The Swiss national team has rarely shone at the Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich. On Friday, a decisive match is scheduled to decide who stays in the Nations League.
The Swiss national team faces a crucial challenge at the Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich. After a long series of disappointing results, the upcoming match against Serbia must be won to avoid relegation from the Nations League. Pierluigi Tami, director of the national team, emphasized the importance of this match: "There is a chance to avoid relegation. We will give it our all."
A stadium with a mixed history
The Letzigrund is closely associated with FC Zurich, but outside of the Zurich club, the stadium enjoys little popularity in football circles. The tartan track that surrounds the pitch creates a distance that is not present in classic football stadiums and contributes to the fact that the atmosphere is often perceived as less atmospheric.
Since the demolition of the Hardturm in 2007, the Letzigrund has been the home of the Swiss national team in Zurich. However, the relationship between the team and the stadium has been difficult from the outset. The fans of Grasshoppers, who also play at Letzigrund, emphasize at every home game that they are there "despite their exile".
A look back at bitter defeats
The Swiss' first and only victory at the Letzigrund dates back to October 13, 2007, when coach Köbi Kuhn's team defeated Austria 3:1. However, a bitter 1-0 defeat against Nigeria followed just one month later. This defeat was just a foretaste of what was to come.
In September 2008, Switzerland suffered one of the most painful defeats in their history when they lost 2-1 to Luxembourg in a World Cup qualifier. This "defeat of the century" was sharply criticized by the tabloid newspaper "Blick" and other media. The team's performance was described as "miserable as hell" and "simply catastrophic".
The national team's matches at the Letzigrund
- October 13, 2007: Switzerland-Austria 3:1 (test match)
- November 20, 2007: Switzerland-Nigeria 0:1 (test match)
- September 10, 2008: Switzerland-Luxembourg 1:2 (World Cup qualifier)
- March 31, 2015: Switzerland-USA 1:1 (test match)
- March 29, 2016: Switzerland-Bosnia-Herzegovina 0:2 (test match)
- March 29, 2022: Switzerland-Kosovo 1:1 (test match)
In search of redemption
After the embarrassment against Luxembourg, the national team did not return to the Letzigrund for test matches until seven years later. However, the results were still disappointing: draws against the USA and Kosovo and a defeat against Bosnia.
Now there is an opportunity for reconciliation. A win against Serbia would draw Switzerland level on points with the Serbs and keep their chances of staying in the Nations League alive. Despite the low status of the competition, there is finally something at stake again at the Letzigrund. The question remains whether the team can seize the opportunity or whether the stadium will once again be the scene of a disappointment.
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