Fabian Frei

Fabian Frei (born 8 January 1989) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder and a centre-back for Swiss Super League club Basel and the Switzerland national team.

Born in Frauenfeld, Frei started his youth football with local amateur club FC Frauenfeld and then he moved to the youth of FC Winterthur in summer 2000.

However, he came through the ranks with FC Basel, joining their youth department and playing in their U-16 team, winning the Swiss championship title for that age group in the 2004–05 season.

He played in their U-18 team during the 2005–06 season, under coach Patrick Rahmen and his assistant Marco Walker and with them won both the Swiss U-18 championship and the U-19/18 national cup that season.

For the 2006–07 season, he advanced to their U-21 team, who played in the third tier, and was given a professional contract.

The team won their division and became Swiss champions at U-21 level, Frei, playing as attacking midfielder, made 30 appearances, scoring 11 goals.

Ahead of their 2007–08 season Frei was called into the first team squad by head coach Christian Gross.

After having played in 13 test games, Frei played his domestic league debut for the club in the home game in the St. Jakob-Park on 22 July 2007 as Basel won 1–0 against Zürich.

He played his UEFA Cup debut with the team in the home game on 16 August, coming on as substitute, as Basel won 2–1 against SV Mattersburg.

Basel played in the 2007–08 UEFA Cup.

Winning both matches in the qualification round and both matches in the play-off round, they team advanced to the group stage, which they ended undefeated in second position, after playing 1–0 at home against Stade Rennes, 0–0 away against Dinamo Zagreb, 1–0 at home against Brann and 1–1 away against Hamburger SV, to continue the knockout stage.

But then they were eliminated here by Sporting CP.

Frei had seven appearances during the teams 10 European games.

At the end of their 2007–08 season Frei won the Double with the club.

They won the League Championship title with four points advantage over second placed Young Boys.

Frei had 24 appearances.

In the Swiss Cup Basel advanced to the final, and winning this 4–1 against AC Bellinzona they won the competition.

To the beginning of the 2008–09 season he was member of the Basel team that won the Uhrencup.

They beat Legia Warsaw 6–1 and played a 2–2 draw with Borussia Dortmund to end the table on top slot above Dortmund and Luzern.

Frei played his UEFA Champions League debut for Basel on 26 November 2008 in the 5–0 away defeat against Shakhtar Donetsk.

He scored his first goal with the team in the home game on 4 December 2008.

It was the last goal of the match as Basel won 3–1 against FC Aarau.

In July 2009, due to the fact that Basel strengthened their squad for the beginning of the 2009–10 Swiss Super League season, Basel's new trainer Thorsten Fink loaned Fabian Frei to FC St. Gallen.

During his two-year loan in St. Gallen, he played 64 league games in which he scored 13 goals.

Until June 2011, he played for the Swiss U-21 team.

He made his international debut for Swiss senior team on 7 October 2011.

For the start of the 2011–12 Swiss Super League season he was recalled to Basel, the reigning Swiss Champions, and he immediately won his place in the starting eleven.

Frei scored his first Champions League goal for Basel on 14 September 2011 in the Group C 2–1 home win against Oțelul Galați, his second on 27 September in the 3–3 draw at Old Trafford against Manchester United and his third on 22 November in the Arena Națională, in Bucharest, as Basel won the away game against Oțelul Galați 3–2.

At the end of the 2011–12 season, Frei won the Double, the League Championship title and the Swiss Cup with Basel.

He was selected to represent Switzerland at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

He is of no relation to former club and country teammate Alexander Frei.

At the end of the Swiss Super League season 2012–13 Frei won the Championship title and was Swiss Cup runner up with Basel.

In the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League Basel advanced as far as the semi-finals, there being matched against the reigning UEFA Champions League holders Chelsea, but they were knocked out, losing both home and away tie, beaten 2–5 on aggregate.

At the end of the 2013–14 Super League season Frei won his fourth league championship with Basel.

They also reached the final of the 2013–14 Swiss Cup, but were beaten 2–0 by Zürich after extra time.

During the 2013–14 Champions League season Basel reached the group stage and finished the group in third position.

Thus they qualified for Europa League knockout phase and here they advanced as far as the quarter-finals.

In their season 2013–14 Basel played a total of 68 matches (36 Swiss League fixtures, 6 Swiss Cup, 6 Champions League and 10 Europa League and 10 test matches).

Frei totaled 66 appearances, 34 League, 6 Cup, 6 Champions League and 10 Europa League as well all 10 in the test games.

The season 2014–15 was a very successful one for Basel and for Frei.