User:Huligan0/2018–19 FC Basel season

The 2018–19 FC Basel season is the 126th season in club history and the club's 24th consecutive season in the top flight of Swiss football. Basel were runners-up in the previous season. The season starts on the weekend of 21–22 July 2018 and will end on Saturday 25 May 2019. The first round of the Swiss Cup will be played on the week-end 29, 30 June and 1 July. Basel play the first round on Friday 29 June against lower classed FC Montlingen. Basel are also qualified for qualifying phase and play-offs (League Path). The draw for the second qualifying round will be held on 19 June 2018 (after the completion of the first qualifying round draw). The first legs will be played on 24 and 25 July, and the second legs will be played on 31 July and 1 August 2018.

Management
Raphaël Wicky is the first team manager. His assistant is Massimo Lombardo and further members of the training staff are Werner Leuthard and Massimo Colomba, who is the Goalkeeper coach. Massimo Ceccaroni is head of the FCB Youth System.

Further information
The FC Basel annual general meeting took place on 4 June 2018. The board of directors under president Bernhard Burgener with sportdirector Marco Streller, Peter von Büren, financial manager, Patrick Jost, marketing as well as Reto Baumgartner, Dominik Donzé and Benno Kaiser remained on the board. Roland Heri was voted onto the board as COO. .

Offseason and preseason
Between the end of the 2017–18 FC Basel season and this season there were quite a few changes in the team squad. All three goalkeepers left the team. Tomáš Vaclík transfered to Sevilla, Mirko Salvi transfered to Grasshopper Club and Germano Vailati ended his active career. Furthermore Mohamed Elyounoussi left the club and joined Southampton. Michael Lang also left the club and joined Borussia Mönchengladbach. Cedric Itten transferred to St. Gallen,

In the other direction Basel were not too busy on the transfer market. On 22 June 2018 Basel announced that they had signed goalkeeper Jonas Omlin from Luzern and on 26 June 2018 Basel announced that they had signed Aldo Kalulu from Lyon.

Domestic League
The season starts on the weekend of 21–22 July 2018. Basel's priority aim for the new season is to win the league championship.

Domestic Cup
Basel's clear aim for the cup is to win the title. The first round of the Swiss Cup will be played on the week-end 29, 30 June and 1 July. Basel play their first round game on Friday 29 June away from home against lower classed FC Montlingen.

Champions League
Basel enter into the this season's Champions League in the qualifying phase and play-offs (League Path). The draw for the second qualifying round will be held on 19 June 2018 (after the completion of the first qualifying round draw). The first legs will be played on 24 and 25 July, and the second legs will be played on 31 July and 1 August 2018.

First team squad
The following is the list of the Basel first team squad. It also includes players that were in the squad the day the season started on 21 July 2018 but subsequently left the club after that date.

Results and Fixtures
Kickoff times are in CET

Swiss Cup
The draw for the first round was held in June 2018. The Super- and Challenge League clubs were seeded and could not be drawn against each other. The lower division teams were granted home advantage and Basel were therefore drawn away. The home advantage was also granted to the team from the lower league in the second and third rounds.