It's anything other than a given but Liverpool may well go on to beat FC Basel tonight to secure a Champions League knockout place.
However, when it comes to productivity at youth level, the Swiss side are among Europe's best.
Many members of Switzerland's national side can point to a football education at the club on the border with Germany, while some of Europe's top clubs either own or plan to acquire Basel players.
Liverpool themselves have tried their hand at bringing in Basel players - although Philipp Degen's Reds career suggest the club had their fingers burned, given that the Swiss full-back only managed seven league appearances in three years.
But the first player on this list of Basel's most impressive youth products could wear a Liverpool shirt soon enough if rumours are to be believed.
Xherdan Shaqiri
Arguably the standout member of Switzerland's current golden generation (an overused term that oddly does apply to the country's recent achievements at youth level), Shaqiri joined Basel's youth ranks aged 10, before going on to make his debut aged 17 in 2009.
Still only 23, the attacking midfielder has already achieved plenty in his short career. He has a World Cup hattrick to his name from this summer as he helped Switzerland past Honduras, while he is at one of Europe's biggest clubs in Bayern Munich -albeit as a backup player.
Due to that lack of game-time and his obvious talent, Shaqiri has been linked with moves to the likes of Liverpool and other top end Premier League clubs.
Ivan Rakitic
Although the Barcelona midfielder is a Croatia international, he was in fact born and raised in Switzerland.
Like Shaqiri, the 26-year-old's football education began at Basel. Indeed, he made his first footballing steps at the club at the age of 7, spending the first few years of his professional career there.
Since then, his football odyssey has taken him to Germany's Schalke 04 and Spain - first with Sevilla where he excelled last season and now with Barca.
Alexander Frei celebrates scoring ©INPHO/Getty
Alexander Frei
Switzerland's record goalscorer is another Basel pupil. The 35-year-old started and finished his pro career at his hometown club, but in the decade in between, he also had a spell in Germany with Borussia Dortmund where he managed a healthy 34 Bundesliga goals over three seasons.
His Switzerland career saw Frei scored 42 goals and representing his county at major tournaments.
Gokhan Inler
The Napoli and Switzerland midfielder never played a senior game for Basel before moving to fellow Swiss side FC Aarau in 2005.
But the 30-year-old's did come through its excellent youth ranks and it would be hard to believe that it has not benefited him during his seven-year Serie A career with Napoli and Udinese.
A leader in the centre of the park, Inler has captained his country since 2011 and is third in line for Napoli's captaincy.
Granit Xhaka
Another impressive member of Switzerland's current generation of talent is the Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder.
He first caught the eye, at least for me, during Basel's 2011-12 Champions League campaign. He impressed as Basel managed to knock Manchester United out in the group stage.
The midfielder, who was once dubbed the Swiss Schweinsteiger and has become a regular for his country, playing at this summer's World Cup.
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