Fabian Rieder in a duel with his future teammate Maximilian Mittelstädt
Image: Keystone
Fabian Rieder meets his idol Toni Kroos in the group match against Germany
Image: Keystone
Fabian Rieder looks forward to the round of 16 against Italy with confidence
Image: Keystone
Fabian Rieder (in the middle) has immediately reintegrated into the national team after a long absence
Image: Keystone
With his tenacity, Fabian Rieder is pushing himself for further European Championship appearances
Image: Keystone
Fabian Rieder in a duel with his future teammate Maximilian Mittelstädt
Image: Keystone
Fabian Rieder meets his idol Toni Kroos in the group match against Germany
Image: Keystone
Fabian Rieder looks forward to the round of 16 against Italy with confidence
Image: Keystone
Fabian Rieder (in the middle) has immediately reintegrated into the national team after a long absence
Image: Keystone
With his tenacity, Fabian Rieder is pushing himself for further European Championship appearances
Image: Keystone
Fabian Rieder makes his European Championship starting eleven debut against Germany, the next day his new employer is announced. These are intense days for the 22-year-old midfielder.
After Rieder's somewhat surprising appearance in the starting line-up against Brazil at the World Cup in Qatar, Yakin also started the Bernese midfielder against their strongest group opponents at the European Championship. Rieder, who had previously made two partial appearances, once again put in a good performance and helped set up Dan Ndoye's goal. He embodied the "gallantry" that German coach Julian Nagelsmann later attested to the Swiss national team. And he showed that you can rely on him when it counts.
It has long been known that Rieder has outstanding qualities. The then YB sporting director Christoph Spycher was just one of many who realized early on that Rieder had what it takes to "become a great player". Nevertheless, things became quieter around him again after the World Cup. During the European Championship qualifiers, Rieder mostly played for the Swiss U21 team.
This is also due to the fact that Rieder has not had an easy season. After being voted youngster of the season twice in a row in the Super League, he ventured abroad as YB's record transfer (around CHF 15 million transfer fee). However, he was unable to establish himself at Rennes, and a broken metatarsal at the beginning of the year set him back. Nevertheless, he took a lot from Ligue 1 and "developed in practically all areas", said Rieder. "I've become more mature, more dynamic, better with the ball."
The man who was straddled congratulates Rieder
The loan move to Stuttgart, which was announced on Monday, can be seen as a step forward. After all, coach Sebastian Hoeness' team finished second behind champions Leverkusen last season and will therefore play in the Champions League in the fall. This and the prospect of playing in front of 60,000 fans at home matches in future have Rieder in high spirits.
There has been "a bit of momentum" for a few weeks now, said Rieder when he was asked about the negotiations with VfB Stuttgart. There had been several parties interested in loaning him out, but the timing had been difficult. "I wanted to concentrate fully on the tournament and therefore told my advisor to only pass on the most important things to me."
The deal was concluded before the game against Scotland, Rieder himself was only informed afterwards at his own request. One of the first to congratulate him was, of all people, German international Maximilian Mittelstädt, whom Rieder had straddled on the halfway line after just 15 seconds. The VfB professional clearly took no offense. "It's nice when your teammates congratulate you and motivate you," said Rieder.
With Müller jersey in his luggage against Italy
The fact that Rieder used to rave about Stuttgart's rivals Bayern Munich in the past is a minor matter. It was more about the players than the club anyway, explained Rieder with a wink. His role models in a Bayern shirt included Toni Kroos, Thiago Alcantara and Joshua Kimmich. In the match against Germany, he secured the shirt of another Bayern star. After the European Championship, Rieder wants to hang Thomas Müller's jersey on his wall at home.
If Rieder has his way, however, the end of the tournament is still a long way off. After having to wait a long time for his transfer last year, the now clarified future gives him "an extra push". He is now looking forward to the round of 16 against Italy. "After this group stage, we can go into the game with a broad chest."
In this match, Yakin could once again count on the services of Rieder. Not only because he is a man for the big games, but also because the suspension of Silvan Widmer has created a gap on the right flank. Although the national team coach has already lined up Rieder's future team-mate Leonidas Stergiou - who, like Rieder, was born in 2002 - for this position early on, Rieder has also submitted a letter of application with his tenacity against the Germans.
SDA
