After a strong European Championship comes a weak Nations League: the Swiss national team's performance raises some questions.
No, this is not how they imagined the campaign would end. "We want to confirm the football we showed at the European Championship," said national team director Pierluigi Tami in September. The main goal of "not being relegated", which coach Murat Yakin had formulated in early fall, seemed to have been set low. After all, Switzerland were supposedly the second-best team in the group after Spain based on the world rankings and their European Championship performance.
But even the primary goal was clearly missed with a meagre two points from six games. The tenor: Never mind, it's only the Nations League. It will only be important next year when it comes to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. But after the mixed performances, the question arises more than ever: Is Switzerland ready for qualification? And: Has the desired change after the European Championship been successful?
The change
Tami says yes. He describes the last game against Spain in particular as a "revolution". Compared to the starting eleven in the European Championship quarter-final against England, the team was changed in eight positions. Four players were in the national team's starting line-up for the first time ever. "We looked for answers and got answers," says Tami, who does not want to criticize individual players. Just this much: "Many of the answers were positive. We have expanded the squad and can look to the future with optimism."
Yakin names Joël Monteiro, Miro Muheim, Aurèle Amenda and Vincent Sierro as players who have made a positive impression. However, it would be a surprise if any of them were to feature consistently in the starting eleven in the near future. Monteiro will have to line up at the back when Ruben Vargas and Dan Ndoye are fit again. Muheim will have to hold his own against Ricardo Rodriguez and Ulisses Garcia. The 21-year-old Amenda could be a candidate for the starting eleven, but first needs to gain more match practice at the club. And Sierro has the misfortune that Remo Freuler and Granit Xhaka are set in defensive midfield and he is already 29 years old.
So we can only speak of a radical change, if at all. Only in the goalkeeping position has the transition been almost seamless following the retirement of Yann Sommer. Although Gregor Kobel is still waiting for his first game without conceding a goal after ten international matches, the BVB goalkeeper has shown that he can take on the leadership role that was hoped for. And Yvon Mvogo proved that he is always ready for action as number two.
The system
In addition to the personnel situation, there is also the question of the system in the national team. Yakin opted for a 3-4-3 for the European Championship, but switched back to a 4-2-3-1 during the Nations League, which showed a slight upward trend. After a pointless preliminary round, Switzerland picked up two points in the second half of the group stage. In addition, five of the six goals were scored in the last three games. However, this is probably also due to the fact that Switzerland came under increasing pressure after the weak start and had to react.
The team was not more stable, however, and the opponents were often able to overcome the Swiss defense, which had been so convincing at the European Championships, with simple means. In addition, the respective strikers seemed completely isolated, especially in the last two games. Whether it was Breel Embolo against Serbia or Zeki Amdouni and later Andi Zeqiri against Spain, they were barely involved in the game and their contact with the ball was extremely limited.
Yakin must decide which formation he will rely on in the spring when it comes to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. Although the coach cites flexibility as an important factor in a team's success, it does mean that the team's ability to play together suffers. This is particularly true for a national team in which the players can only adapt to each other for a short time.
The positions
With some players, Yakin does not seem to be sure in which position they can have the greatest impact. This is especially true for the attackers. Amdouni has been deployed successively in the side, as a ten and as a striker in recent games. Fabian Rieder was deployed behind the front line against Denmark, but against Serbia he was once again ordered to the side, where his qualities are less in evidence. Noah Okafor also does not yet seem to have found his place in the team.
There are also big question marks in the defense. Manuel Akanji is set as a central defender, but what about the rest? Nico Elvedi can look back on a difficult autumn, but is still likely to remain the first option in central defense. In the case of Eray Cömert, who put in an appealing performance against Serbia and Spain, it will also depend on whether he is deployed more in defensive midfield or in defense, as he has been recently.
Edimilson Fernandes also does not play in the same position at club level as he does for the national team. However, as Switzerland lack alternatives in the right-back position, the 28-year-old is likely to continue playing there for the time being. At least until Silvan Widmer has overcome his slump in form and is able to gain more match practice in Mainz.
The width
One bitter realization of the autumn is that the Swiss national team quickly reaches its limits when key players are absent or unable to perform. Yakin also had to realize that his team does not have the breadth to keep up with the top nations. The year has shown that although the national team can keep up with the best on good days, it lacks the consistency to play at the front on a permanent basis.
This is a slight disillusionment after the strong European Championships, but perhaps it came at just the right time. With the World Cup qualifiers starting in March, the Swiss know that half-hearted performances are not enough.
SDA
