AThe Swiss experienced moments of pure football luck during the eight-minute stoppage time of the game against Bulgaria on Monday evening. The duel between the Italians in Northern Ireland, which was held at the same time, was over, and the last doubts were dispelled after the reigning European champions went 0-0 in Belfast. Switzerland is the first in the group to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar, ahead of Italy. Not only the audience in Lucerne, but also the people from the substitution bench struggled for composure, lay in each other’s arms, celebrated the last actions of a memorable 4-0 victory.
For F +’s birthday, you can read all the articles on FAZ.NET for just 3 euros a month.
READ F + NOW
The floodlights shone, spectators waved their cowbells. “It’s an incredible moment,” said coach Murat Yakin when the final whistle sounded and an uplifting insight matured: 2021 is not only the most exciting year in Swiss football history to date, but also the most successful after this coup.
At the EM tournament in the summer, the “Nati” had caught up 3-1 deficit in the round of 16 against world champions France and won on penalties. This experience was considered to be a summit attack, the team made it to the quarter-finals of a major tournament for the first time since 1954, which only ended on penalties against Spain. Coach Vladimir Petkovic then resigned on the assumption that not much more is possible with this small nation.
All the more astonishing is the development under his successor Yakin, who did not lose any of his seven games as a coach and can now celebrate this new success. “Three months ago nobody would have believed that we would leave Italy behind,” said the 47-year-old football teacher, who once played as a professional at VfB Stuttgart and 1. FC Kaiserslautern.
Despite the loss of seven regulars, including the Bundesliga players Breel Embolo and Nico Elvedi (both Mönchengladbach), the suspended Manuel Akanji (Dortmund) and AS Roma captain Granit Xhaka, the Swiss played with the sovereignty of a great team. Driven by Denis Zakaria, they developed a sustained offensive fireworks display with the aim of winning two goals higher than Italy in Belfast.
“I have to compliment the team”
In the first half alone, the Swiss earned twelve corners, shot ten times on goal and were stable behind at the same time. After the break, the four well-deserved hits came from Noah Okafor, Ruben Vargas, Cedric Itten and Remo Freuler. Two more hits were canceled due to close offside positions.
“I have to compliment the team for what they did in this campaign and how they played,” said Xherdan Shaqiri, who made his 100th international match and was celebrated with chants at the end. In the past, the Swiss have already completed qualifying rounds in front of teams like Denmark, Iceland or Greece, but they have never ended up in a group in front of one of the really big football nations like Germany, France or Italy. Now that has also been achieved, and the Italians even served as a kind of role model.
Even before the game against Bulgaria there is a positive atmosphere in the training of the Swiss.
:
Bild: Picture-Alliance
In the summer of the European Championship, coach Roberto Mancini’s team was carried to the European Championship title without any big stars, but inspired by the power of real solidarity. This magical energy is now at work with the Swiss, even if a bit of “luck” was involved, as goalkeeper Yann Sommer noted. “Italy misses two penalties, the whole thing could look very different. A lot has happened for us. “
The direct duels with the Italians ended 0-0 and 1-1, and Jorginho missed a penalty in both games. Last Thursday, the Chelsea midfielder even had the opportunity in the 90th minute to shoot his country straight to victory and the World Cup with a successful shot, but the ball flew over Sommer’s goal into the sky of Rome. Psychologically, that was a key moment.
The Italians gave in to their self-doubts, and in Switzerland it wasn’t just the players who floated, Shaqiri said: “Today, that was something for the people!” The 14,300 people in the small Lucerne arena let themselves be carried away and developed an impressive force. “That’s what it takes in sport,” said Yakin, “you have to be grateful every day to experience moments like this”. It seemed as if the coach had literally unleashed the already quite self-confident team, at least he revealed an interesting detail about his way of working: “There is no plan for me. I go a brave way with what I feel. I don’t work according to a scheme. “
With this attitude it was possible to “carry the feeling of summer over into November together with his team”, writes the Tagesanzeiger and praises the national football association for the choice of this coach. Now they have to preserve their sense of success for another year, it won’t be easy, as the example of the Italians shows.
.
