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Finally celebrate something (nd current)

Granit Xhaka (r.) Sees himself and his Swiss strong enough for the semi-finals.

Foto: imago images/Just Pictures

It was only a minor matter and yet many Swiss raised their eyebrows in amazement when the story of Granit Xhaka’s latest body jewelry became known shortly before the start of the European Championship. The captain of the Swiss national team, who will meet Italy in Rome this Wednesday evening, got a new tattoo between the training camp and the departure of the European Championship. “It was a mistake, what Granit did,” said Pierluigi Tami, the director of the federal national team, after all, such a process carries the risk of infection with the corona virus, which would have thrown the entire EM project into chaos. In the end everything went well, so far the Swiss travel group has come through the tournament without infection, unlike other teams. But this latest episode in the life of 29-year-old Xhaka caused a shake of the head nonetheless. Because it was Xhaka.

This formidable footballer, set to maneuver his country through a major tournament as captain for the first time, has a special talent for actions that deviate from convention. His cheers at the 2018 World Cup against Serbia are unforgettable, when Xhaka and other players formed a double-headed eagle with their hands that adorns the flag of Kosovo-Albania. His family comes from here, and Serbia, the opponent from then, does not want to recognize Kosovo as an independent nation. So the hand signal was a provocation. The cheer pose sparked a political controversy that most of the players on the team wanted nothing to do with. It is still unclear whether the anemic 0: 1 in the following round of 16 against the Swedes was a result of these events.

What is clear, however, is that the small footballing nation “has great demands” at this European Championship, says goalkeeper Yann Sommer, “because we simply did a good job”. Xhaka also pursues the firm resolution to get further than last. Reaching the quarter-finals or even the semi-finals is by no means impossible with the relatively well-balanced team: “We want to make history,” says the captain briskly. To do this, however, he has to make headlines with sporting deeds and not with his tendency to produce unrest.

During his years at Borussia Mönchengladbach, Granit Xhaka was a regular offense, just like in England, where he plays for Arsenal FC. At first he was kicked off the pitch far too often, once he insulted fans and had to humbly apologize. Last December, he was banned after being put on the throat by Burnley’s Ashley Westwood. Xhaka and his family are often viciously abused on social media. “Granit didn’t always have an easy time, and it grew as a result,” says Sommer, who describes Xhaka as the “heart” of the Swiss team. And the goalkeeper, who still plays for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga to this day, is “very happy that he made this personal development like this.”

But the really big successes are still missing in Xhaka’s athlete biography. After winning the U17 World Cup in 2010, he won trophies in Switzerland and twice the FA Cup with Arsenal FC. After losing the round of 16 at the 2014 World Cup, the 2016 European Championship and the 2018 World Cup – each with Xhaka at the center of the game – many Swiss are finally expecting the next step. The captain’s generation of players, which also includes Sommer, Fabian Schär, Ricardo Rodriguez, Xherdan Shaqiri and Haris Seferovic, will no longer have as many opportunities to finally surpass themselves. Now they have started the tournament with a 1-1 draw against Wales, which puts the team in a difficult position. The away game in Rome against the strong Italians will be followed by the decisive game against Turkey in Baku, where the audience will probably also support the opponent.

Basically, however, the Swiss have a strong ensemble that gives the impression of being in harmony on a human level. “It was noticeable how solidarity and compact the team is, the great team spirit was palpable for me,” says Gerardo Seoane about the Wales game in the “Neue Zürcher Zeitung”. The long-time coach of Young Boys Bern, who will work at Bayer Leverkusen in the future, found Switzerland to be “stylish”, “courageous” and “well organized”. What is still missing is luck and determination in the small moments when games are decided. Moments for leaders, for Granit Xhaka, who may be playing in his future home on Wednesday evening. There are many indications that he will be leaving Arsenal to join AS Roma. With a good performance against Italy, Xhaka could do a lot of publicity on their own behalf before the possible move.

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