The preparations in St. Gallen have gone to the liking of national coach Murat Yakin. Now the first points in the Nations League are to follow in the away game in Serbia.
It was not a pleasant journey for Murat Yakin to the south of Serbia. The plane took off late and the Swiss national coach was also plagued by the after-effects of a cold. Nevertheless, the 50-year-old looked forward to the encounter with Serbia at the press conference. "Serbia have to score, we have to score: It will be an exciting and landmark game."
After the clash at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, which Yakin watched as a spectator in the stadium, and the clash at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with Yakin as coach, the two national teams will meet for the third time. Looking back, Yakin said that they were two intense and crazy games. Switzerland narrowly prevailed twice. And the Swiss national coach believes they are well placed for a third victory on Saturday.
Better preparation
Unlike in September, when the Swiss already played the away game in Copenhagen on Thursday after pulling together on Monday, they had a slightly longer preparation time this time. "We've trained intensively and are now looking forward to a real yardstick after a lot of things went against us in the first two games." As usual, Yakin was not forthcoming about the line-up, but announced that he would be fielding "the best eleven".
The coach seemed less concerned that emotions could boil over again. "Football needs emotion and passion," said Yakin. Speaking specifically about captain Granit Xhaka, who was at the center of provocations twice against Serbia and most recently saw a red card against Denmark, Yakin said: "We're concentrating on tomorrow, not on the past."
Balanced starting position
While Switzerland are still without points after defeats against Denmark (0:2) and Spain (1:4), Serbia have at least one point to their name. Coach Dragan Stojkovic's team earned this point with a 0-0 draw against Spain in Belgrade. The Serbs then lost 2-0 in Copenhagen, as did Switzerland.
The match will take place in Leskovac at the Dubocica Stadium, which opened in 2023 and has a capacity of 8,136 fans. Second-division club GFK Dubocica normally play their home games here. Switzerland is the second host nation in the new stadium. At the premiere in November 2023, Serbia and Bulgaria drew 2:2.
The media conference in the ticker
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Liveticker
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Liveticker closed
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Then all questions are answered
The media conference is over.
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Yakin: "Granit knows what it's all about"
The national team coach is once again asked about his captain. "Granit knows what it's all about. We are challenged above all in terms of football," says Yakin. "We are a team and want to play this game together and win."
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Zakaria's painful absence
"It's a shame it wasn't enough," said Yakin about the injured Denis Zakaria. "I like to see players on the pitch who are in good form."
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Yakin: "I can field the best eleven"
Yakin is unlikely to spring any big surprises against Serbia. "If nothing else happens, there won't be any surprises. I can field my best eleven. It will be an intense game. We have to take advantage of our opponents' mistakes."
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Aebischer: "We have something to make up for"
Aebischer is full of anticipation and confidence. "We've had a good week of training," says the 27-year-old. "I'm looking forward to tomorrow, we want to win. We have something to make up for."
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Yakin is asked about Xhaka
"We've certainly spoken to Granit. He's a fair guy and also a winner. He realized that it wasn't the right decision against Denmark. He has apologized to his team-mates," says Yakin. Xhaka has trained very well. "He is an important player for our game. Should he be man-marked tomorrow, we will be well prepared. We have other players who can make the game."
A Serbian journalist also asks about Xhaka. "It takes emotion in football to be able to perform at 100 percent. We're concentrating on what happens tomorrow, not on the past," replies Yakin.
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A game that points the way forward
"We've had a lot of problems in the last two games," said Yakin, referring to the poor start to the Nations League. "A lot of things have gone against us. Serbia also have to score tomorrow. That's why it will be a crucial game."
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Yakin and Aebischer are here - the media conference begins
"We're happy to be here. The team is fit," Murat Yakin answers the first question and looks back on the last duels with Serbia. "We've trained really well and want three points, which would be important for the table." They want to focus on their own strengths against Serbia.
![Murat Yakin answers questions from journalists.]()
Murat Yakin answers questions from journalists. Picture: SRF -
Yakin and Aebischer on the road
Murat Yakin's team only landed at 18:30. The media conference starts a little late.
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Will they get their first points in Serbia?
The Nati suffered two defeats at the start of the Nations League against Denmark (0:2) and Spain (1:4) and will be looking to pick up their first points at the third attempt against Serbia. How will Yakin and his team approach the task in Leskovac?
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Hello ...
... and welcome to the live ticker of the media conference with Murat Yakin and Michel Aebischer. Before the Nati face Serbia on Saturday (8.45pm), the two will be answering journalists' questions on Friday from 7.15pm.
