Nati inside from Spain
Xhaka and Okafor without helmets – Akanji careful with his hairstyle
The news from the Nati camp in La Manga in Spain. On Saturday, Switzerland will play in a test against Denmark in Copenhagen. On Tuesday, Murat Yakin’s team will travel to Dublin to take on Ireland.
Published: March 19, 2024 at 8:20 p.m
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Updated: March 19, 2024 at 8:55 p.m
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Nati coach Murat Yakin is in a good mood on the bike.
The players can use a modern bike for the short journey from the hotel to the training ground. Most of the team wears helmets, regardless of their hairstyle – even Manuel Akanji, who is careful with his buttoned hair. “Always take good care of it,” he says. Meanwhile, Pierluigi Tami, Noah Okafor, Ricardo Rodriguez, Kevin Mbabu and Granit Xhaka are without head protection. “A bad role model,” says the captain self-critically.
Because golf takes up too much time, the players in the national team camp distract themselves from football with the Spanish trend sport padel. At the start of the Nati week there was a match between the pairings Remo Freuler / Fabian Schär and Vincent Sierro / Michel Aebischer, with the latter ultimately winning the hard-fought duel.
The SFV has been planning to build an association center for years. Where is not yet clear. The central board’s decision on the location was postponed because discussions with the authorities are still pending. The selection includes Cham, Muntelier near Murten and Payerne. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2025 and be completed in 2028. Cost? Around 50 to 55 million francs.
Dereck Kutesa (26) is one of six Nati players who were once trained by Servette, but the only one who still plays for Geneva. When asked whether Servette will become champion, the striker remains tight-lipped. “It can go quickly in both directions. We look from game to game,” says the Nati debutant, causing laughter from his colleagues Vincent Sierro (28) and Becir Omeragic (22). The sympathies are shared among these. Sierro, twice champion with YB, keeps his fingers crossed for the Bernese team, and the Geneva-born Omeragic naturally wants Servette’s first title since 1999.
Patrick Foletti was the last of the Nati entourage to arrive at the camp in La Manga on Tuesday. The goalie coach stayed in Switzerland for two days longer for personal reasons and therefore missed the first training session on the pitch. Also not there is the ailing keeper Gregor Kobel (26), who is staying in the hotel and is still a big question mark for the test games. Ulisses Garcia (28) does his laps on the square, but does not take part in the public session, which is watched by around 20 onlookers.
EM 2024 Gruppe A
team
SP
TD
PT
1
Deutschland
0
0
0
1
Hungary
0
0
0
1
Scotland
0
0
0
1
Switzerland
0
0
0
EM 2024 Group B
team
SP
TD
PT
1
Albania
0
0
0
1
Croatia
0
0
0
1
Italy
0
0
0
1
Spain
0
0
0
EM 2024 Group C
team
SP
TD
PT
1
Denmark
0
0
0
1
England
0
0
0
1
Serbia
0
0
0
1
Slovenia
0
0
0
EM 2024 Group D
team
SP
TD
PT
1
Austria
0
0
0
1
France
0
0
0
1
Netherlands
0
0
0
1
Play-Off Winner A
0
0
0
EM 2024 Gruppe E
team
SP
TD
PT
1
Belgium
0
0
0
1
Play-Off Winner B
0
0
0
1
Romania
0
0
0
1
Slovakia
0
0
0
EM 2024 Group F
team
SP
TD
PT
1
Czech Republic
0
0
0
1
Play-Off Winner C
0
0
0
1
Portugal
0
0
0
1
Türkiye
0
0
0
