Granit Xhaka has one thing above all else to be proud of after the bitter penalty defeat in the European Championship quarter-final against England. Of the team. Of the fans. Of the coach. And he should stay, the national team captain hopes. Murat Yakin collected many arguments for staying at the European Championships.
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- Switzerland loses to England in the European Championship quarter-finals on penalties.
- After the game, Granit Xhaka is disappointed with the result, but proud of the national team's performance.
- There is also plenty of praise for coach Murat Yakin, whose contract with the SFA expires after the European Championship. But a separation would come as a surprise.
"Sure, a defeat like that always hurts. But we can be very satisfied with ourselves. We pushed ourselves to our limits, but so did the English. And penalties are unfortunately a matter of luck. Luck wasn't on our side," said Xhaka, analyzing the national team's performance in the European Championship quarter-final against England's billion-strong squad.
After the bitter defeat, the national team captain's pride shines through. "The English adapted to us more than we adapted to them," says the 31-year-old, evoking the cohesion in the Swiss team.
"We are a unit. You couldn't see this unity in the qualifiers, but you can now. We were together for almost five weeks. We laughed, played games, pushed each other and had a positive mindset."
"Yakin is the right man for this team"
Words that also underline the fact that the Swiss national team is on the right track under Murat Yakin. Xhaka, who had criticized the national team training last autumn, has by no means missed this. After the quarter-final exit, the 31-year-old showered his coach with praise. "We clearly want the coach to stay. He had a brutal amount of pressure. And under pressure, he showed once again that he is exactly the right man for this team," Xhaka clarified.
He continued: "He has set us up very well in every game. Together we can achieve great things. But this team will not collapse, it will get up again. Hopefully with this coach, but also with these players."
Yakin's contract expires
The question still remains as to whether the 49-year-old will remain national team coach in the future. As things currently stand, the final whistle in Düsseldorf heralded Yakin's last days in the service of the SFA. The Basler's current contract runs until the end of the European Championship. As soon as he has fulfilled his last appointments, he can theoretically close the chapter on the national team.
However, it seems unlikely that this will happen in practice. Having reached the quarter-finals and put in strong performances against the top nations Germany, Italy and England, the 49-year-old now has a few trump cards in his hand after the European Championships that speak in favor of continuing as national team coach.
Yakin is certainly aware of this. Nevertheless, despite two attempts, SRF was unable to elicit a clear statement from him about his future. First attempt: "What impact will retirement have on your future?" Yakin talks about the development of the team, the good atmosphere and how much he enjoys working with the players.
Second attempt: "What factors would be decisive for a contract extension?" Yakin says that it is not easy to keep a clear head at the moment, but that something has grown together in the national team in recent months. They have been able to build something and show how they work as a collective.
Separation would be a big surprise
Anyone reading between the lines of these evasive answers quickly realizes that Yakin is aware of his track record. And he is prepared to continue as national team coach. "Unfortunately, my contract is now coming to an end, but my priority is the national team," says Yakin, revealing a tendency that should also be in the interests of the SFA.
Rumors had recently surfaced about potential suitors from the Arab world and England who were interested in signing Yakin. Every victory at the European Championship would have put Switzerland and its coach even more in the limelight, so that the association or coach might not have been able to resist an offer. Now, however, anything other than a continuation of the collaboration would come as a surprise.
On Sunday, Yakin and national team director Pierluigi Tami will once again discuss the coach's contract situation. They will sit down together in the next few days and want to have clarity by the end of next week, they say. Read more here.
