Football, for most people, is not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Switzerland. Delectable chocolate, remarkable timepieces and picturesque skiing destinations have painted the country’s portrait for years – but Murat Yakin could change that this summer.
Yakin is, in a way, a walking embodiment of Swiss football. Emerging into the national team as a player during the latter years of Roy Hodgson’s tenure, the 49-year-old – born and bred in Basel to Turkish parents – will oversee his second tournament in charge of la Nati when they make the short trek across the border and into Germany.
He is a secondo – a term of endearment used by fans of la Nati to refer to second-generation immigrants that constitute the core of the current team. You see, Switzerland is much more than chocolate, timepieces and skiing. It’s much more than football, in fact. It is a safe haven for those fleeing persecution and conflict elsewhere, and Swiss football has been incredibly fortunate to benefit.
Embed from Getty ImagesXherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka are both still key players in this squad despite their age, and both are the product of Kosovar Albanian parents. Secondos are indisputably the key to Swiss success, and undoubtedly will be for years to come.
So back to Yakin, who enjoyed a surprisingly positive end to his debut tournament in charge of the national team. Handed a difficult 2022 FIFA World Cup group with the likes of Brazil, Cameroon and Serbia, la Nati finished second – with only goal difference keeping them behind the Seleção.
While they suffered a 6-1 defeat in the round-of-16 at the hands of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, there were signs of promise for Switzerland. They ended their campaign with two wins and two losses; certainly not a bad outcome given the opposition.
Their exploits in Qatar serve as the foundations for EURO2024, but Switzerland will also look to call upon their experience from the postponed EURO2020 tournament that took place three years ago. On that occasion, la Nati were so cruelly denied a berth in the semifinals after falling to a penalty shootout loss against Spain.
One question remains: what comes next for Swiss football?
Embed from Getty ImagesEURO2024 will come as Switzerland’s sixth appearance at the European Championships since they made their debut in 1996, which is certainly not a bad record for a nation that’s home to just 8.9m people – the seventh-smallest population at the tournament, in fact.
La Nati aren’t just here to take part though. They’re here to win; while lifting silverware may still be a way off for the landlocked nation at the heart of the continent, appearing in the knockouts appears to be the minimum expectation.
Should they reach the round-of-16 in Germany this summer, it would be the sixth consecutive major tournament in which they’ve escaped the group stage – and their qualification record seems to suggest that they’re more than capable of making that feat a reality.
Under Yakin’s expert guidance, Switzerland lost just one of their ten qualifying fixtures. Their berth in Germany was already confirmed by the time they lost to Romania on the final day, but despite a second-place finish that saw them comfortably progress to the group stages of the tournament proper, there were signs of concern that may leave Swiss fans unnerved: half of their matches ended in a draw.
Embed from Getty ImagesIf Switzerland’s dream is to at least match their EURO2020 result, they simply cannot afford to settle for stalemates. Köln will play host to their first two games this summer, and Yakin will be striving for victory against Hungary on June 15 before facing Scotland four days later. Admittedly, Germany may prove too big of a hurdle to overcome – but die Mannschaft haven’t exactly enjoyed their recent tournament appearances, and victory is anything but certain for the tournament hosts.
The key to overcoming Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany may prove to lie in one of Switzerland’s many midfield talents: Granit Xhaka. The most-capped player in Swiss history, the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder enjoyed an unbeaten domestic campaign in 2023/24 and his in-depth knowledge of Florian Wirtz, Jonathan Tah and Robert Andrich could prove decisive.