Cod Almighty | Article

by Martin Handsley

8 October 2003

I know, I know - it's been a long time since you heard from Switzerland, but I've been busy.

"Doing what?" you may ask. Well, between the skiing, footy, hiking, footy, golf and even more footy, I've actually also had to try and do some work! Very unlikely, some will say, but it's bloody true.

It would have had to take a remarkable story for me to start slaving over a hot keyboard again, especially as the peanuts that Cod Almighty pays don't even allow me to buy a half decent cup of coffee, but last night FC Basel went and created a remarkable record.

You may remember that last season FCB did remarkably well in the Champions League, eventually going out of the competition in the second group stage. In doing so they knocked out British clubs Celtic and Liverpool.

It was a pity, then, that after doing so well in Europe last season, they allowed their league form to slip, ending up second in the league behind arch-rivals Grasshoppers Club.

This season started slowly, marred by defensive frailties, but as you can see by the results (right), not only did FCB coach Christian Gross manage to seal up his leaky defence; last night his team manged to win their twelfth game in a row!

In between the league games they have also had a 5-1 win against FC Alle in the Swiss Cup, and a good 2-0 away win in Turkey against Malatyaspor.

It's not just these results that are remarkable. There's been a steady stream of FCB-related stories in recent months.

During the summer local boy Hakan Yakin was transferred to Paris St Germain. Without kicking a ball in anger, after PSG boss Vahid Halilhodzic accused the Yakin of being a "fat bastard", the skilful forward upped sticks and returned to Basel.

 Pl W Pts FC Basel 12 12 36 Servette FC 12 6 22 BSC Young Boys 11 5 19 FC Aarau 12 5 19 Neuchatel Xamax FC	12 4 14 FC Thun 12 3 12 FC Saint Gallen 12 3 13 Grasshopper-Club	12 3 10 FC Wil 1900 12 2 9 FC Zurich 11 2 9 

The current Swiss table (left)shows what seems to be an unassailable lead for FCB

In the game at Malatyaspor defender Murat Yakin managed to get on the scoresheet, but as he and his brother Hakan prepared to leave the country they were arrested by the authorities for dodging their military service. Both boys hold dual nationality, but were born in Basel. Was it sour grapes from some pissed-off official? We will never know as the matter was quickly sorted out, with a Turkish official blaming a "misunderstanding".

To put the icing on the cake, this morning's breaking news told us that after five defeats in a row, Grasshoppers Club - last season's champions remember - are sacking their coach Marcel Koller as well as their sporting director Mathias Walter. For your average FCB fan life doesn't get sweeter than this!

One last thing - a language lesson. I was chatting to a couple of locals recently, when the conversation led to football chants between our two very different nations.

I gave them a rendition of the GTFC favourite We Piss on Your Fish. With them laughing their heads off, I told them the story of how the song came about - and asked if it they could translate. So in case you're ever in Switzerland, I give you the Mariners' anthem in the native tongues: