schwarzer with a shot on the turn. Middlesbrough, meanwhile, were limited to half-chances as
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink Jerrel Floyd "Jimmy" Hasselbaink ( ; born 27 March 1972) is a Dutch professional football manager and former player. Born in Suriname, he and his family would later move to the Dutch city of Zaandam where he first played football, initially a ...
drove a free-kick off target midway through the half, while a swerving attempt from
Gaizka Mendieta Gaizka Mendieta Zabala (, ; born 27 March 1974) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. A versatile player, with good technique, offensive capabilities and tackling skills, who was capable of creating goals both ...
forced Pascal Zuberbühler to tip over. With opportunities at a premium for Middlesbrough, Basel were rewarded for their endeavour through Delgado's opener, before Degen outpaced a sluggish back line to latch on to Eduardo's through-ball and drill a low shot beyond Schwarzer. The timing was terrible for
Steve McClaren Stephen McClaren (born 3 May 1961) is an English football coach and former player who is currently the manager of the Jamaica national team. McClaren began his coaching career with Oxford United, before joining Derby County in 1995. In 1999 ...
's men, but they responded well after the break. Hasselbaink drew a diving stop from Zuberbühler three minutes into the second period and
Chris Riggott Christopher Mark Riggott (born 1 September 1980) is an English former professional footballer who played as a defender. He began his career at Derby County, before moving to Middlesbrough, with whom he won the League Cup in 2004. He also had ...
went even closer as he met a corner with a towering header. It cannoned off the crossbar, however, and Delgado repeated the feat at the other end with a free-kick as the game opened up. Riggott was on more familiar defensive duty on 70 minutes, his goalline block denying substitute
Scott Chipperfield Scott Kenneth Chipperfield (born 30 December 1975) is an Australian former soccer player who played as a midfielder for Wollongong Wolves, FC Basel, FC Aesch and the Australia national soccer team. His 2010 FIFA World Cup profile describes him ...
. ;Middlesbrough return match (6 April 2006) Travelling to the
Riverside Stadium The Riverside Stadium is a football stadium in Middlesbrough, England, which has been the home of Middlesbrough since its opening in 1995. It has an all-seated capacity of 34,742, although provisional planning permission is in place to expan ...
for the return match, Basel took an early lead.
Christian Gross Christian Jürgen Gross (born 14 August 1954) is a Swiss football manager and former player. He played as a sweeper and central midfielder. Gross was manager of Basel from 1999 to 2009, winning four Swiss Super Leagues and four Swiss Cups. As ...
' Basel always looked in control, having earned a 2-0 victory on home soil during the previous week, and their grip on the tie was further strengthened by
Eduardo Eduardo is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the male name Edward. Another version is Duarte. It may refer to: Association football * Dudu (footballer, born 1992) (Eduardo Pereira Rodrigues), Brazilian footballer * Eduardo (footballer, born 1 ...
's close-range finish midway through the first half.
Mark Viduka Mark Antony Viduka ( ; born 9 October 1975) is an Australian former Association football, football player who played as a centre forward. Viduka captained the Australia men's national soccer team, Australia national team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup ...
struck twice either side of half-time to breathe fresh life into the Middlesbrough's challenge, however, and when
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink Jerrel Floyd "Jimmy" Hasselbaink ( ; born 27 March 1972) is a Dutch professional football manager and former player. Born in Suriname, he and his family would later move to the Dutch city of Zaandam where he first played football, initially a ...
found the net with a thunderous strike moments after the dismissal of Basel's Swedish defender Daniel Majstorovic, the momentum was with the home side. With time almost up,
Massimo Maccarone Massimo Maccarone (; born 6 September 1979) is an Italian football coach and former player, who played as a striker. He was nicknamed ''Big Mac'' during his playing days. Club career Early career Maccarone started his career at A.C. Milan's y ...
slid in the winning goal from a tight angle to crown a remarkable comeback and earn a last-four tie against Steaua Bucuresti. The home team came close to halving their deficit in the opening seconds as Pascal Zuberbühler failed to collect
George Boateng George Antwi Boateng (born 5 September 1975) is a former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. After making his breakthrough with Feyenoord in the Dutch Eredivisie, he spent most of his career in England, making 384 Prem ...
's high ball under pressure from Yakubu Ayegbeni, but the Nigerian international's angled shot towards the unguarded goal rolled into the side-netting. Basel then served notice of their attacking intent as
Mile Sterjovski Mile Sterjovski (born 27 May 1979) is an Australian former professional soccer player. He played predominantly as a right winger or as a second striker, but also played as a left winger and central midfielder. Sterjovski is the current head coac ...
was left unmarked from a free-kick to flick an effort wide, but Middlesbrough failed to heed the warning and another set-piece proved their undoing in the 23rd minute, Boris Smiljanić nodding
Mladen Petrić Mladen Petrić (; born 1 January 1981) is a retired professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. During his career, he played for Grasshopper Club Zürich, Grasshopper, FC Basel, Basel, B ...
's free-kick across goal for Eduardo to tap in at the far post. That left the home side needing to score four times to stay in the competition, and they replied rapidly as Yakubu's physical presence unsettled the Basel defence and Viduka collected the loose ball before drilling a shot past Zuberbühler. The Basel goalkeeper preserved his side's two-goal aggregate advantage as the interval approached, however, stretching to palm Yakubu's effort around the post after a slick passing move had sliced open the visitors. Urged on by tremendous home support Middlesbrough began the second period in frenetic fashion, with half-time substitute Hasselbaink and Viduka both forcing Zuberbühler into action. However, the Basel goalkeeper was powerless three minutes before the hour, Viduka collecting Yakubu's defence-splitting pass and rounding the goalkeeper to roll in before Majstorovic was sent off for a second bookable offence. Hasselbaink raised home hopes almost immediately with a thunderous shot from the edge of the area and just as it seemed Basel would hold out, Zuberbühler parried
Fábio Rochemback Fábio Rochemback (born 10 December 1981) is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. At different ends of his career, he represented both '' Grenal'' rivals of his home state of Rio Grande do Sul: Internacional a ...
's effort and Maccarone slid in the rebound from an acute angle to spark wild celebrations. Middlesbrough had fought back to win the match 4–1 and the tie 4–3. ;Conclusion
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
beat Steaua București 4–3 in the semi-final and advanced to the final, but here they were beaten 4–0 by
Sevilla Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Seville ...
. In spite of being knocked out in the quarter-finals, the cup run was considered a success for Basel. Matías Emilio Delgado ended the
2005–06 UEFA Cup The 2005–06 UEFA Cup, the 35th edition of the UEFA Cup, was won by Sevilla, beating Middlesbrough in the final. It was the first victory for Sevilla in a European competition, and the first appearance by Middlesbrough in a European final. The ...
season as the contest's top goal scorer.


