The Shaqiri debate from last summer repeats itself! The women's national team is also in turmoil shortly before the European Championships over its creative player. Ramona Bachmann is accused of a lack of fitness by the staff, but she herself sees it differently, as her dad Martin tells blue Sport.
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- In the six competitive matches in 2025, national team star Ramona Bachmann played a total of just 36 minutes on the pitch. Yet she is regarded as Switzerland's difference-maker.
- According to coach Pia Sundhage, the reason why the striker, who is under contract with Houston in the USA, is not playing is her lack of fitness.
- Apparently Ramona herself sees it differently, as her father Martin Bachmann told blue Sport after the 0:1 against Norway: "She thinks she's fit."
Ramona Bachmann's minutes in the six international matches this year? 36.
Briefly broken down: Most recently zero minutes against France and Norway. Zero minutes in February against Iceland and Norway. In between, 11 minutes in Iceland in April and 25 against France.
Only 36 of a possible 540 minutes so far and only one more test against the Czech Republic is planned before the European Championship opener against Norway on July 2.
Bachmann is not just anyone; Bachmann has been Switzerland's difference-maker for years. The woman with outstanding technique and instinct - an exceptional player with a fine foot. 153 international caps, 60 goals and a great role model for years. She has also been a great role model for many of her current national team colleagues.
Why is Bachmann not getting any match practice?
Is there a threat of a home European Championship without Bachmann as a figurehead? Or why is she not getting any match practice so close to the European Championships?
Coach Pia Sundhage puts it down to a lack of fitness. She and her staff have set themselves the goal of getting Ramona 100% fit for the start of the European Championships.
Obviously they are not counting on match minutes. When they had to make up a 1-0 deficit against Norway, Sundhage brought in offensive player after offensive player. Fölmli, Xhemaili, Lehmann and Pilgrim come in, Bachmann stays out.
blue Sport talks to Ramona's father Martin Bachmann in the Tourbillon after the final whistle. He hopes to see his daughter back on the pitch in the national team kit soon, he says. And: "But of course she's even more eager to see it herself. She has the feeling that she is fit enough. But the staff see it a little differently and we can't influence that."
It seems that, a year after the men, the women's national team is also having a fitness debate about its creative player. Last summer, Murat Yakin had his doubts about Xherdan Shaqiri's fitness before and during the European Championships in Germany, and he left him on the bench for the most part.
Shaq was moderately pleased about the debate and subsequently resigned from the national team.
It should not come to that with the women. The Nati squad's master plan is for Bachmann to be fit as a fiddle in early July. Then you just have to hope that she harmonizes with shooting star Sydney Schertenleib right away. The two have not yet played together.
Sundhage is still rotating diligently
Sundhage is also still rotating diligently in the national team. Partly due to injuries, partly voluntarily. "You can see that we're always playing in a different formation and the automatisms aren't there yet. It will be very difficult to bring these automatisms onto the pitch if you don't yet know exactly which players will be on the pitch," says Martin Bachmann.
Nevertheless, he is optimistic about the European Championships. "On the one hand, because the European Championship is taking place at home. In front of a large crowd that will support the national team. In addition, with the exception of the European Championship in England, the national team has always made it through the qualifying round so far. That makes me confident."
