Everything back on track at the SFV?: Nati director Tami laughs off the Favre rumor

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It was the big topic of the Nati meeting in September. General criticism from captain Granit Xhaka (31) on the association and coach Murat Yakin (49) after the disappointing 2-2 draw in Pristina against Kosovo. “Playing in the park,” the captain called the performance of the national team in his parents’ home country.

Xhaka and Yakin then engaged in a lengthy conversation. It was an open conversation that was good for both. “There is no problem between the coach and me,” Xhaka said in an SRF interview published before the move. The captain also said he would make the statements again if necessary.

So everything is back on track? From the association’s perspective, yes. “We discussed everything bilaterally,” says Nati director Pierluigi Tami (62). With two personalities like Xhaka and Yakin, it is important that there is ongoing discussion. “Because we want to improve for the future,” says Tami.

There is always friction

It is not the first time that captain and coach have clashed publicly. In March 2022, Xhaka was annoyed that he had to leave the field early in his 100th international match – against Kosovo of all time. Later came the controversy over the position of Xhaka, who prefers to play in the six-man position and is currently doing very well at Leverkusen. And after the 1:6 defeat in the World Cup round of 16 against Portugal, the dissonances between players and the coaching team became clear. The recovery from this setback was poor.

Even if Xhaka tones down his criticism of Yakin, it is not completely off the table. The NZZ wrote in its edition of September 16 that the association had already sent out feelers to Lucien Favre (65). When asked about that, Tami says with a laugh: “I read that too.” However, Nati’s director strongly denies any contact with the former coach of Gladbach, Dortmund and Nice. “We had no contact with Lucien Favre.”

Tami understands the criticism from Xhaka, who explicitly criticized the lack of training intensity and poor training conditions in Valais in September. “Granite’s criticism of the infrastructure is correct.” Unlike previous years, the national team meets in a different part of the country each time. The current European Championship qualification is like a Tour of Switzerland: French-speaking Switzerland, Central Switzerland, Valais, Eastern Switzerland. The second leg in November against Kosovo will take place in Basel.

Regeneration instead of training

A home base for the national team? No. The association has been working on the construction of a national football center for years. There are currently three locations to choose from: Chur, Cham and Murten. However, it will take years before this “home of Swiss football” can be occupied. But Xhaka and Co. want success now: next summer’s European Championship in Germany could be the last dance of this excellent generation of Swiss footballers.

The decision to postpone the meeting for 48 hours after the cancellation of the Israel match was taken after consultation with the players’ council. Tami defends the decision because, in his opinion, a test match organized at short notice would have made little sense – also because of the high pressure on the players in everyday life in the competition. “The first two days would have been all about regeneration anyway,” says Tami.

But the next time you move together, there won’t be much time to train together. UEFA has scheduled the postponed match against Israel for November 15. Within seven days, Switzerland would play against Israel at an as yet unknown location, against Kosovo in Basel and against Romania in Bucharest. “From a sporting point of view we are not satisfied. It is a big challenge,” says Tami. Discussions are also assured.

Source : Blick