Now the national team director speaks Tami: "Shaqiri has already improved - including his physical level"

Ahead of the Nations League showdown, national team director Pierluigi Tami talks to blue Sport about the threat of relegation and the retired key players Xherdan Shaqiri and Yann Sommer.

Pierluigi Tami, why has the Nati started so badly in the Nations League?

Pierluigi Tami: The results are bad, yes, but the performances were not. I don't want to talk about bad luck with the referees, but various decisions have gone against us. But it's also clear that we haven't yet confirmed the level of the European Championship. Our first goal now is to stay in League A. The second goal is to reach the 2026 World Cup. Murat Yakin's first priority is to put together a team for the World Cup qualifiers in the new year.

Did the team overestimate itself after the European Championship? Or to put it another way: did they feel they were better than they were?

No, not at all. I saw a very strong team on and off the pitch at the European Championships. We were really good and I enjoyed seeing the passion and quality with which we played. The Nations League in September and October was a different story. We were also in a difficult situation. Many of the nominees weren't at their best physically or were injured for longer after the European Championship. We certainly have to raise our level. Now comes Serbia, then Spain - certainly difficult, but we want to see progress and present better results.

What do you expect from the game against Serbia?

If we win, we can overtake Serbia. That's certainly the goal. We need at least a 2-0 win and then we'll play a final in Spain. And we've won there before, also under Murat, 2:1 in Zaragoza. So why not a second time? But surely the focus is now on the first game against Serbia.

What financial consequences would relegation have for the association?

There are no major consequences. Of course, it's always better when we can compete with the best teams in Europe, as has been the case over the last six years. But I don't want to talk about something that hasn't happened yet. I'm convinced that we can still play our cards.

Xherdan Shaqiri has retired from the national team. Do you miss him when you see him playing for Basel now that he's slowly getting back into shape physically?

That was his decision. We respect that, as we do for Yann Sommer and Fabian Schär. Of course, you can't find a new Shaqiri one-and-done. But that's the job of Murat and the whole staff, to give new young players a chance.

People say that Xherdan Shaqiri was also very important for the group off the pitch. Because he was often in a good mood and cheered his teammates up after defeats.

At the European Championship, where Xherdan didn't always play, we saw how important he was. He accepted Murat's decision and was a role model for everyone else. He couldn't be happy with his situation on the bench and yet he was always ready when Murat put his trust in him. He always gave strong answers on the pitch. And these positive responses were possible because his behavior was very good.

How do you see him now at FC Basel?

I'm happy for him that he's back in Switzerland and it will be an advantage for the young players at Basel. The good performance also comes when you are positive in training, when you put everything into training. And from what I've seen, he's already improved, including his physical level.

Shaqiri exclusively on Heimspiel"A different wind has been blowing since I returned to Basel"

He seems fitter than at the European Championships.

He's always given his all, but a player isn't always at his best. He wasn't at his best in preparation for the European Championships - but he improved and achieved what was possible in that period. And I think he always showed something positive at the Euros when he played.

On Yann Sommer: When was the decision made to go for Gregor Kobel?

It was clear to Yann Sommer that he would analyze his future after the European Championship. He has a job with Milan, he's a regular in Serie A and plays in the Champions League. We understand his decision.

Well, you also told him that Kobel would be number 1.

That's for the coach to decide. Of course, the competition for Yann has increased with Greg. Greg also made great progress and put in great performances at Dortmund. I don't know what role that played in Yann's decision.

Kobel has never been able to play a clean sheet. It would be good for him if he did.

It would be good for Switzerland, not just for Greg Kobel. If you want to get good results, you have to start at the back. You have to be solid. It's not Gregor Kobel's problem. In the development of the new team, we've seen that we've lost our compactness defensively and allowed too many chances. We have to find the automatisms. Murat has brought in new players such as Wüthrich, Fernandes and Garcia. Or Elvedi, who didn't play at the European Championships and now has an important role again after Fabian Schär retired.

But how has the game changed with Kobel compared to the summer?

It's different. Kobel has his strengths and Yann has others. You have to get to know your teammates. Yann Sommer was a regular in goal for ten years or more. Greg has a different demeanor in the penalty area. The national team is not like the club, where you have a month and a half of preparation with test matches. The Nations League is our preparation for the World Cup qualifiers. And it's important for Murat to find new solutions.

You'll be retiring after the 2026 World Cup. What is the process like? Alain Sutter, as a former international and ex-sporting director of St. Gallen, would actually have the profile to succeed you.

This is a matter for the central board and there are many interesting profiles.

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