Overview

• Coach Julian Schuster called Xherdan Shaqiri an absolute key figure and a free spirit, while midfielder Maximilian Eggestein labeled him Basel’s difference-maker.
• Basel visit Freiburg on Wednesday at 21:00 for their Europa League opener, a fixture Shaqiri described as a game among friends given the close regional ties.
• Shaqiri reflected on his Bayern spell as an incredible chapter and said the 2013 Champions League triumph remains a career highlight.
• He keeps his 2013 final shirt hanging above his bed alongside his first Bundesliga winner’s shirt, and he cited Pep Guardiola and Ottmar Hitzfeld as formative coaches while picking Franck Ribéry as his standout teammate.
• Freiburg faced heavy demand for tickets, reportedly exceeding 30,000 requests, and acknowledged accidentally overselling by 256 seats for the short cross-border derby.