1964–65 FC Basel season

The Czechoslovakian manager Jiří Sobotka was the Basel team manager at this time, it was his fourth year as manager of the team. The Czechoslovakian manager Jiří Sobotka was the Basel team manager at this time, it was his fourth year as manager of the team. There were only a few changes in the squad. Kurt Stettler moved on to Young Fellows Zürich, René Burri to Cantonal Neuchatel and Bruno Gatti to Biel-Bienne. During the winter break Heinz Blumer moved on to Chiasso. In the other direction German striker Heinz Sartor joined from Südwest Ludwigshafen, Werner Decker joined from local team Concordia Basel and Bruno Gabrieli from Nordstern Basel. Basel played a total of 51 matches un this season. 26 of these were in the domestic league, five were in the Swiss Cup, four matches were in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and 16 were friendly matches. Of these 16 test games eight were won, four drawn and four were lost.[1]

A sad note to be noted is, on 26 December 1964 FCB played against Grasshoppers Zürich in the quarter-finals of the Swiss Cup. They decided the match 3–1 for themselves in overtime, Hans Weber had scored the equaliser two minutes before the end of the regular time. This was to be the very last match for the popular Basler captain of that time Hans Weber, because just seven weeks later he died of cancer. Between his first appearance in 1949 and his death in February 1965 he made 281 appearances for Basel scoring 48 goals. On 31 March 1965 Basel played a match against the Swiss national team as Hans Weber memorial.[2] 17,000 people came to pay their respect and to watch the game. Frigerio, Gabrieli and Baumann scored the goals as Basel won 3–0.[3]

Fourteen teams contested the 1964–65 Nationalliga A, these were the top 12 teams from the previous season 1963–64 and the two newly promoted teams Lugano and Bellinzona. Basel ended the championship with eleven wins and five draws in their 26 matches, and finished in eighth position with 27 points. They scored 44 goals and conceded 54. For Basel it was a mediocre season with some very unusual and high scoring results, 5–4 at home against Grasshopper Club, 4–3 at home against Biel-Bienne and a 3–3 draw at home against the new champions Lausanne-Sport after a three goal lead before half time. There were also some high scoring defeats, 1–5 away against Grenchen, 0–6 away against Sion, 0–6 away against La Chaux-de-Fonds and a 1–6 away in the last game of the season against Young Boys. Roberto Frigerio was the team's top goal scorer with 13 goals. Lausanne Sports won the championship with 36 points and thus qualified for the following year's 1965–66 European Cup.[4]

In the Swiss Cup Basel started in the round of 64, 10 October 1964, with a home win against lower classed Locarno. In the next round they played at home against Bern which was won 3–1 and, consequently, drawn at home against Lasuanne Sports in the round of 16 which ended in a 3–2 victory. After the quarter-final against Grasshoppers Zürich (mentioned above) Basel were drawn at home again for the semi-final. This game was against Sion and was played on 7 March 1965. Basel were defeated 2–3 and Sion continued to the final which they won against Servette.[4]

Basel were qualified for the 1964–65 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and in the first round they played CA Spora Luxembourg. A 2–0 home win and a 0–1 away defeat was enough to take them through to the second round. But two defeats against Strasbourg ended their Fairs Cup competition.[5]

First Round

Basel v CA Spora Luxembourg

9 September 1964 First leg	Basel	2 – 0	CA Spora Luxembourg	Basel
20:00	Grava 14' (1:0) Grava 66' (2:0)	Summary		Stadium: St. Jakob Stadium Attendance: 1,500 Referee: Pierre Schwinte

CA Spora Luxembourg v Basel

8 October 1964 Second leg	CA Spora Luxembourg	1 – 0	Basel	Luxembourg
	Joseph Krier 20' (1:0)	Summary		Stadium: Stade Josy Barthel Attendance: 600 Referee: Robert Schaut

Basel won 2–1 on aggregate.

Second round

Basel v Strasbourg

3 November 1964 First leg	Basel	0 – 1	Strasbourg	Basel
19:45		Summary	Gress 51' (0:1)	Stadium: St. Jakob Stadium Attendance: 3,500 Referee: Helmut Fritz

Strasbourg v Basel

11 November 1964 Second leg	Strasbourg	5 – 2	Basel	Strasbourg
	Farías 13' (1:0) Sbaiz 21' (2:0) Hausser 28' (3:1) Hausser 52' (4:2) Szczepaniak 83' (5:2)	Summary	Frigerio 22' (pen. 2:1) Blumer 35' (3:2)	Stadium: Stade de la Meinau Attendance: 5,500 Referee: Joseph Hannet

Strasbourg won 6–2 on aggregate.

• Rotblau: Jahrbuch Saison 2014/2015. Publisher: FC Basel Marketing AG. ISBN 978-3-7245-2027-6
• Die ersten 125 Jahre. Publisher: Josef Zindel im Friedrich Reinhardt Verlag, Basel. ISBN 978-3-7245-2305-5
• FCB team 1964–65 at fcb-archiv.ch
• Switzerland 1964–65 at RSSSF
• Fairs' Cup 1964-65 at RSSSF