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FC Basel Superleague Formula car unveiled |
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Friday, 07 December 2007 |
 FC
Basel 1983 today completed a hat-trick of unveilings for Superleague
Formula with the club’s red and blue entry for the new championship
unveiled for the first time at St. Jakob-Park today.
Today’s launch was the third in three weeks for the new series
which will feature the colours of the world’s leading football
clubs aboard 750 horsepower, V-12 powered single seaters.
The FC Basel launch follows unveilings by Flamengo in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil; and RSC Anderlecht in Brussels, Belgium; over the past two
weeks.
Today, Basel coach Christian Gross and club President Gigi Oeri
unveiled the Swiss club’s car with the entire squad on hand.
FC Basel fans will get their turn on Sunday when the club takes
on Neuchâtel Xamax FC at home. The car will be unveiled on
the pitch and will be on display outside the stadium after the game.
The club has enjoyed a remarkably successful season to date, sitting
on top of the league with 12 wins from 17 games – three more
than arch-rivals FC Zürich.
FC Basel have scored 11 Swiss championships and eight Swiss Cup
victories since being formed in 1893. They are one of only two Swiss
clubs to ever compete in the UEFA Champions League
Opened in 2001, St. Jakob-Park has been a happy hunting ground for
the Swiss club – Basel enjoying an undefeated run at home
of 59 games in a row through to 2006.
"As the president of FC Basel 1893, I am looking forward to
working in conjunction with Superleague Formula," said FC Basel
President, Gigi Oeri.
"The colours of FCB will compete together with some of the
world’s biggest football clubs in a new and unique sports
promotion, combining two of the most popular sports at great venues
across Europe.”
FC Basel coach, Christian Gross believes football and motorsport
actually have a lot in common.
"Car racing and football has a lot of similarities: both sports
have speed, precision, teamwork, technology, show and targeted efforts,"
said FC Basel coach, Christian Gross.
"Therefore, I am pleased that FC Basel 1893 is the only Swiss
football team to join Superleague Formula and that our Basel red
and blue colours will get additional exposure in an exciting new
market."
For 2008, FC Basel fans will be able to head north of the border
to Germany for round two of the Superleague Formula championship.
Next year’s Superleague Formula championship will include
races at Donington Park (UK), August 29/30; Nurburgring (Germany),
September 20/21; Zolder (Belgium), October 4/5; Italy - location
TBA, October 18/19; Estoril (Portugal), November 1/2; and Jerez
(Spain), November 22/23.
* subject to FIA confirmation.
FC Basel join already announced teams AC Milan, PSV Eindhoven, FC
Porto, Olympiacos, Borussia Dortmund, RSC Anderlecht, Flamengo,
and Galatasaray SK on the grid. In total, 20 clubs will fight it
out for race honours over the six rounds with 1 million Euro prizemoney
up for grabs at each event.
“Wherever we have been – from Brazil to Belgium –
and everywhere in between, the passion that fans have for their
club confirm the outstanding potential for our championship,”
Superleague Formula President and CEO, Alex Andreu said.
“That passion for the colours is truly a global phenomenon.
At every launch, the fans are so excited to see their car and we
expect more of the same in Basel this week.
“Staging three launches in three weeks has been an extremely
busy period for our people but also remarkably rewarding. We are
currently in discussion with many teams at the moment and are looking
forward to making further additions to the Superleague Formula field
early in the new year.”
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