User:Huligan0/1979–80 FC Basel season

The Fussball Club Basel 1893 1979–80 season was their 86th season since the club was founded. It was their 34th consecutive season in the top flight of Swiss football after they won promotion during the season 1945–46. They played their home games in the St. Jakob Stadium. René Theler was the club's chairman for the fourth consecutive season.

Overview
Helmut Benthaus was first team manager for the fourteenth consecutive season. Basel played a total of 57 games in their 1979–80 season. 36 matches were played in the domestic league, two in the Swiss Cup, one in the Swiss League Cup and 18 were friendly matches. The team scored a total of 160 goals and conceded 62. All of their friendly games were played away from home. Of their 18 test games, 14 were won, two were drawn and two ended with a defeat. One of the defeats was against the Swiss national team.

14 teams played in the 1979–80 Nationalliga A. The qualification round was played as double round-robin. The top six teams were qualified for the championship group. There was no relegation round to be held this season and the bottom two teams were to be relegated after the qualification. Following the poor season the year before Basel started the season as outsiders. Reigning Champions Servette together with the two clubs Grasshopper Club Zürich and FC Zürich were favouites. Benthaus declared qualification to the UEFA Cup as the teams pimary aim. Basel ended the qualification round in second position, two points behind Servette and one ahead of the Grasshoppers. In the championship group the points obtained in the qualification were halved as a bonus (rounded up). Basel won the Championship with 33 points, two ahead of both second place Grasshopper Club and third placed Servette. Basel scored a total of 91 goals conceding 38 in the 32 league games. This was the club's eighth championship title in their history and the seventh and last under trainer Benthaus.

Detlev Lauscher and Erni Maissen led the team's top goal scorers list after the qualifying phase both with 13 league goals. At the end of the season they were joined by Joseph Küttel and all three managed to score 18 league goals during the season. In the qualification round 22, the home match at the Landhof on 26 April Küttel scored four goals as Basel won 6–1 against Xamax. In the home match against Luzern on 17 May Lauscher went one better and scored five goals as Basel won 8–2.

All NLA teams entered the Swiss Cup in the round of 32. Basel were drawn away against Mendrisiostar where they won 3–1. In the second round, again away from home in the Wankdorf Stadium against Young Boys. In the Swiss League Cup Basel were also drawn away from home against the Young Boys. They lost both duels and thus without further cup matches had enough strength and energy to win the Swiss championship.

Results

 * Legend