Club


Management


Kit

, ,


Other information


Players


First team squad


Transfers


Summer


=In

=


=Out

=


Winter


=In

=


=Out

=


Results


Friendlies


Pre-season


Winter break friendlies


Swiss Super League


First half of season


Second half of season


Final league table


Swiss Cup


2005–06 Swiss Cup


UEFA Champions League

''For more information, see
2005–06 UEFA Champions League The 2005–06 UEFA Champions League was the 51st season of UEFA's premier European club Association football, football tournament, the UEFA Champions League and the 14th since it was rebranded from the European Cup in 1992. 74 teams from 50 footb ...
''


Third qualifying round

''Werder Bremen won 4–2 on aggregate.''


UEFA Cup


First round

''All times
CET CET or cet may refer to: Places * Cet, Albania * Cet, standard astronomical abbreviation for the constellation Cetus * Colchester Town railway station (National Rail code CET), in Colchester, England Arts, entertainment, and media * Comcast En ...
'' ''Basel won 6-0 on aggregate.''


Group stage / Group E


Round of 32

''Basel won 2–1 on aggregate.''


Round of 16

''Basel won 4-2 on aggregate.''


Quarter-finals

''Middlesbrough won 4-3 on aggregate.''


References


Sources

* Rotblau: Jahrbuch Saison 2015/2016. Publisher: FC Basel Marketing AG. * Rotblau: Jahrbuch Saison 2017/2018. Publisher: FC Basel Marketing AG. * Die ersten 125 Jahre / 2018. Publisher: Josef Zindel im Friedrich Reinhardt Verlag, Basel.
FCB squad 2005–06 at fcb-archiv.ch



External links


FC Basel official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:2005-06 FC Basel season FC Basel seasons
Basel Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...