Scout Henchoz at European Championship U21: ‘I look closely as soon as I enter’

In Italy’s 2-1 defeat against France, a regular goal was denied to the Italians. Why is there no VAR?
The European U21 Championship is one of UEFA’s most important finals. I also don’t understand why they don’t use VAR and goal-line technology.

In Romania and Georgia there is no VAR, but hundreds of scouts. Why is this tournament so important?
Because the greatest talents in Europe play against each other.

You have known many of these young footballers for a long time. In France against Italy, Moukoko from Dortmund or Tonali from Milan played against each other…
… I am not here because of the French, English or Italians. U21 players from these countries have long been too expensive for us. I don’t have to scout the Germans for Olympique Lyon either. Lyon has money, but not as much as Premier League clubs. For Lyon I look at the Norwegians, the Croats, Romanians, Czechs, Georgians and also Belgians and Swiss.

Can’t you watch the matches on TV? After all, you get all kinds of player data such as number of kilometers, sprints, duel statistics, pass accuracy.
No. There are many more criteria that you can only see when you are in the stadium.

Which?
I look closely while warming up. Is the player focused? Does the player come out of the locker room with everyone else? Or five minutes later because he sees himself as a star? Is he a team player or an egoist? Can he become a problem player in the dressing room? During the game, for example, I look at his reactions when he loses the ball: does he stand still or does he follow up? How does he respond to teammate mistakes? And much more.

Then you need to know before the match which players you are watching?
Yes. Every scout knows which profile they are looking for. Me, too. The goal is for me to fly back with two or three names in my luggage. No longer.

Aren’t all clubs fighting for the same players?
Of course there are many players who are in the notebooks of different clubs. But depending on the league and the club, there is a demand for other types of players. In France different than in the Premier League or La Liga. In addition, every coach has his own ideas.

What do you think are the most interesting Swiss on the market?
All U21 national team players have a market. The only question is which one? Your performances at this European Championship should be groundbreaking for your future.

Is the U21 European Championship also groundbreaking for an Amdouni? After all, the FCB striker scored three goals in the European Championship qualifier last week.
I don’t want to sound disrespectful: but a goal in Andorra and two against a weak Romania is not a good letter of recommendation. It is now important for him to show that he can score against the strong French. Because he can impress the many clubs. The scouts want to see how the player does against strong opponents. Does the defender also win his duels there? Is he calm on the ball? Can he also make clean passes there? Does the striker also score against good defenders? You should know that there were no scouts in Andorra and at most a handful in Lucerne against Romania.

Nati director Pierluigi Tami says that the U21 European Championship is very important for the external experience of the Super League. Agreed?
Absolute. Our regular Super League players, our greatest talents, play in the U21s. It is very important that we do well internationally, it is good for the reputation of our competition. We are doing great with the youth and have some talents, but we have to be honest: the level in the Super League is manageable. That’s why top teams from Europe don’t scout in the Super League. Even though many young players dare to play here in France, Italy, Germany, England or Spain. That is not possible. The difference between the Super League and the top leagues is too big.

Do you think many Swiss U21 European Championship drivers are capable of making the jump to a big league?
No. I see maybe four or five footballers at the moment – ​​no more.

Who do you trust to take the plunge?
Absolutely Fabian Rieder. Maybe Ardon Jashari too, although he still has to prove that he can compete at the top level. Then there’s Dan Ndoye with his extreme speed. Of course Zeki Amdouni and Kastriot Imeri. Imeri has grown extremely athletic at YB, he has always been able to play football. But actually they can do all of that. In the end, only the head determines whether someone makes it or not. Above all, it takes will and discipline.

For many it is the best Swiss U21 of all time. Also for her?
Many have already said that about the A-Nati, who was in Qatar at the World Cup (laughs). We have a talented squad, but I doubt they will reach the final like the U21s around Sommer, Mehmedi and Xhaka in 2011.