Yakin taunts Shaqiri, who shoots back. Michael Wegmann, Head of Sport blue News, is convinced that the FCB captain will not return to the national team under Yakin. These are the reasons.
Special constellation on Thursday at lunchtime. At 11.00 a.m. Murat Yakin announces his squad for the USA trip at Kloten Airport, the predominant topic: the over-form of Xherdan Shaqiri, who has retired from the national team, and a possible comeback of the FCB captain. Yakin says that the door is open for Shaqiri if he accepts his role in the national team. Yakin also says that he tried unsuccessfully to reach the FCB star on Wednesday.
Yakin: "Shaq probably had another appointment. Maybe he's getting into politics now." The reason: Shaqiri met Vjosa Osmani Sadriu, the President of the Republic of Kosovo and President of the Swiss Confederation Karin Keller-Sutter, on Wednesday.
Shaq: "Murat Yakin must deliver now"
Three hours later, Shaqiri is sitting in front of the media in Basel, talking about the championship title, the possible double in his comeback season, his goals and assists. Naturally, he is also asked about Yakin's phone call and a possible national team comeback. Shaq says: "Murat Yakin also has to deliver, they haven't shown the best performances in recent months. So I understand that he wants to call on me. But I'm very happy with the way things are. At the moment, the door to the national team is still closed for me."
Teasing here, teasing there. The question is: do Yakin and Shaqiri have a future together in the national team? "I can't imagine that," says Michael Wegmann, Head of Sport blue News, "both would have to jump over their shadows for that and both are probably too proud for that." The relationship between the two is no longer the best.
It all started with the fitness debate about Shaqiri
The first disagreements arose around the 2024 European Championship in Germany. The debate about his fitness level was a sore point for Shaqiri. And Yakin has fueled it by saying that Shaqiri doesn't have enough breath for 90 minutes and demoting the star to a joker. The Magic Cube's pride was hurt. "The retaliation came later, when Shaq announced his resignation in a post half an hour before the press conference on Yakin's contract extension."
Is there any chance that Shaqiri will return to the national team under Yakin? "Actually unimaginable," says Wegmann, "unless the start of the World Cup qualifiers in the fall is a total failure for the Nati and Shaqiri would then announce his retirement. Then the pressure could become so great that Yakin would call him up. But even then he would probably only see Shaqiri as a wild card."
Nobody wants a false start to the World Cup qualifiers. They start at the beginning of September against Kosovo and Slovenia.
