FCZ coach Dennis Hediger announces that he will bench goalkeeper Yanick Brecher against YB. Not for the first time this season, the captain becomes a hotly debated topic.
"We know how well Yanick (Brecher) has already played for FC Zurich. He may not be in his best form at the moment. There are several reasons for this and our aim is to get him back there," says Dennis Hediger at the press conference ahead of the game against Young Boys on Sunday - and drops a little bombshell: "One conclusion is that Silas Huber will play against YB."
Brecher took note of the decision professionally. "He knows himself that he's not currently at his top level. He can play much better," said Hediger. "I've come to the decision that it's the right time to put Silas in goal against YB."
Silas Huber has been waiting for his chance at FCZ since he joined the pros a year and a half ago. Although he has proven several times as number 1 in the U21 national team that he is ready for his first professional appearance. "We know what he can do and what potential he has," says Hediger. "He just has to be focused."
According to information from blue Sport, Brecher was already at the center of attention when Hediger's predecessor Mitchell van der Gaag was dismissed. The day after the game in Lugano, where Brecher and Matthias Phaëton clashed during the break, he asked the assembled team to vote of confidence in captain Brecher. The result: Van der Gaag lost the power struggle and had to leave.
Statistics speak for themselves
Brecher was subsequently unable to improve his form, as the statistics show. The 32-year-old's defensive ratio is worse than in previous years, Brecher has conceded two more goals than would have been expected according to xG value and in 21 league games he has only kept a clean sheet once. Three individual goalkeeping errors before conceding goals are also a league high this season.
However, Hediger emphasizes that the change of goalkeeper is not final: "This is now a decision for the YB game. There will be competition and both goalkeepers should grow from this situation. Ideally, both will get better and we'll slide into a luxury problem."
