1976–77 FC Basel season

Helmut Benthaus was first team manager for the twelfth consecutive season. There were only a few changes in the team squad this season. Detlev Lauscher joined from 1. FC Köln. Lauscher had played five seasons for 1. FC Köln in the German first division, helping the club finish as runners-up in the league and cup during 1973. Jean-Pierre Maradan joined from lower tier Grenchen but quickly became a key player.[1] Again Benthaus relied upon the young players who had come up from the reserve team when needed in the first team.

Basel played a total of 56 games in their 1976–77 season. 33 in the domestic league, two in the Swiss Cup, two in the Swiss League Cup, four in the Cup of the Alps, four in the 1976–77 UEFA Cup and 11 were friendly matches. The team scored a total of 134 goals and conceded 80. Basel won eight of their friendly games, drew two and lost one of them.[2]

The Swiss Football Association had reformed the Swiss football league system that year reducing the number of teams in the Nationalliga A from 14 to 12 and increasing the Nationalliga B teams from 14 to 16. The Nationalliga A season 1976–77 was contested by the first 11 teams from the previous season and the sole promoted team AC Bellinzona. The champions would qualify for the 1977–78 European Cup and the Swiss Cup winners would qualify for 1977–78 Cup Winners' Cup. The UEFA modified the entry rules for Switzerland, therefore, this season three teams would qualify for the 1977–78 UEFA Cup.

The Nationalliga A was played in two stages. The qualification phase was played by all teams in a double round-robin and, after completion, divided into two groups. The first six teams contended in the championship group (with half of the points obtained in the qualification as bonus) and the positions seventh to twelfth contended the relegation group. Basel finished the qualification phase in second position with 33 points from 22 games and so entered the championship group with a bonus of 17. At the end of the championship phase Servette and Basel were level on 29 points. They therefore had to play a play-off for champions. This play-off was held at the Wankdorf Stadium in Bern in front of 55,000 supporters. Basel won the match 2–1, their goals being scored by Walter Mundschin and Arthur von Wartburg.[3] Basel were awarded the championship title and qualified for the 1977–78 European Cup. Servette, Zürich and Grasshopper Club qualified for the 1977–78 UEFA Cup.[4]

In the Swiss Cup Basel won away from home against lower tier Fribourg in the round of 32 and in the round of 16 were drawn away against Xamax but were defeated. In the Swiss League Cup they won away from home against lower tier Grenchen. Then in the round of 16 were drawn away against Luzern and here they were defeated. Young Boys won the competition this season.[5]

In the first round of the 1976–77 UEFA Cup Basel were drawn against Northern Ireland team Glentoran F.C. Basel won 5–3 on aggregate. In the second round they were drawn against Spanish team Athletic Bilbao. After a draw in the first leg, they were defeated 1–3 in the second leg, thus lost 2–4 on aggregate.[6]

First round

Glentoran F.C. v Basel

14 September 1976 First leg	Glentoran F.C.	3 – 2	Basel	The Oval, Belfast
17:00	Feeney 12' (1:0) Feeney 42' (2:1) Dickenson 51' (3:1)	UEFA Report FCB Summary	26' (1:1) Maissen  52' Lauscher 73' (3:2) Ramseier	Attendance: 3,000 Referee: Rolf Ericsson

Basel v Glentoran F.C.

29 September 1976 Second leg	Basel	3 – 0	Glentoran F.C.	St. Jakob Stadium, Basel
20:00	Eigil Nielsen 33' (1:0) Mundschin 35' (2:0) Demarmels 73' (3:0)	UEFA Summary FCB Summary	52' McCreery	Referee: Cesare Gussoni

Basel won 5–3 on aggregate.

Second round

Basel v Athletic Bilbao

20 October 1976 First leg	Basel	1 – 1	Athletic Bilbao	Basel
20:00	Marti 2'	UEFA Summary FCB Summary	45' Madariaga	Stadium: St. Jakob Stadium Attendance: 15,000 Referee: Rudi Glöckner (East Germany)

Athletic Bilbao v Basel

3 November 1976 Second leg	Athletic Bilbao	3 – 1 (4 – 2 agg.)	Basel	Bilbao
20:00	Villar 45' (1:0) Carlos 61' (2:0) Carlos 68' (3:1)	UEFA Summary FCB Summary	66' (2:1) Marti	Stadium: San Mamés Attendance: 35,000 Referee: Patrick Partridge

Athletic Bilbao won 4–2 on aggregate.

Group B

Basel v Nantes

17 July 1976 round 1	Basel	2 – 3	Nantes	St. Jakob Stadium Basel
17:30	Lauscher 39' (1:0) Tanner 88' (2:3)	Summary	48' (pen. 1:1) Bossis 61' (1:2) Rampillon 65' (1:3) Rampillon	Attendance: 2,000 Referee: Kondrad

Nantes v Basel

24 July 1976 round 2	Nantes	1 – 1	Basel	Nantes
	Bargas 5' (1:0)	Summary	15' (1:1) Muhmenthaler	Attendance: 3,500 Referee: Ernest Guignet Yverdon

Basel v Metz

27 July 1976 round 3	Basel	3 – 1	Metz	St. Jakob Stadium Basel
20:00	Marti 38' (1:0) Muhmenthaler 56' (2:0) Tanner 59' (3:0)	Summary	73' (3:1) Hausknecht	Attendance: 1,300 Referee: Jean-Claude Martin Lyon

Metz v Basel

31 July 1976 round 4	Metz	2 – 0	Basel	Stade Saint-Symphorien, Metz
	Zénier 10' (1:0) Zénier 14' (2:0)	Summary		Attendance: 2,000 Referee: Peter Scherz

NB: teams did not play compatriots

Group table