No more PS extravagance under Murat Yakin’s management!

What a great show by the Swiss national team at the training camp in Bad Ragaz SG at the end of May! Eintracht Frankfurt stars Steven Zuber (30) and Djibril Sow (25) drive a 610 hp Ferrari GTC4 Lusso. The value of the four-seater super sports car: at least 267,000 francs! Rubik’s Cube Xherdan Shaqiri (30) and his midfield colleague Denis Zakaria (25) aren’t inept, either, each coming with a Lamborghini Urus with at least 650 hp. Market value of the XXL Prollo SUV: upwards of 250,000 francs.

Some Porsche limousines are also part of the lot in Eastern Switzerland, such as the 700 hp Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo. Basel defender Silvan Widmer (29) transferred about 250,000 francs to Stuttgart (Germany) for the plug rocket. Breel Embolo (25) and Yvon Mvogo (28) also transferred a good sum to the south German auto metropolis: Embolo sprints behind the wheel of the Mercedes-AMG G 63, which costs around 200,000 francs, while his goalkeeping colleague Mvogo soars through the air. to Bad Ragaz in a luxury limousine Mercedes S-Class worth at least 160’000 francs.

PS show is enough

Before the critics start the verbal foul play, we should clarify on this point: what has just been described actually took place at the Swiss national team’s training camp in Bad Ragaz – although it is in the year of the 2021 European Championship (these national team stars are the most expensive cars)! Because head coach Murat Yakin (48) has not only given up since he took over the Swiss national team, but also steered off the field. And that’s it: away from PS shows that tarnish the image at joint meetings.

Instead, players should switch to vehicles from national sponsor Volkswagen: “If you have a strong partner like Volkswagen, then you should continue that partnership and ensure that both parties benefit as much as possible. For a car sponsor, there is no better platform than our meetings where the actors are photographed and filmed upon arrival,” Yakin said in an interview with Swiss Volkswagen magazine.

From AMG to Bentley

When they first met for the Nations League training camp in Bad Ragaz in May this year, the message of auto downsizing had not yet reached all players: two Bundesliga stars Gregor Kobel (24) and Renato Steffen (31) Fat Mercedes AMG G 63, Monaco striker Breel Embolo chauffeured Bad Ragaz in a luxury EQS electric limousine, again from Mercedes. National captain Granit Xhaka (30), who came to the luxury facility in a somewhat old but beautiful Porsche Cayenne Turbo, could not fulfill his role model function either. The automotive crown was placed that day by Man City star Manuel Akanji (27), who was so shamelessly looking for a look in the Bentley Continental GTC that cost at least 215,000 francs.

Nati is suddenly humble

When the national team met in Qatar before the World Cup, the picture was completely different. The words of coach Murat Yakin seem to have worked: Denis Zakaria, who currently plays for Juventus Turin, came in 2021 with an 810-hp special version of the Lamborghini Urus from the tuner Mansory (price far exceeded 400,000 francs) VW Golf. Value: from almost 32,000 francs. Defender Ricardo Rodriguez (30), who is currently under contract with his city rival in Turin, opted for an even smaller car with the VW Polo. As a 210 hp GTI, the mini-athlete is on the price list for around 36,000 francs.

mistakes and role models

But they still exist, automotive fouls from the perspective of sponsor VW: Silvan Widmer has switched from last year’s Porsche Panamera to a no less luxurious Range Rover. After a goodbye kiss, Celine’s wife rushed to Basel in a mega SUV that cost at least 162,000 francs. YB striker Cedric Itten (25), on the other hand, had a better hand and stepped up in the Audi Q3 – the compact SUV starting at 46,000 francs is, after all, a product of VW importer Amag. Newcomer Ardon Jashari (20) made a blunder and chose the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé for his trip to eastern Switzerland – starting at around 43,000 francs, it’s not a joke, but it’s also not a VW.

The young Lucerne midfielder had to take a role model from regular goalkeeper Yann Sommer (33) and Arsenal star Granit Xhaka: Sommer, as always, with a sense of duty, this time a VW SUV instead of the electric ID.4 GTX as in the last two moves. choosed. traditionally powered Tiguan. Granit Xhaka, on the other hand, even got him chauffeured at the Grand Resort and got out of a VW Multivan with the obligatory Louis Vuitton backpack on his shoulder.

close loves wild

What about the National Team Coach Murat Yakin, who ended the PS show? Like Captain Xhaka, he was very modestly taken to Bad Ragaz in a VW bus, and when he got there he was quick to take pictures with the Nati fans who had traveled there. But Yakin, 48, was once as young as his current players, and he just doesn’t like playing crazy on the court. Yakin’s wife, Anja, said in an article published in “NZZ” recently, that her husband used to own a Ferrari. Meanwhile, Murat is traveling alone with the Mini, which he gave him for his wedding anniversary a while ago. Anja Yakin describes her husband’s driving style: “I took great care of this car and drives it like a go-kart.”

A record from 2011 confirms that the successful Basel coach likes to fast travel on the road: At the time, Yakin was introduced as the new coach by Superleague leader Lucerne when Jaguar Switzerland put him behind the wheel as their brand ambassador. As a company car, Yakin took on the all-new XKR-S, with 550 hp and a top speed of 300 km/h, at the time the fastest and most powerful Jaguar in the company’s history. After the test drive, trainer Yakin analyzed: “The Jaguar XKR-S impresses with an enjoyable driving experience, from the Granturismo in its purest form to the ultimate Jaguar sports car.”

Strong yes, extravagance no

Today, there is no longer a single dream car for him, Yakin told VW magazine, “I’ve been able to drive almost everything in my career, there is no dream car anymore. For me, it’s about getting from point A to point B comfortably, I don’t have to splurge on a car.” However, the national team coach adds that he must have a good engine and a car. And so he chose VW’s luxury SUV Touareg – with up to 340 hp and starting at around CHF 90,000, this is definitely not a bread and butter car. But as we think it suits the head of the Swiss national team. And it was probably reserved for him: you certainly haven’t seen a player going to Bad Ragaz in Touareg.