Basel's interim coach tired of hearing about predecessor

Posted Tuesday, October 18, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

FC Basel go into Tuesday’s Champions League match against Benfica with a caretaker coach who is already tired of talk about his predecessor Thorsten Fink.

Former assistant coach Heiko Vogel was thurst into the limelight when Fink quit the club last Thursday to take charge of Bundesliga strugglers Hamburg SV, having won two successive Swiss titles in his stint at Basel.

Since then, all the talk has been of how Basel, who have taken four points from their first two games in Group C, will cope without the German who had a contract until 2013.

“The atmosphere in the squad will be fine, it’s always been great since I’ve been here,” Vogel, Fink’s assistant throughout his two years at the club, told reporters as the subject was raised again on Monday.

“I think we’ve talked enough about the change of coach, I don’t think it’s fair.

“The Champions League is the biggest competition that exists and we should concentrate on the game tomorrow instead of the atmosphere in the squad.

“I have full and blind trust in the team.”

Basel beat Otelul Galati in their opening match and exceeded their own expectations with a 3-3 draw at Manchester United, having led with a minute to go.

“We have full trust in the coach,” said striker Marco Streller. “The philosophy is the same and he knows the team. For us, it’s not a difficulty at all.”

Basel beat lower division Schoetz 5-1 in a Cup match at the weekend in Vogel’s debut.