Swiss playmaker Xherdan Shaqiri returns to Basel 12 years after leaving childhood club
BASEL, Switzerland (AP) — Swiss playmaker Xherdan Shaqiri returned to Basel on Friday, 12 years after leaving the club where he began his career.
Basel announced in a statement titled “Welcome home, Shaq” that Shaqiri had penned a three-year deal. The Swiss club also posted a video on social media.
“It fills me with pride and I am very happy that I can return to my hometown of FCB today,” Shaqiri said. “I have had a deep connection with the club and the region since I was a child. As a fan and of course as a player.
“I completed my football training in Basel and was then able to launch my international career. Now I want to attack again with FCB and I can hardly wait to see our fans again.”
Shaqiri progressed through the ranks at Basel after joining the youth team at the age of eight. He played three years for the senior team — winning the Swiss league in each of those seasons — before moving to Bayern Munich in 2012.
He also played for Inter Milan, Stoke, Liverpool, Lyon and most recently Chicago Fire. His contract with the American club was terminated by mutual consent on Wednesday.
Shaqiri won the Champions League with Bayern and Liverpool as well as league titles in Germany and England.
The 32-year-old player retired from Switzerland's national team last month, shortly after its final match at the European Championship, a penalty shootout loss to England in the quarterfinals.
That was his 125th cap, second only to long-time teammate and captain Granit Xhaka, who has 130. Shaqiri scored 32 goals for his country, including five at the World Cup and five in European Championships.
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