YOU ASK THEQUESTIONS

“I think I showed I could do it on a cold, rainy night in Stoke, many times. It was always loud there, but it was very windy!”

Interview Sean Cole

Aged 33, Xherdan Shaqiri is back where it all began, transformed by what he achieved while he was away. Having left Basel as a hot prospect in 2012, he returned in 2024 as an all-time Swiss great. It was an emotional reunion, as the forward was greeted by thousands of fans outside St Jakob-Park. Basel were Shaqiri’s boyhood club, and the launchpad for a hugely varied career which has seen him play in six different countries.

The Kosovan refugee has lifted multiple trophies, including the Champions League with Bayern Munich and Liverpool, and earned 125 international caps before retiring from Switzerland duty last year, having scored at six major tournaments. Yet he has faced adversity, too. He has toiled on the sidelines at super-clubs or as the star man in underperforming teams – his three years at Stoke City ended in relegation.

As a youngster, Shaqiri helped Basel to the first three of eight consecutive league titles, but he’s returned to a club who now haven’t been champions since 2017 – and he is determined to change that. When we meet Shaqiri in late February, Basel sit top of the league but level on points with three other clubs and just six points above the bottom half in a ludicrously tight table.

During the run-in, they’ll look to a player who has produced countless moments of breathtaking ingenuity in his career, making him a cult hero to fans across Europe and beyond.

Who were your heroes as a child?

Greg Morter, via Facebook

As a kid, I was always a big fan of Ronaldo – R9, Il Fenomeno – and then Ronaldinho. I was a big admirer of those two. I always admired the Brazilian teams and how they played football, how they danced on the field. I was a big fan of Brazil and Ronaldo was the best player, and one of the greatest ever strikers. Later on, because of how I play, it was Lionel Messi.

What was it like growing up in Switzerland, after you and your family moved there from Kosovo?

Matilde Scheuren, Bern

I was born in Kosovo, then we came to Switzerland after a year. I grew up here. I had a good life and a good school. I’m very thankful that Switzerland gave my family a chance, and I always tried to give back to them with the national team. I’m very proud to have Kosovan blood in me, too: I think that helped me to grow in life. I had the Swiss mentality, and also something different that I could give a team on the pitch.

You were very highly rated from a young age, and several clubs were interested in signing you. Why did you decide to stay at Basel?

Matteo Gysin, Schaffhausen

My biggest dream was always to play at Basel, in this amazing stadium we have here, because I grew up with this team and I saw them training close to us every day. At a young age, we had international tournaments but it wasn’t like it is now, where you get scouted by top teams at 14, 15 or 16 – we had to prove ourselves to be on the radar of the world’s biggest clubs. Staying at Basel was the best way to grow as a player and reach my goal. And for me, and my family and friends, it was very special to play in Basel for the first time.

What was your experience of going to a World Cup aged just 19, in 2010?

Daniel Dubach, Zurich

I was surprised that the coach [Ottmar Hitzfeld] took me – a lot of people were – but I was very proud to have the experience of being at the World Cup. I wanted to help the team if I could and I was really thankful to him. He was one of my most important coaches and mentors; he believed in me and called me into the national team so early. Without that, maybe I wouldn’t have had the kind of career I have had.