You would be hard pressed to find a footballer who enjoyed a more action-packed weekend than a former West Ham United striker who went through the whole spectrum of human emotions in the space of a few hours.
With just four minutes on the clock, the one-time West Ham United benchwarmer fired a loose ball into the roof of the net, drawing his team level and cancelling out their hosts’ rapid-fire opener. That was the good part of his afternoon. It wouldn’t last long.
Because, on the brink of half-time, he was shown a straight red card. And an extremely harsh one at that. Albian Ajeti, while attempting to spin away from his Lugano marker, accidentally caught him in the face with a flailing palm.
A 41st minute ejection which, while stinging with injustice, also looked destined to delay FC Basel’s long, eight-year wait for a Swiss Super League title.
But, inspired by another former Premier League forward in ex-Liverpool and Stoke City winger Xherdan Shaqiri, Basel’s drought was over at last, just three-quarters of an hour later and drenched in champagne.
Talk about mixed emotions. From joy to despair and back again for Ajeti.
Former West Ham United striker Albian Ajeti crowned Swiss champion with Basel
A goal, a red card, and a league title.
Albian Ajeti could have been forgiven, in the midst of the wild celebrations which followed Shaqiri’s heroic hat-trick and an eventual 5-2 win for ten-man Basel, for feeling as if he had spent the day lodged inside a washing machine stuck on spin cycle.
West Ham stumped up £8 million to secure Albian Ajeti’s switch to the London Stadium back in 2019. The stocky striker arrived with a Swiss Super League Golden Boot award adorning his CV, and having fired Basel to what would prove to be their last league title in nearly a decade.
Eight years on, and after Servette and BSC Young Boys played out a 0-0 draw later in the weekend, Ajeti’s St Jakobs Park homecoming has now officially coincided with Basel’s long-awaited return to the domestic summit.
With 18 goals and 20 assists compared to Ajeti’s eight and six, evergreen Swiss icon Shaqiri dominated most of the discourse as Basel broke Young Boys’ stranglehold over the domestic trophy.
Ajeti wins third league title in dream farewell for Granit Xhaka’s brother
Yet, the one-time Bayern Munich and Inter Milan man is not the only one whose successful second spell proves that returning to your old haunts is not always a move destined to end in tragedy.
“I’ve done everything for FC Basel,” captain Taulant Xhaka, Granit’s older brother, beams in a wide-eyed interview alongside Ajeti. “I never thought my time would end like this. I’m just happy.
“Now, we’re going to celebrate properly!”
This is the third league title of Ajeti’s career.
His second with Basel. And his first since he claimed the Scottish Premiership crown following his switch from West Ham to Celtic on the back of 12 goalless appearances in South London.
Considering the circumstances surrounding it – an eight-year drought, the impending retirement of club legend Taulant, and a red card which threatened to extend an already nerve-jangling wait – Albian Ajeti’s 2025 success might just be the sweetest one yet.
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