class=”sc-29f61514-0 dXbCZE”>
The sentence of Murat Yakin (49) on Friday before the Nati meeting makes people sit up: “Gregor Kobel will definitely get a chance.” And when asked, the national coach says: “Maybe two.” Is there a change in the goalkeeper hierarchy? “Gregor Kobel shows top performance and pushes,” says Yakin. “But we have communicated that Yann Sommer is number 1 – and that remains the case.”
Why does Yakin promise his number two matches in the qualifier? Especially because the national team does not yet have the European Championship ticket in its pocket and it is all or nothing for Yakin in the three games against Israel, Kosovo and Romania? The Nati coach’s statements also have tactical reasons.
Kobel could already be in goal in Hungary against Israel on Wednesday. Because it can be assumed that Sommer wants and will play the home match against Kosovo in the sold-out Basel Joggeli three days later. But when will Kobel get his fair share, if not against Israel? Because the final match in Bucharest against Romania – if the national team does its work beforehand – could well be a major match.
Unlucky person in bankruptcy in Stuttgart
Another argument for Kobel playing against Israel is that he has almost 30 hours more rest than Sommer, who only plays for Inter on Sunday evening. The BVB goalkeeper will already be in action on Saturday – and is unlucky in the 1-2 defeat of Dortmund in Stuttgart. In the weak BVB he is clearly the best. In the end, he is still left out in the cold because he owes two fines. Kobel parried the first, Guirassy converted the second into the winning goal for VfB. It is the difficult fate of the goalkeeper.
The fact that BVB can hope for a point in the end is thanks to Kobel, who made seven saves in the first half hour alone – an excellent figure. “Without a doubt… Greg Kobel can already be voted our player of the season,” injured teammate Thomas Meunier tweeted before halftime and followed his message with two hashtags: #theWall and #jesusKobel.
Only five international matches for Kobel
Ultimately, Kobel is also one of the losers. Yet he will enter the national team on Monday with big breasts. He has been showing excellent performances for months. The reward for this: the contract extension until 2028, a reported annual salary of 10 million euros, vice-captain at BVB.
But the Zurich player has to take a backseat in the national team. Kobel played only five international matches for Switzerland, the last of which was a 2-1 win in Andorra in June. Now he gets his next chance(s) after he was injured in September and the national team played only one match in October due to the war in Israel.
About his situation in the national team, Kobel tells Blick: “Wherever I am: the will and the demand to play are always there. If I were happy to sit on the bench for the next five years, I would have to question myself.” Patience is required because Yakin (still) sticks to the hierarchy he once established. “I am happy with the situation,” says Yakin. Understandable, because the goalkeeper position is currently the smallest building site for the national coach.
|
team
|
SP
|
T.D
|
PT
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
 Spain
|
6
|
16
|
15
|
|
|
2
|
 Scotland
|
6
|
9
|
15
|
|
|
3
|
 Norway
|
7
|
2
|
10
|
|
|
4
|
 Georgia
|
6
|
-4
|
7
|
|
|
5
|
 Cyprus
|
7
|
-23
|
0
|
|
team
|
SP
|
T.D
|
PT
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
 France
|
6
|
12
|
18
|
|
|
2
|
 The Netherlands
|
6
|
3
|
12
|
|
|
3
|
 Greece
|
7
|
6
|
12
|
|
|
4
|
 Ireland
|
7
|
0
|
6
|
|
|
5
|
 Gibraltar
|
6
|
-21
|
0
|
|
team
|
SP
|
T.D
|
PT
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
 England
|
6
|
16
|
16
|
|
|
2
|
 Ukraine
|
7
|
3
|
13
|
|
|
3
|
 Italy
|
6
|
4
|
10
|
|
|
4
|
 North Macedonia
|
6
|
-7
|
7
|
|
|
5
|
 Malta
|
7
|
-16
|
0
|
|
team
|
SP
|
T.D
|
PT
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
 Turkiye
|
7
|
7
|
16
|
|
|
2
|
 Wales
|
6
|
0
|
10
|
|
|
3
|
 Croatia
|
6
|
6
|
10
|
|
|
4
|
 Armenia
|
6
|
-1
|
7
|
|
|
5
|
 Latvia
|
7
|
-12
|
3
|
|
team
|
SP
|
T.D
|
PT
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
 Albania
|
6
|
8th
|
13
|
|
|
2
|
 Czech Republic
|
6
|
3
|
11
|
|
|
3
|
 Poland
|
7
|
0
|
10
|
|
|
4
|
 Moldavia
|
6
|
0
|
9
|
|
|
5
|
 Faroe Islands
|
7
|
-11
|
1
|
|
team
|
SP
|
T.D
|
PT
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
 Belgium
|
7
|
13
|
17
|
|
|
2
|
 Austria
|
7
|
8th
|
16
|
|
|
3
|
 Sweden
|
6
|
3
|
7
|
|
|
4
|
 Azerbaijan
|
6
|
-8th
|
4
|
|
|
5
|
 Estonia
|
6
|
-16
|
1
|
|
team
|
SP
|
T.D
|
PT
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
 Hungary
|
6
|
7
|
14
|
|
|
2
|
 Serbia
|
7
|
6
|
13
|
|
|
3
|
 Montenegro
|
6
|
-2
|
8th
|
|
|
4
|
 Lithuania
|
7
|
-4
|
6
|
|
|
5
|
 Bulgaria
|
6
|
-7
|
2
|
|
team
|
SP
|
T.D
|
PT
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
 Slovenia
|
8th
|
11
|
19
|
|
|
2
|
 Denmark
|
8th
|
10
|
19
|
|
|
3
|
 Kazakhstan
|
8th
|
3
|
15
|
|
|
4
|
 Finland
|
8th
|
3
|
12
|
|
|
5
|
 Northern Ireland
|
8th
|
-2
|
6
|
|
|
6
|
 San Marino
|
8th
|
-25
|
0
|
|
team
|
SP
|
T.D
|
PT
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
 Romania
|
8th
|
9
|
16
|
|
|
2
|
 Switzerland
|
7
|
12
|
15
|
|
|
3
|
 Israel
|
6
|
0
|
11
|
|
|
4
|
 Kosovo
|
7
|
0
|
7
|
|
|
5
|
 Belarus
|
8th
|
-7
|
6
|
|
|
6
|
 Andorra
|
8th
|
-14
|
2
|
|
team
|
SP
|
T.D
|
PT
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
 Portugal
|
8th
|
30
|
24
|
|
|
2
|
 Slovakia
|
8th
|
6
|
16
|
|
|
3
|
 Luxembourg
|
8th
|
-10
|
11
|
|
|
4
|
 Iceland
|
8th
|
5
|
10
|
|
|
5
|
 Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
8th
|
-7
|
9
|
|
|
6
|
 Liechtenstein
|
8th
|
-24
|
0
|
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
