Fussball Club Basel 1893 is a Swiss football club with a history dating back to its founding on 15 November 1893. The club has competed at the highest level of football in Switzerland for most of its existence and currently plays in the Swiss Super League.

Due to the length of its history, the history of FC Basel has been divided into five sections. This fifth section covers the financial investments made in the club during this period, the move to the new stadium, St. Jakob-Park, the return of success, and developments up to the present day. For details on other periods of the club's history, see the following articles: History of FC Basel (1893–1939) History of FC Basel (1939–1965) History of FC Basel (1965–2000)

The Gross era 108th season, St. Jakob-Park

The 2000–01 season was FC Basel's 108th since the club's foundation. René C. Jäggi served as chairman for the fifth consecutive year, while Christian Gross was head coach for the second successive season. Basel played their home matches at the Stadion Schützenmatte until 15 March 2001, when they moved into the newly built St. Jakob-Park.

Gross continued building his squad, making several signings before the start of the season. Goalkeeper Miroslav König, midfielders André Muff and Hakan Yakin joined from Grasshopper Club Zürich. Strikers Hervé Tum from Sion and Jean-Michel Tchouga from Yverdon-Sport were added to strengthen the attack. Ivan Ergić was signed from Juventus, while Carlos Varela arrived on loan from Servette. Departures included Pascal Zuberbühler, who joined Bayer Leverkusen on a one-year loan, Marco Tschopp, who was loaned to Neuchâtel Xamax, and Edmond N'Tiamoah, who spent six months on loan at SR Delémont.

The league season began with a qualification round involving twelve teams. The top eight advanced to the Championship Playoff Round. Basel aimed to finish the qualification round in the top four and secure a place in European competition. After an inconsistent start with three wins and three defeats, the team became more stable, losing only once in the next 12 matches. They were able to host their Championship Playoff Round matches at St. Jakob-Park, which opened on 15 March 2001. The stadium was sold out three times, against Lausanne-Sport, St. Gallen and Grasshopper Club Zürich, each with 33,433 spectators. In the Championship Round, Basel lost only twice but drew eight matches, with goal scoring proving difficult. They finished fourth in the league, qualifying for the 2001 UEFA Intertoto Cup.

In the Swiss Cup, Basel entered at the Round of 32 on 18 February 2001, defeating Étoile Carouge after a penalty shoot-out. In the Round of 16 they beat Bellinzona, before being eliminated in the quarter-finals by Lausanne-Sport, again after a penalty shoot-out.

In Europe, Basel competed in the 2000–01 UEFA Cup. In the qualifying round they defeated Folgore 12–1 on aggregate. In the first round they beat Brann 7–6 on aggregate, but in the second round they were eliminated by Feyenoord, who won both legs. This ended Basel's European campaign before the winter break.

109th season

René C. Jäggi continued as chairman for the sixth consecutive season, while Christian Gross remained head coach for the third successive year. Youth players Philipp Degen and Marco Streller were promoted from the reserve team and signed professional contracts. Goalkeeper Pascal Zuberbühler returned from a one-year loan at Bayer Leverkusen. Notable signings included Scott Chipperfield from Wollongong Wolves and Christian Eduardo Giménez from Lugano.

The 2001–02 Nationalliga A season began on 4 July 2001 with twelve teams competing in the qualification round. Basel started poorly, suffering an 8–1 defeat away to FC Sion in the opening match. On 11 July, Streller made his league debut at St. Jakob-Park in a 3–1 win against Servette, but he scored an own goal in the final minute while attempting to clear a corner. Giménez made his debut on 18 July in a 3–3 draw with St. Gallen, and scored his first goal for the club in a 3–1 win over Young Boys on 11 August. He went on to finish the season as the Swiss league’s top scorer.

After five matches, Basel had registered only one win and one draw alongside three defeats. Their form improved significantly thereafter, and despite losing both fixtures against defending champions Grasshopper Club Zürich, Basel ended the qualification round at the top of the table. In the Championship Round they recorded ten wins and just one defeat in the first eleven matches, pulling clear of their rivals to secure the league title with three games remaining. This was Basel’s first championship in 22 years.

In the Swiss Cup, Basel aimed to win the competition, particularly as the final was scheduled to be played at St. Jakob-Park. In the quarter-finals they defeated Zürich 4–1. The semi-final against Young Boys ended in a draw after extra time, but Basel advanced after winning the penalty shoot-out. In the final they defeated Grasshopper Club Zürich after extra time, with Murat Yakin scoring the decisive penalty following a handball by Boris Smiljanić.

110th season, Champions League

René C. Jäggi, who had been chairman for six seasons, stepped down at the club's annual general meeting in October. Businessman Werner Edelmann was elected as his successor. Christian Gross continued as head coach for the fourth consecutive season. As holders of both the league and the cup, Basel's main objectives for 2002–03 were to defend their domestic titles and to progress as far as possible in the UEFA Champions League, with the minimum aim of reaching the group stage.

Key signings included Julio Hernán Rossi from Lugano, Antonio Esposito from Saint-Étienne, and Bernt Haas on loan from West Bromwich Albion. Veteran Massimo Ceccaroni retired after 25 years at the club, where he was regarded as a cult figure due to his loyalty and the fact that he never scored in the top flight of Swiss football.

