Julien Duranville, a highly touted talent at BVB, has so far failed to consistently showcase his potential. His loan spell at FC Basel has also not been a showcase for his abilities.
The start was promising, and the initial praise was quick to follow. «A very, very, very good player who will help us immensely,» said Stephan Lichtsteiner. «A class of talent where you have to say: wow!»
However, there was little reason for celebration at FC Basel on February 1st. The reigning Swiss champions had just lost 1-2 at home to promoted side and sensationally leading FC Thun – who would later win the title. The gap to the top had suddenly widened from seven to 13 points.
Yet, Julien Duranville had impressed in his first start, just as he had done a week prior as a substitute. Only three days after his half-year loan from Borussia Dortmund to Basel was finalized, the young Belgian set up the decisive assist in the fourth minute of added time, paving the way for a dramatic 4-3 away win against FC Zurich.
At the time, Ludovic Magnin was still on the sidelines for FCB at the Letzigrund Stadium. A day later, he was replaced by Lichtsteiner after 33 competitive matches. It was a coaching change that had been anticipated, as the results at the ambitious club on the Rhine had not been particularly good even before the winter break.
FC Basel Had a Season to Forget
Although Lichtsteiner had vast playing experience abroad, he was a novice as a coach. He had never managed a professional team before, coming from FC Wettswil in the fourth tier of Swiss football. And he arrived at a crucial juncture that, in retrospect, marked a turning point in Basel’s forgettable season.
Three major games were scheduled – and all were lost. They were defeated at home by Viktoria Pilsen in the Europa League, ending their hopes of advancing. This was followed by the aforementioned loss to Thun, and shortly thereafter, they were eliminated from the cup in the quarter-finals against St. Gallen.
«These three defeats changed the entire team dynamic. This, in turn, made it incredibly difficult for someone like Duranville to develop reasonably in this climate,» Linus Schauffert, editor for the Basler Zeitung, told SPOX.
Julien Duranville in Basel: 17 Games, Two Goals, One Assist
Duranville, who had been sidelined for nearly four months at BVB due to a shoulder injury sustained at the Club World Cup and then played only 124 minutes for the U23s in the Regionalliga, was indeed seen as a beacon of hope in Basel. In the winter, the team had lost attacker Philip Otele to HSV and was struggling significantly to score goals. With no genuine striker acquired, Duranville was expected to provide the scoring impetus.
However, the 20-year-old barely delivered. Two goals and that single assist from his debut game are all he has to show from 17 competitive appearances. Duranville played 829 minutes, averaging just under 49 minutes per match. He started eleven times.
The stage was actually set for him to make a bigger impact. While Benie Traore was a regular on the left wing, Duranville faced little competition on the right in Basel’s 4-2-3-1 or 4-1-4-1 formations. He primarily played there, but ultimately shared game time with summer signing Ibrahim Salah.
Duranville «Wasn’t Exactly Burning to Play for Basel»
But neither Basel under Lichtsteiner nor Duranville specifically impressed with their performances. FCB legend Erni Maissen delivered an early, clear verdict on the Belgian to the news portal Nau. «Duranville is a circus footballer, a fair-weather kicker. He’s always where not much is happening,» wrote the 68-year-old in his column.
Editor Schauffert is more pragmatic: «Duranville got his chances, but didn’t really achieve much. What he showed was always okay.» Schauffert primarily identifies individual shortcomings in the five-time U21 international that hindered his development.
«From his potential and talent, he is of course outstanding. You noticed that immediately. He doesn’t belong in this league and should be playing at a higher level,» he says. «You got the feeling he knew that too and wasn’t exactly burning to play for Basel. He often lacked the final decisive action in his play.»
Duranville at Basel: «He Acted Very Playfully»
This is quite concerning for an undoubtedly outstanding talent whom current Bayern coach Vincent Kompany had identified years ago as a potential Ballon d’Or winner. While Duranville has had considerable bad luck with injuries as a professional, at this fragile stage of his career, more is expected from him in all respects – especially more seriousness.
«He acted very playfully and also provoked a lot of ‘skillful’ moves,» Schauffert judges. «This sometimes led to avoidable turnovers. On the other hand, FC Basel’s play in the second half of the season was characterized by many individual errors and wrong decisions. Duranville didn’t stand out negatively in that regard.»
Basel ultimately finished the season, which they had entered as double winners, in fifth place in the championship round – with a negative goal difference and 19 points behind Thun. Lichtsteiner’s points-per-game average after 19 matches is a dismal 1.05. The club thus missed all its season goals and now faces a major overhaul at all levels.
Does Julien Duranville Still Have a Future at BVB?
While a player like Duranville would be a candidate for the new beginning: young, great talent, potentially high resale value. However, Dortmund did not grant the purchase option that FCB sought. Instead, Basel could benefit from a sell-on clause of an unknown but reportedly significant amount should BVB sell Duranville, who is still under contract until 2028.
This also seems to be the German vice-champion’s plan. Last December, coach Niko Kovac delivered a harsh verdict on the Belgian’s consistent non-selection: «We are at BVB, and there are really good players at BVB. He is one of them, but the others are better.»
Borussia had paid a hefty €8.5 million for Duranville, then only 16 years old, in January 2023. The gamble has not paid off at all so far. Nevertheless, his attributes alone – immense speed, excellent dribbling, strong changes of direction with the ball – continue to fuel the fantasy that he could develop into a top-class player.
Duranville’s Time at BVB Could End After 691 Minutes Played
Just four months ago, there was a similar sentiment in Dortmund. Sporting Director Sebastian Kehl, now dismissed, sent Duranville to Basel with the words that he is a player «in whom we continue to see great potential.» And: «We are convinced that this step is the right one for his future perspective here at BVB.»
Kehl is now history at the club, and Duranville could face a similar fate. He was unable to market himself in Basel for many reasons. Should a valuable offer come in, the paths may diverge after 691 minutes played for the BVB first team.