A pity! Nati miss something historic and again fail in the 1/8 finals of the World Cup. Defeat is not shameful. Portugal went to Qatar to become world champions.
However, the method of elimination and the level of damage is a huge disappointment. Coach Murat Yakin made a bet. The triple chain attempt went completely wrong. Nati had absolutely no chance against an opponent with whom they see themselves on equal terms.
16 months ago, Yakin replaced Vladimir Petkovich. Everything he did succeeded. In Qatar, the team seemed even better, even stronger, even more unpredictable than at the 2021 World Cup. Only a late goal against Brazil broke the picture in the preliminary round.
In the most important game of his career, Yakin bet big and lost. Instinct failed him for once. The system change was accompanied by personnel decisions that raise questions. The fact that he took only two trained full-backs to Qatar turned out to be a mistake.
The Nati missed a unique opportunity against Portugal. The generation around U17 World Champion Granit Xhaka was at its peak. The 2024 European Championship in Germany will be the last hurrah for this extraordinary generation of Swiss footballers. But for the coup at the World Cup, the train had already left for them.