Bundesliga legionnaires in check These Swiss are untouchable - and these are on probation

Toni Allemann was the first Swiss player in the Bundesliga in 1964 in Nuremberg, later Chappi, Sforza and Sutter shone. Now 14 Swiss players are starting in Germany's elite league. blue Sport checks the status of our legionnaires.

Marcel Reif on the Bundesliga start"Bayern will exploit Leverkusen's weaknesses" ++ "Seoane must deliver now"

These are the untouchables

There's not the slightest doubt about his status in Dortmund since 2021: number 1, back-up, head of character. He was already that in Augsburg and Stuttgart. Gregor Kobel currently has the reputation of being almost infallible - not least because of his match-winning performances in the Champions League last spring, when he was an outstanding back-up against Eindhoven, Atlético and PSG. No wonder that the specialist magazine "kicker" once again named the 26-year-old goalkeeper of the year.

And now he can also be what he has long been visibly and audibly striving for: the number one in the Swiss national team. Murat Yakin's decision was not met with criticism anywhere - especially as Yann Sommer has since retired from the national team.

However, the Zurich goalkeeper's only flaw remains: his latent susceptibility to injury. In the first round of the cup against Teutonia Ottensen, Kobel had to leave the pitch early with back pain - to rest him. And yet it confirms an unpleasant trend: he missed seven Bundesliga games last season. Sometimes it was his thigh, sometimes it was muscular problems. Hopefully his health will be better this year. It would also be in the interests of the national team.

Changing of the guard in the Nati goalZubi warns Kobel: "He's in pole position, but ..."

Granit Xhaka (31), leader and pacemaker of double winners Leverkusen, voted midfielder of the season by "kicker", is of course also one of the untouchables. Silvan Widmer (31), who leads Mainz 05 as captain, is also on the list. Or Ruben Vargas (26). Although he has made it clear that he is ready for a move to a bigger club, he is still under contract at Augsburg. And as long as he is, he is usually one of the key players.

These Swiss players are on probation

His path has only known one direction: steeply upwards. Where Gerardo Seoane (45) was, there was success. He led FC Luzern from the bottom of the table to the European Cup in just six months. With YB, he won three titles en suite and played in the Champions League. After just three and a half years as Super League coach, Bayer Leverkusen was a top team that Seoane led to third place in his first season - goals, thrills and effusive praise for the eloquent Swiss-Spanishman included.

In the summer of 2022, the coaching Olympics no longer seemed far away. But then Seoane was snapped back to the reality of football, and it can be bitter. After three months, it was over at Bayer - the Bayer team that has since broken all records and satisfied the longing for a title this year. And Seoane has had his worst year since 2011 with Gladbach, the second Bundesliga club to back him. 14th place in the Bundesliga, the third most goals conceded and a Cup exit against fourth-division side Saarbrücken, which is difficult to excuse, make his first season difficult to gloss over.

Seoane knows this. Borussia set ninth place as this season's target - and even the rhetorically reserved coach says his team is "in attack mode". He is not stingy with self-criticism either: "The last six months were hard for me. I felt the responsibility for the situation we got ourselves into," he tells kicker. And: "Every one of us wants to make amends. I hope we show that on the pitch too." With Tim Kleindienst from Heidenheim and Kevin Stöger from Bochum, the foals are hoping for an increase in class, experience and personality. David Zibung (40), Seoane's former team-mate from Lucerne, is also new as Gladbach team manager.

The Swiss must also be helped by his goalkeeper: Jonas Omlin (30) immediately impressed as Yann Sommer's successor from the start of 2023 - but missed 11 of 34 games last season due to thigh problems and a troublesome shoulder injury. In May, Bild even questioned Omlin's number 1 status. It would be desirable for him if the discussion did not even arise this year. Nico Elvedi (27) is also still at Gladbach, although he was already on the verge of leaving a year ago and has made no secret of the fact that a change of scenery would do him good. He was still absent from the cup due to injury, but is now ready for action again.

Jonas Omlin's complicated injury"My shoulder has been dislocated four times in three months"

You can take off

The highly talented player made his debut for YB at the age of 18 and got an early taste of Champions League and World Cup action. Last year, however, was a mental test for Fabian Rieder (22): he moved to Rennes shortly before the transfer deadline in August 2023. He made just two appearances in the starting eleven, coming on 21 times as a substitute - which was still enough for three goals and one assist.

Otherwise, however, Rieder struggled with teething problems in the north-west of France - and with injuries. A metatarsal fracture put him out of action at the start of 2024. So a year to forget for the versatile midfielder? Not quite. Murat Yakin showed what he thinks of Rieder at the Euros in Germany: very, very much. He was on the pitch in each of the five European Championship matches, even starting against Germany, Italy and England. And he played as agile, carefree and refined as he did in his good Bernese days.

He has now been loaned out to Stuttgart. Rieder is unlikely to be a regular in the starting eleven. Thanks to the Bundesliga, Champions League and DFB Cup, but above all thanks to his versatility, he should not be short of opportunities.

Former St. Gallen player Leonidas Stergiou (22), who flourished as a right-back under coach Sebastian Hoeness at the end of last season - including a goal against Bayern - has already established himself at VfB. Bochum's Noah Loosli (27) has also already proven his worth to VfL, even if he has not yet been considered an undisputed regular. However, he was recently in the starting eleven for the 1-0 defeat in Regensburg in the Cup.

Wolfsburg's Cédric Zesiger (26) has repeatedly been the target of media criticism at GC and YB - but has persevered everywhere. In his debut season in Wolfsburg, he was in the starting eleven in 18 games. And he also played 90 minutes in the Cup last week.

Entering the Bundesliga stage

He's not Swiss, of course, but he has left his mark on the Super League: Peter Zeidler spent six years on the FC St.Gallen touchline. He gave the club an unmistakable identity and was mostly successful - second place in 2020 and two cup final appearances speak for themselves. And yet not everyone was unhappy that there was a change of coach at Kybunpark this summer. The jovial but also emotional Zeidler not only clashed with the competition from time to time, but also with colleagues at his own club.

Now the Swiss CEO Ilja Kaenzig (51) has brought him to Bochum - to one of the many emotional clubs in western Germany that Herbert Grönemeyer not only sings the praises of, but has also sponsored, or rather wanted to sponsor, on his sleeve since this summer.

Special edition never usedZeidler's false start with Bochum turns out to be a "jersey fiasco" involving Herbert Grönemeyer

Zeidler, who has just turned 62, has to keep Bochum in the league - after years of keeping his eye on the top with St.Gallen. Not an easy task. An example that he has already told several times shows how many hearts are attached to the club: After a training session, he was walking from the pitch to the dressing room, between the fans. Suddenly, a little boy stood up in front of him, clenched his fist and shouted: "Stay in the league!"

Aurèle Amenda (21), the talented defender from Bern, is also new to Germany. He is not yet a starter. But he will get his chance with Eintracht, who compete in three competitions. What hardly anyone has noticed: SC Freiburg have two top talents with Swiss passports in their Bundesliga squad: midfielder Johan Manzambi (18) and central defender Bruno Ogbus (18).

On the move

As things stand, only Edimilson Fernandes (28), who was demoted to the sidelines at Mainz, belongs in this category.