From substitute to national team hero Schär: "For me, it's the greatest tournament of my career"
From substitute to national team hero: How Fabian Schär fought his way back into the first eleven and how the team didn't lose seven times with him in the starting eleven. And why this is the best tournament of his career in Germany.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Fabian Schär is playing his fifth major tournament at Euro 2024.
- The central defender tells blue Sport: "It's the greatest tournament so far, every game with so many Swiss fans is simply incredible."
- While Schär often made the bench in the national team at the start of the Yakin era, he is set to play at the European Championships. He says: "Now everything that happened doesn't matter."
It's not as if things always went well for Fabian Schär (32) under Murat Yakin. For a long time, the national team coach preferred to rely on Nico Elvedi (27) in defense instead of the Newcastle player. However, when Yakin changed the system to a back three, Schär was quickly deployed on the right.
The results since then: three clean sheets in preparation - 0:0 in Denmark, 1:0 in Ireland, 4:0 against Estonia. Now four games at the European Championship without defeat: 3:1 against Hungary, 1:1 against Scotland, 1:1 against Germany, 2:0 against Italy.
The fifth major tournament for Schär
While Nico Elvedi is chewing hard bread, Schär has become a defensive hero alongside defensive boss Manuel Akanji and Ricardo Rodriguez. The man from eastern Switzerland told blue Sport: "It's not just about the three of us. The whole team defends with solidarity and intense running, we try to stop a lot up front. It harmonizes well."
The broken nose he suffered against Scotland is doing well. So well, in fact, that he can play without a mask. Schär is enjoying the tournament to the full. It is his fifth major tournament after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the 2016 European Championship in France, the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the 2021 European Championship and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. "It's the most amazing tournament so far, every game with so many Swiss fans is simply incredible. It's also special that many of my friends and family can be there. It's nice to experience moments like this with them."
"Now everything that happened doesn't matter"
Schär's role was definitely on the line. There was a time when Yakin was unhappy with Schär's performance and Schär was unhappy with his situation. The two had a conversation in London. Schär: "I always believed in my game and my strengths, but I also had weaker phases in the national team. The conversation was important, nice and honest. And now everything that happened doesn't matter."
On Saturday there will be a thriller against England in Düsseldorf (6pm). Schär says he will be mentally and physically ready despite the long season in England with the Champions League: "At a tournament like this, fatigue doesn't matter. The important thing is the will to progress. And the players give each other a lot of strength."
