Trip to Andorra brings back memories of “Debaku”: Yakin: “Three, four refused to shoot”

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August 28, 1996. The Swiss national team led by coach Rolf Fringer flies to Baku for the World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan. But not with scheduled service or charter, no, in a luxury jet from Petrol Air. The pleasure costs 180,000 francs. Because the total culinary indulgence is included: Foie gras with vegetable terrine, salmon and caviar, spinach ravioli in basil, grilled lobster in butter sauce and, to top it off, caramel cream puffs with fresh fruit. Tired? Also easy, because the fine upholstery in the Boeing 757 can be converted into comfortable loungers.

Only the champagne was missing…

Blick headlines: “Only the champagne is still missing!” And immediately promises: “If the Nati players do their job today as we all expect, they can look forward to the return trip – then there will certainly be a glass or two of champagne.”

It turns out differently. After an underground performance, Switzerland fooled themselves and lost 0:1. It’s Azerbaijan’s first win in a World Cup qualifier… remembers Yakin. “You certainly can’t compare that.” Says it – and has to laugh. “At the time it was a penalty that I missed because three or four in front of me refused to take the penalty and I had to play as a youngster. with the aim of taking the opponent seriously and also scoring the necessary goals and winning the game. You cannot compare this game to what happened almost 20 years ago.” Yakin was then 22 years old.

Six private jets or low-cost airline?

The reasons for traveling to Andorra La Vella on six private jets are completely different reasons than foie gras, caviar and leather armchairs. Yakin: «It couldn’t be any other way. That had been planned for a long time. It was quite nice, absolutely okay.” You notice: Yakin does not really want to extend the outward flight. The special trip was necessary because the runway in Andorra La Vella is so short that only small planes can land there. The alternative would have been to travel there like the journalists: a flight to Barcelona (the players’ expensive legs don’t necessarily have to sit in the wooden class seats of the low-cost airline Vueling, as is the case with the reporters). in the Pyrenees (there it can certainly be a luxury car given the driving time and does not have to be a much too small minibus as for the Journis) bracket closed.

By train and sandwich to Finland

Back to 1996. Blick wrote after the game under the title “Debaku”: “As punishment, the Swiss players would have to travel by train to Helsinki in early October for the second elimination match. 2nd class, with sandwiches for ration.” That’s not going to happen, and Switzerland missed out on the 1998 World Cup, regardless of whether you arrived by jet or train.

Source : Blick