Overview

• Fabio Celestini led FC Basel to win both the Swiss championship and cup in May before announcing his departure.
• He had initially aimed to join a more competitive European league before a potential move to FC Getafe collapsed.
• CSKA is owned by the Russian state bank VEB, which faces sanctions from the EU, US and Switzerland, and its teams are barred from UEFA and FIFA competitions.
• Fans have called for the revocation of Celestini’s Swiss passport, prompting FC Basel to replace him with former Bundesliga defender Ludovic Magnin.
• Legal experts warn Celestini risks losing salary payments if he returns to Switzerland before his CSKA contract expires.