Fabian Rieder has no fear of contact on and off the pitch: he grabs the shirt of a German world champion and is rewarded with a contract with German runners-up VfB Stuttgart.
No time? blue Sport summarizes for you
- After the 1:1 against Germany, Fabian Rieder talks to blue Sport about his strong performance, the surprising nomination for the starting eleven and the shirt swap.
- "To be able to play for Switzerland in front of this crowd is incredibly cool," says Rieder.
- On Monday it will be announced that Rieder will play on loan at VfB Stuttgart next season.
It is only his second international match from the start after the Brazil thriller at the World Cup and Fabian Rieder sets the tone after just a few seconds: He knocks Mittelstädt's socks off. "I wanted to send out a signal," he told blue Sport after the game.
And he has no fear of contact afterwards either. Rieder only found out on match day that he was coming on for the injured Vargas. "Of course I was delighted and very motivated. To be able to play for Switzerland in front of this crowd is incredibly cool."
"Müller's shirt is a nice souvenir"
And Rieder repays Yakin's trust. He is cheeky and confident and puts in an impressive performance. He is satisfied. "I tore myself apart for the team and was able to make my mark both defensively and offensively." Wonderful how he initiates the 1:0 from Ndoye with his pass to Freuler.
Just a few weeks ago, hardly anyone would have seen Rieder in the Swiss 26-man squad, not even himself. "The nomination came as a surprise to me too," he says. And now he's playing from the start against Germany.
Of course, he needs a souvenir of this highlight. "I changed my shirt with Thomas Müller," says Rieder. "I think he's an exceptional player. And it's great to be able to hang up his shirt at home. It's also a nice memento of the evening."
It's also nice to see what was communicated the day after the 1:1 against Germany. After a year at Stade Rennes, Rieder will move to VfB Stuttgart on loan for a year and straight into the Champions League. He will then see Thomas Müller more often.
Vargas snaps up Musiala's shirt
Incidentally, Rieder is not the only Swiss player to swap shirts. Ruben Vargas snaps up Jamal Musiala's shirt. "I've already met Jamal privately in Munich. I think he's a great player."
And Kwadwo Duah, who says coolly: "I didn't swap my shirt. I'm not that much of a shirt collector. If I had, I would have swapped one for my little brother, but I forgot about it." He doesn't need a memory, says Duah, "this evening will remain unforgettable for me anyway".
