Ambassadors

Ambassadors

Coumba, a passionate captain.

Coumba Sow, FCB Captain

Coumba Sow

Coumba was born with a love of football from her father and has been playing with footballs since she was a baby. Nevertheless, it took a long time for her to be promoted in a club. In her childhood, women’s football clubs were still a rarity, which is why Coumba spent years playing exclusively on the street and on school playgrounds.

This is where her daredevil playing style comes from, which has helped her to a career straight out of a picture book: from SV Höngg, her first club, to the junior national team, after graduating from high school to the United States, back to Switzerland to FC Zurich and again to the Swiss national team, to Paris, to Geneva and finally to FC Basel, where she has been playing since 2023 and is also captain. Along the way, she became a three-time Swiss champion, three-time cup winner, took part in the Champions League and scored 13 goals in 54 appearances for the national team.

Coumba is unstoppable. Another area where she is still a long way from reaching her goal is in her commitment to equal rights in football. That’s why she and the host city Basel are a good match: as part of the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 Legacy Programme, numerous football opportunities for girls and women are being created and promoted to raise the profile of women’s football in the Basel region.

«My role as captain has taught me that there is no such thing as a perfect captain. Talking about your weaknesses strengthens team cohesion.»

Listen to the «Basel am Ball» podcast episode with Coumba Sow

Jasmin, a passionate footballer.

Jasmin Hirschi, national player Surprise street football team

Jasmin Hirschi

Jasmin was only 20 years old when she boarded the plane to Seoul in September 2024. Her destination: the Homeless World Cup, a street football tournament with 450 participants from 38 nations, held in the South Korean capital. Together with seven other players from the Surprise national team, she represented Switzerland for a week, motivating her team, out-dribbling her opponents and scoring a remarkable number of goals in the 13 matches. Although the pitch at the Homeless World Cup was smaller than in traditional football, the message behind what happens on the pitch was all the greater: football is a sport for everyone, including socially or financially marginalised people.

Jasmin, the 1.93 m tall, self-confident Basel native, was introduced to football as a teenager by her father and has always been unstoppable on the pitch. “What I love most about football is that everyone on the pitch fights with and for each other,” she says, the passion for the sport clearly evident in her voice. As part of the Surprise team, she enables people in difficult circumstances to experience community, mutual support and personal development through football.

As an ambassador for the host city Basel, Jasmin is committed to providing low-threshold football programmes for all people, regardless of their background or life story.

«What I love most about football is that everyone on the pitch fights for each other.»

Listen to the «Basel am Ball» podcast episode with Jasmin Hirschi and the national street football team

Seline, passionate about the club.

Seline Röthlisberger, President FFV Basel

Seline, with passion for the club.

Seline’s life is characterised by football. For years, she played in the second and third highest leagues of a Basel club, sometimes even higher than the corresponding men’s team. Nevertheless, she and her teammates were always at the back of the queue: when it comes to allocating pitches for training sessions and matches, equipment and training times.

In 2021, Seline had enough of the unequal treatment and founded the first independent women’s football club in the region: FFV Basel. In just four years, the club has grown to 150 players in five teams. The recipe for success: all members should feel respected in the club, receive targeted support and be able to pursue their dreams – without being at a disadvantage compared to a men’s or junior team.

In her role as President of the FFV, Seline is also committed to women’s football off the pitch. She drives structural changes in grassroots sport and promotes networking and cooperation between clubs in the region in order to encourage girls and women to enjoy playing football – all on a voluntary basis.

With FFV, Seline is pursuing the same goal as the host city Basel as part of the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 Legacy Programme: to create easier access to football for girls and women. Specifically, the aim is to double the number of female players and coaches by 2027 compared to 2024.

«FFV Basel is committed to equal opportunities and the advancement of women in all areas.»

Listen to the «Basel am Ball» podcast episode with Seline Röthlisberger

Klamauk, in motion through passion.

Klamauk by Jean Tinguely from the Museum Tinguely

Klamauk of Jean Tinguely

At first glance, the imposing moving sculpture mounted on a tractor with the melodious name “Klamauk” seems to have little to do with football. But a closer look at the countless wheels and percussion elements reveals a few key similarities: just like on the pitch, so much happens simultaneously in Klamauk that you don’t know where to look. It is loud, seems chaotic and creates an atmosphere like a fan section, with smoke coming out of its tin buckets time and again. And like a football team, Klamauk only works properly when all of the parts work well together.

Jean Tinguely, one of the most important Swiss artists of the 20th century, built the travelling work of art in 1979. Since then, Klamauk has been used on several occasions – including the funeral procession for the artist himself in 1991.

In the anniversary year 2025, when Tinguely would have turned 100, his unmistakable moving sculpture Klamauk will lead the fan marches from the city centre to St. Jakob Park as a cultural ambassador for the host city Basel at the opening and final games.