Swiss playmaker Xherdan Shaqiri returned to Basel on Friday, 12 years after leaving the club where he started his career.
Basel announced in a statement titled “Welcome home, Shaq” that Shaqiri signed a three-year contract. The Swiss club also shared a video on social media.
“It fills me with pride and I am very happy that I can return to my hometown of FCB today,” Shaqiri said. “I have had a deep connection with the club and the region since I was a child. As a fan and of course as a player.
“I completed my football training in Basel and was then able to launch my international career. Now I want to attack again with FCB and I can hardly wait to see our fans again.”
Shaqiri started with Basel’s youth team at the age of eight and played for the senior team for three years. He won the Swiss league in each of those seasons before moving to Bayern Munich in 2012.
He also played for Inter Milan, Stoke, Liverpool, Lyon, and most recently Chicago Fire. His contract with the American club was ended by mutual agreement on Wednesday.
Shaqiri won the Champions League with Bayern and Liverpool, as well as league titles in Germany and England.
The 32-year-old retired from Switzerland’s national team last month, just after their last match at the European Championship, a penalty shootout loss to England in the quarterfinals.
That match was his 125th appearance, which is second only to his long-time teammate and captain Granit Xhaka, who has 130. Shaqiri scored 32 goals for his country, including five at the World Cup and five in European Championships.
