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After the high defeat against Portugal, the Swiss all find clear words. They don’t look for excuses.
After the biggest defeat in fourteen years there was displeasure in the national team. “It was a shitty game,” said Gregor Kobel. And then repeated that twice more. The goalie was the most pitiable Swiss on the field in the brutal 0:4 against Portugal with countless chances. He only had to take responsibility for the last goal conceded, which Kobel admitted immediately.
“We kept running into counterattacks, we were super inferior,” the goalkeeper continued. He didn’t find any positive words that evening in Lisbon – apart from the good start in the first few minutes.
His coach was no different. “We didn’t perform defensively,” admitted Murat Yakin. “We don’t have to look for an excuse, we have to take care of our own noses.”
Fabian Frei also addressed the defense in particular: “After the good start with the denied goal, we maybe wanted too much and then ran into the open knife.”
The whole team didn’t work as well defensively as in the successful autumn, the counter-pressing didn’t work. “Then of course you look stupid if you concede four goals. But it’s not just the defense that’s responsible, it’s the whole team.”
Captain Granit Xhaka said after the game that this result hurt: “It was absolutely not enough today, it was brutal.” In addition to the anger about this game, he also let off steam in the interview because of something else: The Swiss media had recently reported an alleged tactical spat between Xhaka and Yakin. The captain would rather play with a different system than the coach.
Despite this game against Portugal, we don’t have to worry.
But now Xhaka was getting annoyed: “It’s getting on my eggs. (…) It’s starting to piss me off.” He simply said that he would rather play further back himself – but if the coach says otherwise, then he will do it. That is his job. “Once again, something was made bigger than it is.”
The 29-year-old was already looking ahead again. “Despite this game against Portugal, we don’t have to worry. Because we know what we are actually capable of. We will analyze that and then look ahead.” Next week we will continue with two home games in Geneva against Spain (on Thursday) and again against Portugal (on Sunday, both games live on SRF).