Alex Frei had his first match as a Basel coach

The walls must have burned in the cabin of FC Basel. "It made us really hot," says Fabian Frei after the match against Xamax. His name is Alex Frei. National team record scorer, FCB legend, board member, U18 coach and now interim coach of the first team. Alex Frei, the man for everything, the arsonist, who will fire under the ass …

Because the Croesus has degenerated to the average. Against Xamax, the climber, he does not exceed a 1: 1. A fair draw, everyone is in agreement. In fact, it is the claim of FC Basel to win such games. They wanted to win them, this added to the rejuvenation and verbaslerung of the maxim of the leadership of President Bernhard Burgener and sports director Marco Streller

Alex Frei was not only to wake up the sleeping giant, he had to remind him that he was not a dwarf but a giant. The self-confidence of this team, presented by the leaders as returnees, is seriously damaged after five consecutive defeats.

New rituals for the team

"That's why we wanted someone who brings brutal emotions.One like Alex Frei.He and Marco Schällibaum are completely at the same time. opposite of Raphael Wicky and Massimo Lombardo ", explains the sporting director Marco Streller

and Frei brings emotions.First, by changing the starting XI to five positions compared to the defeat of Paok, the system changes (of 4- 2-3-1 to 4-4-2), giving talent to Noah Okafor over veteran Valentin Stocker and Dimitri Oberlin's Five Million Transfer in the stands

On the other with new rituals Half an hour before the match, the staff and the players meet in a circle Skid-tree is spokesperson, The assistant swears the team Frei says: "Football is psychology. There are times when you can only go out if you run twice as fast as your opponent.

Then we leave the Maladière. Alex Frei, 39, black sneakers, brown chino pants, dark gray polo, has an eraser between his teeth. He mistreats him every second. He arranges with his hands, his calls, his cries, his jumps, his waves.

By his side, Michel Decastel, veteran of the training at Xamax. Dark blue trousers, blue shirt, visor cap. He often has his hands behind his back, sometimes in the pockets of his pants, rarely elsewhere. Contrast program on the artificial grass

Huge tension

And then the 64th minute. Noah Okafor, 18, pushes a magnificent attack against Kevin Bua, Albian Ajeti and Luca Zuffi at 1: 0. Frei clenched his fists, shouting, pointing to Okafor

When Frei has to go out a little later, Frei hits him so hard that Okafor's hand was probably more painful than the calf's calf. From the bank, he must watch as Nuzzolo equalizes in the 86th minute. The Maladière in a collective jam. Alex Frei delirious, beats his hands on his chest.

For a split second, Frei lets his head hang, then goes to Decastel, congratulates and presses the players, gesticulates them, talks to them, discusses with the referee Hänni the dismissal of Samuele Campo and disappears into the belly of the stadium. It's not two minutes since the final whistle.

Breathe in the cabin. Frei: "The tension was greater than even as a player.At least I had the feeling that I could influence something.As a coach, I can only call and replace. A feeling of helplessness. "