Thread by @FootballSwissEN

FC Basel's #UECL campaign came to an end last night as they lost out in the 129th minute. This was far from the only quirk.

A fallen 🇨🇭 giant in mid-table, spearheaded by a 2nd-division loanee, rose from the dead A LOT. 20 games, 9 countries, 301 days. It is quite the story.👇

The campaign began way back in QR2 on July 21st against Northern Irish side Crusaders. FCB recorded a 2-0 win in the first leg at home.

In Belfast, they were held to a 1-1 draw. It completed the job but it was a poor result against a team FCB should be beating more convincingly.

QR3 brought the challenge of Danish side Brøndby and as it would be for much of this campaign, FCB were on the backfoot after a 1-0 loss in the first leg in Denmark.

Three goals (2-1 in favour of FCB) from minute 40 to 45+5' took this game to penalties where FCB won 3-1.

CSKA Sofia were next in the play-off round. It was a similar old tale as FCB lost 1-0 in Bulgaria & had work to do back in Basel.

FCB kept everyone on edge before goals from Fabian Frei (66') & Michael Lang (84') sent them into a second consecutive #UECL Group Stage.

Last year, FCB faced gruelling trips to Azerbaijan, Kazkahstan and Cyprus. This year was only slight kinder with Slovakia (Slovan), Pyunik (Armenia) & Zalgiris (Lithuania) on the agenda.

Straightforward? Far from it. FCB made HARD WORK of this group.

FCB started promisingly with wins at home to Pyunik and away to Zalgiris before unravelling with a 2-0 home loss to Slovan and a 3-3 draw in Slovakia in the reverse fixture.

They were 3-1 down in that fixture though against SK Slovan though and salvaged a draw in the end.

A 2-2 draw at home to Zalgiris on Matchday 5 meant FCB travelled to Armenia for a straight shootout with Pyunik.

FCB managed a 2-1 victory but Slovan's win in Lithuania ensured Basel would have to play in the knockout round play-off.

And it was in the knockout rounds that FCB really showed their powers of recovery & a certain Zeki Amdouni came to prominence. Paired with reigning Turkish champions Trabzonspor, the prospects looked bleak for FCB.

They played for a draw in Turkey and came out with a 1-0 defeat.

The second leg brought an early goal from Amdouni - remarkably only his first of the entire campaign before Andi Zeqiri struck in the 76th minute.

It wasn't plain sailing. FCB had multiple scares to endure including two disallowed goals via VAR for th visitors. Relief.

FC Basel and Slovan met again in the L16. FCB threw away the lead twice at home and had to come from two-down (again!) in Bratislava. Amdouni scored from range in the 93rd minute to force extra-time.

FCB advanced 4-1 on pens. Oh, and they didn't beat Slovan in FOUR attempts.

French side Nice were next in the quarter-final. Amdouni scored a brace in a 2-2 draw at St. Jakob-Park.

Nice led early in France before Jean-Kevin Augustin struck in the 86th minute to force extra-time and Adams won it in the 98th minute.

The semi-final first leg in Florence tried to replicate that QF. Ex-player Cabral found the net for Fiorentina only for FCB to turn the game on its head.

Diouf equalised on 71 minutes before Amdouni grabbed his sixth of the campaign in the 93rd minute to steal the win.

And so, it probably isn't a surprise that the campaign ended in such a ridiculous way.

FCB tried, they scored with their only real attack of the game, but lost out in the 129th minute with another shootout looming. It was never going to be anything less than dramatic.

Unsurprisingly, Zeki Amdouni was the goalscorer. The loanee from Lausanne Sport scored 7 in 17 games, all of them coming in just eight kO fixtures.

FCB's focus has to turn to the league. They are currently out of the European spots and it is VITAL they make it in next season.

FCB can be proud. A team that dragged its way through on talent, but also on sheer team spirit & refusal to be beaten. It almost took them to the final.

The atmosphere yesterday was electric. A throwback to all-conquering times. A club that will rise again.

📸 @aluartsbasel