Swiss talent is getting less and less of a chance in the Super League. This could become a problem for the national team. Former head of youth development Peter Knäbel says: "It will soon be difficult for us to keep up with nations like Austria or Norway."
There are significantly fewer Swiss talents under the age of 21 playing in the Super League than five years ago. Almost no one relies on home-grown talent anymore. Instead, foreign talent is being signed. With the aim of selling them on later for a lot of money. The SFA is concerned about what this development means for the Swiss national team in the long term. "I'm worried," admits national team director Pierluigi Tami openly.
blue Sport met Peter Knäbel for an interview. He has worked in Swiss youth football for many years, including as head of the youth development department in Wintherthur (2000 to 2003) and as technical director and head of youth development at FC Basel (2003 to 2009).
From 2009 to 2014, Knäbel was Technical Director at the Swiss Football Association ,and after FC Zurich's relegation in 2016, the German examined and analyzed the FCZ youth team. Most recently, Knäbel spent six years in various roles at Schalke 04.
Peter Knäbel, Swiss football has a problem with young talent. Almost no club in the Super League relies on its own youngsters any more. What does that mean for the future?
The development of playing time for Swiss talent is clearly negative. This also includes international comparisons, because we always have to keep an eye on the long-term prospects of the national team. If you look at how Austria, Belgium and Norway have developed, it's difficult for us to keep up. These nations could leave us behind in the next few years.
Why do you think that is?
Regular playing time is the key to talent development. It can be measured, tracked and compared. "Simpler" figures provide clues: If you look at the number of Swiss players in the Bundesliga, for example, you have to realize that the Austrians have long since left us behind there.
And what do the Norwegians do better than us?
They obviously rely more on their own young talent. Take Bodø/Glimt, for example: They play in the Champions League play-off with nine Norwegians in the starting eleven. Last year, Norway made it to the semi-finals of the U19 European Championship. So we need to bring in enough top talent and give them confidence in the form of regular playing time. We were already better in these areas. Other nations are showing us how it's done today.
National team director Pierluigi Tami says that we have to react now, otherwise it could be dangerous for the Swiss national team in the long term.
It's important that the issue is now on the radar. I can understand that the topic of training is much less attractive than transfer news. That only changes when things go wrong. But by then it's usually far too late.
But the national team has done well in recent years.
But what will it look like in four or five years' time when Xhaka, Akanji and co. are no longer there? At the moment, I don't see the breadth and only very occasionally the individual quality that could fill this big gap. We have to take a step back, look at the best and learn from them.
Who are the best?
The Spanish. Clubs like Real Sociedad show how you can earn a lot of money with good youth development. At Athletic Bilbao, only boys from the Basque Country play, yet they often play at European level.
What do they do better than the others?
The Spaniards are better at developing individual players than anyone else. And they've been doing it for decades. Now also in the women's game. It's not for nothing that Spain has the most successful clubs, has become European champions and has always been strong in youth development.
What needs to happen for Switzerland to keep up with the best in the future?
Relevant playing time is the be-all and end-all. Young players need to get regular playing time in professional leagues. This requires a transitional area that is of such high quality that it provides the best possible preparation for professional football. And in the end, the voice of the youth managers and coaches in this area must be heard at least as much as that of the chief scouts for the international market.
What do you mean by that?
I was on the board of directors at FC Basel as head of youth development. There was no question that I could go to Gigi Oeri and tell her that Ivan Rakitic was ready for the pros. Christian Gross would have seen it the same way, the top players will always prevail. But the question is how quickly that happens.
How can we get to grips with the problem of young talent now?
Our talented players need to get as much playing time as possible with the professionals as early as possible. If you want to become a great player, you have to play at the top level early on. Over 70 percent of the players who play in the semi-finals of the Champions League played their first professional game at the age of 17.
The SFA is saying that the Challenge League might have to be enlarged to give young players more space.
I don't think much of changing things every year, especially when it comes to the format. Nevertheless, it is understandable that this is being considered, as it could increase the relevant playing time.
How else can the problem be brought under control?
Either through incentive systems or regulations. Personally, I'm not a fan of regulations, but that would be a possible step. The Turks, for example, have introduced a maximum of twelve foreigners in the squad. In my opinion, incentive systems are better, but they need to be constantly reviewed for their effectiveness.
The Swiss Football League has introduced such an incentive system with the "Young Talent Trophy". It hasn't really helped yet. Many clubs still prefer to look abroad for talent.
Basically, an U19 player from Belgium is not inherently better than an U19 player from Switzerland.
But there's a better chance of earning more money with the Belgian.
Not necessarily. Good scouting can bring in money very quickly. We see this in the generally short time that foreign talent stays with clubs. A player trained at your own club can be molded over the years, you know him and his environment in all its facets. He also identifies more strongly with the club and the region.
Do clubs simply pay too little attention to their own talents?
There are clubs in Switzerland that invest millions in their youth centers year after year. This is always a significant part of the club's budget. And everyone has to be measured against that. The yardsticks are playing time and transfer revenue. That's why there has to be pressure within the system to bring out more of our own players. This includes the head of the youth department having an important voice in the club.
How important is player identification to the clubs?
We all saw what happened in Basel when Xherdan Shaqiri returned. The fans are not euphoric because Shaqiri once won titles with Basel, but because he has worn red and blue in his heart since he was a child. The fans believe his love for the club. They know: He is one of us. Who will that be in the next 10 to 15 years? Unfortunately, identification plays a subordinate role today, although high-quality and sustainable training would be an important key to this.
Do the clubs risk the fans running away?
I don't think so. The result of the first team at the weekend is discussed much more intensively than the playing time of the talented players trained at the club. This is absolutely understandable from the fans' point of view. Unfortunately, it only starts in the event of failure. And then it makes even less sense, because we know that young players need longer periods of development. That's why so many clubs struggle to make youth development an essential element of their strategy in the long term.
Are coaches under too much pressure? Because they know they can't afford many defeats and are therefore less courageous?
It always depends where the pressure comes from. FC Luzern is the Super League club that relies by far the most on its own youth. Also because Laurent Prince, the former head of youth development, sits on the board of directors. He always brings the topic of young talent to the table and is a credible representative. In my view, that's the right way to go.
Last season, however, FCL missed its target of reaching the championship round.
Nevertheless, coach Mario Frick was allowed to stay on. Because you can see how well he can work with the youngsters. He gets the time to build something up. Luzern has now made an excellent start to the new season. And we always have to ask ourselves the same question about coaches.
Please?
Where are the coaching talents and personalities in the clubs whose voice carries weight for the next generation and who will later prove themselves internationally? Urs Fischer or Gerardo Seoane were important promoters of their talents in the youth departments and had an important voice in the club. We need this quality every day on the pitch with the best talents.
