Xherdan Shaqiri and Renato Stephan hope for Basel and Lugano title win

FC Basel and FC Lugano lead the Serie A on equal points thanks to the help of Xherdan Shaqiri and Renato Steffen. Both veterans are leaders on and off the court.

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Servetus scored a hat trick with a shot. Another scored twice in a top-flight game against Zurich. Xherdan Shaqiri (Basel) and Renato Steffen (Lugano) have left their mark in the Super Lig.

This is a snapshot but also a long exposure. Because the two veterans celebrated their 33rd birthdays in just four weeks this fall, they didn't just showcase their skills on Sunday.

Renato Steffen celebrates with Lugano fans after the 4-1 win over FC Zurich.Image: trapezoid

It is better to be a leader in Lugano than a follower in Mainz

Ever since former YB and Basel winger Renato Steffen moved back to Switzerland from Wolfsburg in the summer of 2022, he has been considered by many to be the best player in the Super League. His return came as a surprise even at the time, as other Bundesliga clubs also made concrete offers. However, Lugano offered the 41-year-old national team player a role that appealed to him: that of a leader, someone who would spearhead the club's transformation into a top club.

Especially the wages are good because the Ticino club is owned by American billionaire Joe Mansuto, and he's never stingy. “I don't want to give up too much money,” said Stephen, a man who speaks his mind. “The money I make here is not much less than what I make at a Bundesliga club.”

“I push my teammates in every training session”

After placing 3rd and 2nd at the final table, Lugano's goal was clear: to win his fourth title and first since 1949. Sports success should go hand in hand with the financial well-being that Mansueto's status as a “rich man” ensures. Uncle from America” ​​and the new stadium is also completed. In 2026, FC Lugano plans to play games in its new “boutique stadium”, which will replace the dull Estadio Cornaredo.

Lugano owner Joe Mansuto (left) and managing director Martin Blazer.Image: trapezoid

Renato Stephan hopes he gets his money's worth. In NZZ, he emphasized that he did not move back to Switzerland just to spend a few quality years in Ticino. He can't just hate his opponents: “I push my teammates in every training because I hate lack of concentration and frugality.”

He seems to have driven away the sloppy. After scoring twice in the 4-1 win over FC Zurich, Steffen highlighted his team's performance in SRF. «This is very impressive. We showed our morale when we were falling behind and turned the game around in a matter of minutes. This shows that the team is intact. We play for each other and often run to open up space for our teammates. “

Mansueto as a crossroads

When he first arrived in Lugano, Stephen was annoyed by the lack of greed and sometimes lack of seriousness. Because he is clear: “I want to fight for the title of FC Lugano.” Stephen has come close twice recently: Lugano lost in the cup final in 2023 and 2024.

Xherdan Shaqiri is also related to Joe Mansueto, who made his fortune in finance. The 68-year-old not only owns FC Lugano, but also Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire. Mansuto paid his Swiss stars handsomely but received little in return.

In October 2022, Stephen (left) and Shaqiri trained in Lugano. After the season ended prematurely in Chicago, Shaqiri is preparing for the World Cup in Qatar at another club in Mansuto.Image: trapezoid

Euphoria in Basel

Shaqiri has won titles elsewhere, plenty of them. After Champions League triumphs and titles overseas, he returned this summer to where it all began. “XS” ​​aims to ensure a new level of success for FC Basel, which has struggled in recent years. The excitement following the signing was huge and after a slow start, Shaqiri has become better and more important to Fabio Celestini's side over the past few weeks.

The “Power Cube” has been going strong since a 6-1 win over Winterthur a month ago, which earned them five points. He had an assist in each of the next three games, and on Sunday he scored all three goals in a 3-1 win over Servette. This was his first hat-trick in a Basel jersey. “The three points are the most important,” Shaqiri said after the success, which only became a reality in stoppage time. “The team performed well and we believed in victory until the end. Now we are top of the table, which is good.”

Role model on and off the pitch

This means that the dream of those in charge of FCB president Degen's side when signing Shaqiri has been realized. Not only should he represent the series champions' good times, but he should also be a dominant presence on the field. Additionally, the 125-cap international has extensive experience at top clubs under world-class coaches such as Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, and is a favorite of many young talents at FCB who dream of a Shaqiri-like career. example.

Shaqiri at the 2010 Basel Championship celebrations.Image: KEYSTONE

While Swiss footballers remember Basel's eight consecutive championships between 2010 and 2017, the same cannot be said for foreign players. As the team walked through Barfüsserplatz recently, Shaqiri told them how things were back and forth there. “I can tell them: 'Look at the balcony. When you win something, that's where you celebrate.”

many paths leading to balconies

Of course, this information alone doesn't automatically make a football player a better player. However, it has value when it comes from someone who has experienced it firsthand, wants to experience it again, and therefore leads the way as a leader.

Renato Steffen (1.70 m) and Xherdan Shaqiri (1.69 m) are almost the same height and almost the same age. Both can spin and both have the ability to shoot, but their rises have been very different. While uber-talented Shaqiri has become a star in Switzerland and signed for German record champions Bayern Munich, Steffen is still playing in the First Division at Solothurn FC after completing a painting apprenticeship. His achievements are all due to hard work and will.

Stephan (front) and goalkeeper Thomas Vackerik at the 2017 Basel championship celebrations.Image: FC Basel 1893 swimming pool

Stephen then attended two championship celebrations on the Champions' Balcony at Basel's Barfüsserplatz. Now he and his Ticino team-mates want to ensure that Shaqiri, with whom he played 15 international games, no longer celebrates. There is a square in Lugano that celebrates championships. The two stars will never give up pushing their teammates.