Thick air in the catacombs: Xhaka and Shaqiri were angry

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Granit Xhaka (31) is very angry as he walks past the journalists in the catacombs of the Pancho Arena. He is not responding. Once twice. He is asked if he is not speaking today. “No! You can see that!” The captain is irritated – and refrains from making a comment, knowing full well that such a comment would probably cause a big commotion again.

Like in September, after the 2-2 draw in Kosovo, when Xhaka expressed his anger at the poor training grounds and lack of intensity and dictated it to anyone who would listen. At that time the equalizer came in the 94th minute, now in the 88th minute. The national team carelessly loses the first European Championship match point. And on Saturday, when the national team gets its next chance to close the bag on the European Championship, the opponent will be… Kosovo, the country of birth of his parents.

According to Yakin, it was no match for Shaq

Xherdan Shaqiri (32) will also be in the picture again. He was also “not amused” after the match against Israel and ultimately languished on the bench for 96 minutes. When asked why he was not used, he referred to the coach.

Yakin justifies using Shaqiri not for physical reasons, but rather for tactical reasons. Shaqiri did not play for several weeks after the end of MLS qualifying and recently stayed fit with a few training sessions in Lugano. “I would have liked to give him a few minutes, but it was no contest for Shaq,” said Murat Yakin.

Against Kosovo from the start

However, the national team could have made good use of Shaqiri’s creativity. Almost nothing happened in the second half. The substitutes Zeqiri and Ndoye adapt to the level of the substitutes Amdouni and Okafor. The two jokers get nothing done. And Zeqiri receives the maximum punishment: after Fernandes is sent off the field, he is even substituted again.

Shaqiri is passed by Yakin – and remains at 117 international matches for the time being. He will only overtake Heinz Hermann on Saturday in the sold-out Joggeli in Basel. Then he will be in the starting line-up, Yakin confirmed after the match against Israel. This was agreed. The plan fails – like many others in this dismal performance by the Swiss national team.

Source : Blick