User:Huligan0/Daniel Majstorović

Basel

In January 2006, Majstorović signed for reigning Swiss champions FC Basel for a reported €3.3 million, despite interest from Ajax, PSV, and Newcastle United. He joined Basel's first team during their 2005–06 season under head coach Christian Gross. After playing in two test games Majstorović played his domestic league debut for his new club in the away game in the Hardturm on 12 February 2006 as Basel played a 1–1 draw with Zürich. He scored his first league goal for his new team one week later on 19 February in the home game in the St. Jakob-Park as Basel drew 1–1 with Schaffhausen.

During the autumn, Basel had qualified themselves for the knock-out stage of the 2005–06 UEFA Cup. In the round of 32 Basel were drawn against Monaco, Basel won the first leg 1-0 and in the second leg Majstorović scored the equaliser in the 1–1 draw. In the round of 16 Basel advanced to the quarter-finals beating Strasbourgh 4-2 on aggregate. In the quarter-final Basel won the first leg 2–0 against Middlesbrough. Majstorović was sent off during the second leg at the Riverside Stadium while Basel were leading still leading on the away goals rule. Middlesbrough went on to win the match 4–1 with a last minute goal, therefore the tie 4–3 on aggregate, and many of the Basel supporters held Majstorović partly responsible.

Basel had started well into the 2005–06 Super League season and led the championship right until the last day of the league campaign. On the closing day of the league season, Basel played a finalissima at home against Zürich. Mladen Petrić had scored the equaliser for FCB after FCZ had taken an early lead. But then a 93rd minute goal from Zürich's Iulian Filipescu meant the final score was 1-2 in favour of the away team and it gave FCZ their first national championship since 1980–81. The title for Basel was lost on goal difference. Majstorović had played in all 18 league games since he joined the club, scoring five league goals. The last-minute loss of the Championship and the subsequent riots, the so-called Basel Hooligan Incident, meant that the club would suffer consequences.

FC Basel's European campaign started in the first qualifying stage of the 2006–07 UEFA Cup, here they beat Kazakhi side FC Tobol 3–1 on aggregate. In the second qualifying round they were drawn against FC Vaduz from Liechtenstein, narrowly progressing on the away goals rule after a 2–2 aggregate draw. In the first round Basel won 7–2 on aggregate against FK Rabotnički to qualified for the group stage. Here Basel played their first match at home against Feyenoord, this ended in a 1–1 draw. Their second was away and FCB lost 3–0 against Blackburn Rovers. At home against AS Nancy the match was drawn 2–2 and the final game ended with a 3–1 defeat against Wisła Kraków. Basel ended the group stage in last position in the table and were eliminated. Majstorović played in nine of these ten matches, scoring twice. At the end of the 2006–07 Super League season Basel were runners-up, one point behind championship winners Zürich. Majstorović played in 35 of these 36 matches, scoring eight times. In the 2006–07 Swiss Cup Basel advanced to the final, beating FC Liestal in the first round, Lugano, FC Baulmes, Aarau and Wil in the semi-final. In the final they played Luzern and won this 1–0 thanks to a penalty goal, scored by Majstorović, in the third minute of added time. Majstorović had played in all six of these games.

Basel played in the 2007–08 UEFA Cup. Winning both matches in the qualification round and both matches in the play-off round, they team advanced to the group stage, which they ended undefeated in second position, after playing 1–0 at home against [[Stade Rennais F.C.|Stade Rennes], 0–0 away against Dinamo Zagreb, 1–0 at home against Brann and 1–1 away against Hamburger SV, to continue the knockout stage. But then they were eliminated here by Sporting CP. Majstorović played in all ten of these games. At the end of their 2007–08 season he won the Double with the club. They won the League Championship title with four points advantage over second placed Young Boys. In the Swiss Cup via FC Léchelles, SC Binningen, Grasshopper Club, Stade Nyonnais and in the semi-final Thun, Basel advanced to the final this season as well, and winning this 4–1 against AC Bellinzona they won the competition.

Majstorović was also vice-captain and led the team out whenever Ivan Ergić was not playing. Majstorović had an excellent scoring record at Basel. He regularly lingered in the opposition's penalty area when attacking corners and due to his great heading ability, he often converted high balls into the back of the net. He was also a spot-kick specialist. At the end of the 2007–08 season, he was Basel's second top goal-scorer with 10 goals, behind 12-goal Marco Streller. The explanation for his many goals is because during his time with Basel, Majstorović was the club's first choice penalty taker. On 19 May 2008 the UEFA announced that AEK Athens had signed the Swedish international Majstorović from FC Basel 1893 and that the central defender had signed on a three-year contract.

During his time with the club, Majstorović had played a total of 142 games for Basel scoring a total of 32 goals. 85 of these games were in the Swiss Super League, 10 in the Swiss Cup, 25 in the UEFA Cup and 22 were friendly games. He scored 23 goals in the domestic league, four in the cup, three in the European games and the other two were scored during the test games.