The Swiss Football Association restructured the league for the season, reducing the top two tiers from 24 to 20 teams, with ten in each division. Basel began strongly, going undefeated in their first seven matches (five wins, two draws), before losing two in succession. They recovered to win nine and draw two of the next eleven games. However, a 2–1 home defeat to Grasshopper Club Zürich saw Basel finish the qualification stage in second place at the winter break. In the Championship Round, Basel won ten of their 14 games but could not overtake Grasshoppers, who secured the league title by a single point.

In the Swiss Cup, Basel entered in the Round of 32, defeating Yverdon-Sport. They were eliminated by Servette in the Round of 16. In the quarter-finals, Basel drew 3–3 away to Young Boys after conceding a two-goal lead, but advanced with an extra-time winner from Hakan Yakin. A 3–0 semi-final victory over Schaffhausen set up a final against Neuchâtel Xamax at St. Jakob-Park, which Basel won convincingly 6–0.

In Europe, Basel entered the Champions League in the second qualifying round, defeating Žilina of Slovakia 4–1 on aggregate. In the third qualifying round they faced Celtic, losing 3–1 away at Celtic Park but overturning the deficit with a 2–0 home victory to progress on away goals.

Drawn into Group B with Valencia, Liverpool, and Spartak Moscow, Basel opened with a 2–0 win against Spartak and a 1–1 draw away to Liverpool. A heavy 6–2 defeat at Valencia was followed by a 2–2 draw in the return fixture. Victories over Spartak and a 3–3 home draw with Liverpool on the final matchday secured second place in the group and qualification for the second group stage.

There, Basel were grouped with Manchester United, Juventus, and Deportivo de La Coruña. After defeats to Manchester United and Juventus, Basel revived their campaign with two wins against Deportivo. They then drew 1–1 away to Manchester United and beat Juventus 2–1 at home. Despite finishing level on points with Juventus, Basel were eliminated on tie-breaking criteria but exceeded expectations by reaching the last 16.

111th season, tenth championship

Werner Edelmann was confirmed as chairman at the club's annual general meeting, while Christian Gross continued as head coach for the fifth successive season. Former youth player David Degen, who had begun his professional career with FC Aarau in 2000, returned to Basel. The club's most notable signing ahead of the 2003–04 campaign was Matías Emilio Delgado from Chacarita Juniors.

Although Grasshopper Club Zürich were the defending champions, Basel entered the season as favourites. As runners-up in the previous league season, Basel qualified for the first round of the UEFA Cup. The club set three clear targets: to win the league title, to defend the domestic cup, and to progress in Europe at least until the winter break.

The Swiss Football Association had modified the domestic league format, but Basel's main priority remained the championship. The season began on 16 July 2003 with a home match at St. Jakob-Park against Zürich, attended by 30,561 spectators. Their second fixture, away to Young Boys at the sold-out Stadion Neufeld in Bern, ended in a 3–2 win for Basel thanks to a late goal from Antonio Esposito. On 16 August, Christian Giménez scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 away win over Thun.

Basel started the campaign strongly, winning their first 13 matches before dropping their first points in a 2–2 draw away to Aarau. They led the league table from the opening round and maintained this position throughout the season. After the winter break, their form was less consistent, with their first defeat coming on matchday 24, a 1–0 loss away to Zürich at the Letzigrund. Nevertheless, Basel regained momentum and remained top of the table until the end of the season, securing their tenth league title.

As defending champions in the Swiss Cup, Basel aimed to retain the title. They won their opening two matches against lower-league opposition, FC Alle and Urania Genève Sport. However, in the third round they were eliminated following a 1–0 defeat away to Grasshopper Club Zürich at the Hardturm.

In Europe, Basel entered the UEFA Cup first round, where they were drawn against Malatyaspor. In the first leg, goals from captain Murat Yakin and substitute Hakan Yakin gave Basel a 2–0 away win. In the return leg at St. Jakob-Park, Malatyaspor won 2–0 to level the tie on aggregate. Marco Streller then scored a silver goal in extra time to send Basel through.

In the second round Basel faced Newcastle United. In the first leg at home, Mario Cantaluppi gave Basel an early lead, but goals from Laurent Robert, Scott Chipperfield, Titus Bramble, and Shola Ameobi left the visitors 3–2 winners. Newcastle also won the return leg, eliminating Basel 4–2 on aggregate.

112th season, champions

Werner Edelmann was confirmed as chairman at the annual general meeting, while Christian Gross continued as head coach for the sixth successive season. As reigning champions, Basel entered the 2004–05 campaign as favourites to retain their title. They also began their European campaign in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League. The club's most notable pre-season signing was Kléber from Hannover 96, and during the winter break they added Patrick Müller from Mallorca. Basel's primary domestic objective was to defend their championship.

The season began unevenly, with only two wins in the first four home matches. Despite this, Basel soon established themselves at the top of the table. In September they suffered consecutive away defeats but entered the winter break seven points clear of their nearest rivals. Over the course of the season, Basel went unbeaten at home, winning 13 and drawing four of their 17 league fixtures. They secured the championship with three matches remaining, finishing ten points ahead of second-placed Thun.