How Switzerland emerged from chaos to light up Euro 2024

STUTTGART, Germany – Although no one knew it at the time, a series of meetings in Düsseldorf at the start of the year had mended the relationship between Switzerland coach Murat Yakin and captain Granit Xhaka, and ultimately laid the foundation for the team’s success at Euro 2024. The pair are now back in town for Saturday’s quarter-final against England at the Düsseldorf Arena.

It is where Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Xhaka is based, and it was there that the two discussed how the national team could move forward after a disastrous qualifying campaign that threatened to derail their chances of qualifying for this summer’s finals. One win in seven games saw them surrender top spot in their group to Romania, but they narrowly qualified as runners-up, two points ahead of Israel, and there were calls for Yakin to be sacked.

High-level discussions followed at the Swiss Football Association. In the end, it was decided that Yakin would continue, but that changes would have to be made. These changes were made, in part, in meetings with the team’s leadership group, which includes Xhaka.

“We are happy to have a coach who listens to us and wants to talk to us,” Xhaka said of those talks. “In the last eight months, he has come to see me several times. We met in Dusseldorf, had dinner together and drank some wine. We are both ambitious and want to be successful.”

Switzerland reverted to the 3-4-2-1 formation favoured by players – including Xhaka and Manchester City’s Manuel Akanji – after they struggled through qualifying with a back four. Yakin had made a surprise return to that formation against Portugal at the last World Cup, when they suffered a humiliating 6-1 defeat in the last 16. That result prompted an immediate return to a back four, but a poor qualifying campaign and Yakin’s breakdown in his relationship with Xhaka led to talks of a showdown and the return of a back three. They have since gone eight games unbeaten on their way to the quarter-finals of the European Championship.

“The Xhaka problem was a big problem and when they were able to get over it and start again, it made a big difference,” former Arsenal and Switzerland defender Johan Djourou told ESPN. “(Yakin) had to make changes because he was so focused on the 4-3-3 that it didn’t work.”

“The players are adapting to the new system and are less likely to be under pressure in defence. All of these aspects were important for the players to feel comfortable. When you have players who feel comfortable, it is always better for the manager. He showed that he understood that the ideas he put forward might not work, and he was happy with the change – that is a great sign.”

Swiss journalist Valentin Schnork told ESPN that apart from changing the line-up, “guys like Xhaka and Akanji wanted a more proactive approach, as they used to do with Leverkusen and Manchester City.”

So far at Euro 2024, this initiative has helped Switzerland beat Hungary, draw with Scotland and hosts Germany (who needed a last-minute equaliser in their final group game) and then beat Italy in the last 16, winning 2-0 and minimising the risk of defeat. Azuri To just one shot on target.

A tough defender who played as a player for Swiss club Basel under Roy Hodgson, Yakin has seen his reputation rediscovered in later years – and not just because of the team’s performances on the pitch.

The 49-year-old has gained fans outside Switzerland for his slicked-back grey hair, his sense of fashion and, above all, his choice of eyewear. He wore two different, but distinctive, pairs of glasses at the tournament: a set of black-rimmed glasses from Zurich-based eyewear brand Götti, and a semi-transparent pair from Swiss brand Nirvan Javan.

“He has a natural charm and can play with that charm when things are going well,” journalist Daniel Visentini told ESPN.

Northern Ireland fans may remember Yakin as the man who sent them 9.3kg of Swiss chocolate after they held off Italy for 93 minutes in a 2022 World Cup qualifier, helping Switzerland secure their place in Qatar. Others may remember him as the brother of Hakan Yakin, who scored 20 goals in 87 appearances for Switzerland while playing for Grasshoppers, FC Basel and Young Boys, among others. However, Yakin will rightly be remembered beyond this summer, despite the other components of that Swiss team.

Xhaka (129 caps), Xherdan Shaqiri (124) and Ricardo Rodriguez (119) are the three most capped players in the history of the national team. Their experience has been immense at the team’s base in Stuttgart, but more important is the winning mentality established by Xhaka, Inter Milan goalkeeper Yann Sommer and Manchester City’s Akanji.

“Having the league champions from Italy, Germany and England is very important. They have been able to transmit the winning mentality to others,” Yakin told a press conference this week.

Yakin also highlighted the role played by the three Bologna players in his team – Remo Freuler, Michael Aebischer and Dan N’Doye – who helped the Italian team qualify for next season’s Champions League. At the heart of this Swiss team is former Arsenal player Xhaka.

Everything goes through Xhaka. He has touched the ball 320 times so far in Germany – Akanji is second in the squad with 250 – and comes into the tournament on the back of a superb campaign with Leverkusen, winning the double in Germany and reaching the Europa League final. Often criticised during his time in the Premier League, he is full of confidence heading into the England clash having lost just two of his 64 games this season for club and country.

“It was always easy to write Xhaka off (at Arsenal). I think the incident that people didn’t like was when he went out and threw his shirt away, but when you look at his commitment over the years at Arsenal, there’s never been a moment where you can say this player doesn’t want to do that,” Djourou added.

“He was always there, even when he had a bad game, even when he didn’t feel well, even when he was being abused by the fans, he always showed up and gave his best. What’s different now is that he had this experience at Arsenal, where he was sometimes made a scapegoat, and now his manager loves him.

“(Leverkusen coach) Xabi Alonso has given him the key and he plays beautiful football and the tactical side of the game suits him perfectly. It shows the impact he can have on a team. He is a key point for success, not only because of his quality but also because of his aura.”

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Both Schnork and Visentini believe England will face the best Swiss team ever. They have now reached the knockout stages of the last six major tournaments, although they have never gone beyond the quarter-finals. Djourou, who won 76 caps for his country between 2006 and 2018, still wants to see this team take the next step.

“The best team is the one that goes the furthest. It depends on how you judge. We knocked on the door of doing something great. For me, when we played Argentina face to face in 2014 in Brazil (and lost in extra time), that was when people realised that Switzerland was no longer important.

“Is this team the best team now? It has great potential, but it is difficult to evaluate because every game and every trip needs to be evaluated based on how strong the opponent is. I don’t think Switzerland have really been tested yet.

“There is a sense of cohesion and solidity at the back, but I think if you make more movements, you can disturb this back unit. Italy was a bit difficult because of the weight of the match, but considering the content, it was an easy match.

“I think (the England game) will show us how strong we really are, because it is a huge game with a lot of quality in the other team. Technically, for me, they are one of the best teams. Even if they do not perform well, their players will find (the space) and (take advantage of) any small mistakes.

“But people (in Switzerland) believe it because we beat Italy, which is massive because they were the defending champions, and also because they saw England play and they don’t think they have reached their potential.”