Three years ago he was still in Altach, now he leads the best club in the country: Football coach Ludovic Magnin is facing his biggest test in Basel

On the outskirts of Altach in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg, near the Swiss border, stands a small football stadium called Schnabelholz. It is home to the Rheindorf Altach sports club. And it was once the place where football coach Ludovic Magnin sought refuge, just over three years ago.

The Vaud native arrived to save the village club from relegation from the Austrian Bundesliga. But he also came to revive his own career. He had been jobless for 14 months after nearly three years at FC Zurich, a time that had left its mark on him. Magnin only stayed in Altach for a few months. He saved the club, then returned home to Lausanne, where they wanted him as coach.

This summer, on a mid-July day, Magnin returns to the Schnabelholz Stadium. But this time, he's no longer a disabled man looking for a fresh start. Instead, he's the newly installed coach of FC Basel , who have just become Swiss champions and cup winners.

What would he have said back then, upon leaving Schnabelholz, if someone had predicted that he would return as coach of FC Basel in three years? Magnin said in Altach that a lot of things would have to come together for that to happen.

His team just completed its final preseason match, which ended in a 3-3 draw against Villareal. The new Super League season is just around the corner , kicking off for FC Basel on Saturday in St. Gallen. Magnin then faces the biggest test of his coaching career. It also involves the question of whether he's the right person for the job in Basel. And whether the job in Basel is right for him.

As a footballer, Magnin enjoyed an outstanding career, making the most of his opportunities with ambition, determination, and a strong work ethic. He was dropped as a junior by Lausanne, the club of his dreams. He still managed to reach the Bundesliga, winning the championship with Bremen and Stuttgart. He played 62 times for the Swiss national team, including at European and World Cup finals.

How great he will become as a coach, how great he can even become: This question remains open. Based on everything we know about him so far, FC Basel could be too much for him. Just right. Or a stepping stone to even greater challenges like the Bundesliga. Magnin, the ambitious man, also dreams of this as a coach.

Magnin's coaching career has been mixed. It began at FC Zurich, where Ancillo and Heliane Canepa considered him a kind of foster son. He won the cup and important European matches, but his team lacked consistency. They played well one day and not at all the next.

At times, the team literally imploded, losing by four or five goals. Magnin often flew into a rage on the sidelines, clashed with referees, and felt unfairly treated by the media. The NZZ once described him as the "angry citizen of Swiss football."

This topic has long been on Magnin's mind; he has often spoken about the stereotypes people are put into here. He once told the NZZ that there is no gray area when it comes to judging him personally . That people either love or hate him, and there's nothing in between. This is also why he left Switzerland: to revive his career in Altach.

Whether it's true that he's hated or loved, with nothing in between, or whether he simply feels that way, is another question. Magnin's emotionality is certainly multifaceted; he's a volcano on the sidelines, but approachable and warm off the pitch. In Altach, this is evident in the fact that Magnin takes more time for his fans than any of his players. He's also humorous, even self-deprecating, which is rare enough in this business.

Wherever Magnin goes, he leaves his mark. In Altach, where he once quickly packed up his things, people still remember him fondly today. For his energy and warmth. Tears flowed when they said goodbye, on both sides.

Magnin, the hothead. Magnin, the warm-hearted entertainer. Whichever image dominates will also determine the results. This will be even more true in Basel; there's a lot of energy there. A club that everyone in the city is looking at, always expectant, and even more so after last season's double. A club that, in the media, is a completely different place than Lausanne or Altach. A club that is naturally restless, and was even more so for a long time under president David Degen , although the club now seems calmer and more stable.

Calmer, more mature, more reflective: Magnin has become like that, too. That's what he says himself. That's what people who have been watching him for a long time say. Even though he was suspended for one game in February after his fourth yellow card. "Magnin's outbursts of anger," wrote 24 heures at the time, "are bringing Lausanne to a boil."

When Magnin arrived in Lausanne in the summer of 2022, the club had just been relegated to the Challenge League. The returnee managed an immediate return to the top flight, staying in the league the following year, and finally finishing fifth last season. He describes this as a surprise; in general, the narrative that Magnin's time in Lausanne was outstanding is dominant, including in the media.

This perspective forgets that the club is generously funded by the chemical company Ineos. That the club's footballers didn't come to Lausanne for the beautiful view of Lake Geneva. That promotion in the first year was a must, and 10th place in the second was more of a disappointment. And that Lausanne, while playing some impressive football last season, only just managed to reach the championship round.

When introducing Magnin as the new coach, Basel's sporting director Daniel Stucki said they had brought in the Vaud native because he had developed, "especially this year." Magnin, in turn, says that as a coach, you get better from club to club. And that he now knows exactly how his football should look: attacking, active, with high pressing. One thing is certain: Magnin has never had opportunities like the one he had in Basel. What does he make of them?

On Thursday of this week, Magnin sat next to Xherdan Shaqiri in the FC Basel fan shop for the season-opening press conference. The two joked; their chemistry was good, and Shaqiri emphasized that he liked Magnin's style. Magnin will rely on him, Shaqiri, and his goals and assists, which carried the club so far last year .

After the opening match, things are happening fast and furious for FC Basel. The classic clash against Young Boys is coming up soon. And, most importantly, the Champions League playoff. FC Basel is expected to survive this, according to sporting director Stucki.

At the Schnabelholz Stadium, after the 3-3 draw against Villareal, as the selfies were taken and Magnin was about to leave, someone called out to him, "Good luck, okay?" Magnin called back, saying he'd gladly take that.