"A circus footballer, a fair-weather player": A top BVB prospect is facing ridicule and an uncertain future

FC Basel had little to celebrate on 1 February. The reigning Swiss champions had just lost 2–1 at home to newly promoted FC Thun, the surprise league leaders who would go on to win the title. The defeat widened the gap to the summit from seven points to 13.

Julien Duranville, however, impressed on his first start, just as he had done a week earlier as a substitute. Just three days after his six-month loan move from Borussia Dortmund was finalised, the young Belgian set up a dramatic 4-3 away win at FC Zurich with the decisive assist in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

Ludovic Magnin was still on the touchline at the Letzigrund Stadium for FCB, but a day later—after 33 competitive matches—he was replaced by Lichtsteiner. The coaching change had been expected, as results at the ambitious Rhine-based club had been underwhelming even before the winter break.

Despite Lichtsteiner's rich playing career abroad, he remained an unknown quantity as a coach. He had never managed a professional side, arriving from Swiss fourth-tier outfit FC Wettswil. That inexperience surfaced at a pivotal moment, now seen as the turning point in a Basel season best forgotten.

Three crucial fixtures followed, and all were lost: Basel were beaten at home by Viktoria Plzeň in the Europa League, eliminating their last hopes of progression; the previously mentioned league defeat to Thun ensued; and, shortly after, they exited the cup with a quarter-final loss in St. Gallen.

This backdrop is essential for judging Duranville's time in Basel. "These three defeats changed the entire dynamic within the team. That, in turn, made it incredibly difficult for someone like Duranville to develop properly in that atmosphere," Linus Schauffert, editor of the Baseler Zeitung, told SPOX.

Despite missing nearly four months at BVB after suffering an acromioclavicular joint sprain at the Club World Cup, and managing only 124 minutes for the U23s in the Regionalliga, Duranville still arrived in Basel with a strong reputation. Having lost striker Philip Otegha to HSV in the winter, Basel's goal-scoring woes were well documented, and—unable to recruit a recognised replacement—they looked to Duranville to fill the void.

Yet in 17 competitive outings he contributed only two goals and that opening assist, starting 11 times and averaging just under 49 minutes per appearance.

Despite the stage being set for a bigger impression, he shared the right wing with summer signing Ibrahim Salah, facing little internal competition in Basel's 4-2-3-1 or 4-1-4-1 system.

Basel, under Lichtsteiner, failed to impress, and so did Duranville. Club legend Erni Maissen delivered an early, damning verdict on the Belgian for the news portal Nau. "Duranville is a circus footballer, a fair-weather player. He's always where nothing much is happening," the 68-year-old wrote in his column.

Editor Schauffert takes a more measured view: "Duranville has had his chances, but hasn't really made much of an impact. What he's shown has always been decent." Schauffert attributes the Belgian's stalled progress to individual shortcomings.

"In terms of his approach and talent, he is of course outstanding. You could tell that straight away. He doesn't really belong in this league and needs to play at a higher level," he says. "You got the feeling that he knew that himself all too well and wasn't exactly burning to play for Basel. He often lacked the final bit of determination in his actions."

This should raise eyebrows, because the player in question is an outstanding talent once tipped by current Bayern boss Vincent Kompany as a future Ballon d'Or winner. Although Duranville has been hampered by a string of injuries throughout his young career, he must now raise his game across the board—especially by showing greater professionalism.

"He was playing in a very playful manner and was also taking risks with a lot of backheels, through balls, one-twos and three-way moves," says Schauffert. "As a result, he occasionally lost possession in a way that could have been avoided. On the other hand, FC Basel's play in the second half of the season was characterised by numerous individual errors and poor decisions. Duranville was no exception."

Basel, who began the campaign as double champions, slipped to fifth in the final standings, posting a negative goal difference and finishing 19 points adrift of Thun. Lichtsteiner's points average of 1.05 over 19 games is starkly underwhelming, and the club ultimately missed every target, leaving it primed for a top-to-bottom overhaul.

Duranville ticks the boxes for a fresh start: young, highly talented and likely to fetch a healthy transfer fee down the line. Nevertheless, Dortmund declined to grant FC Basel a buy-back option. Instead, Basel will profit from a sell-on clause worth an unknown—yet substantial—sum if BVB sells the forward, who is under contract until 2028.

That appears to be the German runners-up's plan. Last December, coach Niko Kovac delivered a blunt verdict on the Belgian's continued absence from the squad: "We're at BVB, and there are some really good players at BVB. He is one of them, but the others are better."

Borussia had paid a hefty €8.5 million for the then-16-year-old in January 2023, but so far the gamble has not paid off. Nevertheless, his blistering pace, excellent dribbling and sharp changes of direction with the ball still suggest he can develop into a player of the highest calibre.

Just four months ago, the mood in Dortmund was much the same. Sebastian Kehl, the now-sacked sporting director, had farmed Duranville out to Basel, insisting he was a player "in whom we continue to see great potential" and adding, "We are convinced that this move is the right one for his future prospects here at BVB."

Kehl is now history at the Westphalian club, and Duranville could face a similar fate. For various reasons, he has failed to make a name for himself in Basel, and if a worthwhile offer arrives, the two parties are likely to part ways after he has logged just 691 minutes for the BVB first team.