Zwyssig signing boosts Basel

Swiss international Marco Zwyssig has returned home to FC Basel after a brief spell with Austrian champions FC Tirol Innsbruck.

Welcome addition
The 30-year-old has signed a three-year contract worth €1.5m with the Swiss league leaders, who are keen to strengthen their squad before the Nationalliga A resumes on 3 March.

Hamburg bid rejected
Tirol recently turned down a €486,000 bid from 1. Bundesliga outfit Hamburger SV for the player, with managing director Robert Hochstaffl saying "Tirol weren't prepared to let Zwyssig go for peanuts".

Summer arrival
Zwyssig joined Tirol from FC St. Gallen in summer 2001. A bargain at €178,000, he had been earmarked to replace departing Slovenian international Alexander Knavs. The big defender was an instant hit, making him a target of several English FA Premiership sides, but Zwyssig was anxious to move back to Switzerland.

Balancing the books
Zwyssig is the second player to leave Tirol within a week. The club also sold goalkeeper Marc Ziegler to FK Austria Wien for an undisclosed fee in a bid to balance the books.