Party-free zone after European Championship qualification: What happened in the Nati dressing room?

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The scene is bizarre. The Swiss players are probably clapping for the few Swiss hardcore fans. When they stop, it seems like a quote from a club team in crisis. It is fitting that this happens in Basel…

Xherdan Shaqiri (32) and Yann Sommer (34) talk to the fans. Sjaak comes back. There is a moderate wave. Because somehow it has to be done. Only the Kosovars celebrate. About an unexpected result for the clearly favorite Switzerland. They show real joy.

Romania shows how to cheer

Snee. Felcsut near Budapest. There, where Switzerland already had a frustrating experience four days ago. The yellow ones cheer uncontrollably and hug each other. Have fun on the field. Romania is in Germany after a 2-1 win over Israel. The joy is real, great, as it should be.

Or should we not celebrate after such nonsense as this Swiss campaign? Is there almost a bit of shame in that? “We are happy, but at the same time a bit unhappy,” says captain Granit Xhaka (31). That was certainly not the best campaign, says Nico Elvedi (27). Finally: He is someone who laughs. Do not laugh. Smiles. Others do not raise the corners of their mouths.

Neither does Nati coach Murat Yakin (49). The 1:1 score irritates him too much. In an interview with SRF he said defiantly: “We almost have to apologize because we did not qualify for the European Championship after the sixth matchday.” He also comments on criticism of himself. “It hasn’t been about sports for a long time,” he says. And describes the whole matter as a “personal settlement by some media people”.

“It didn’t go as we had imagined”

And in the wardrobe? Does the mail at least end up there? “Everyone is happy that we are there. That is what counts,” says Elvedi. “It didn’t go the way we had imagined,” Manuel Akanji (28) explains the lack of exuberance. No one reports a cabin party. Even though 1-0 scorer Ruben Vargas (25) thinks that the atmosphere in the dressing room is “a little more relaxed”, despite disappointment with the result.

When asked, Xhaka simply said: “The main goal was qualification. We did that. We can also be proud and happy with that. How we did it less. But being there six times in a row should not be a given for Switzerland.”

Qualification noted

It’s not okay. But in this group…? Back to the cabin. Finally, Shaqiri reveals: “There was music. You can imagine what that was like.” No, we just can’t! The almost dystopian images immediately after the game do not suggest that much was really going on. Another player bluntly says how it was: they took note of the qualification. There was nothing left. And what about the music? Loris Benito (31) then took over. Someone who has a lot of experience celebrating success with seven titles.

Maybe the boys will make up for it in Bucharest when they finally get another ‘real’ victory and take first place at the last minute. Maybe.

Source : Blick