BASEL, Switzerland — Swiss playmaker Xherdan Shaqiri returned to FC 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 signed a three-year contract. The Swiss club also posted a video on social media.
“I am very proud and happy to be able to return to my hometown 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 education in Basel and was then able to start my international career. Now I want to get back into the game with FCB and I'm looking forward to seeing our fans again.”
𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓴𝓸𝓶𝓶𝓮 𝓭𝓮𝓱𝓮𝓲 ❤️💙#FCBasel1893 #AlliZämme #BrennefürdrFCB #vividbluepurple
Transfer jetzt auch du zur @baloise_ch image.twitter.com/Ri2LXcYaPL
— FC Basel 1893 (@FCBasel1893) August 16, 2024
Shaqiri rose through the ranks at Basel after joining the youth team at the age of eight. He played for three years with 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 retired from the Swiss national team last month shortly after their final European Championship game, a penalty shoot-out loss to England in the quarter-finals.
That was his 125th cap, second only to teammate and captain Granit Xhaka, who has 130. Shaqiri scored 32 goals for his country, including five at the World Cup and five at the European Championship.
