Rafel Navarro was unveiled as coach of the Swiss women's national team on Tuesday. A good choice? blue Sport spoke to former national team player Fabienne Humm about the appointment.
Rafel Navarro is to coach the women's national team. Hardly anyone had the 39-year-old on their radar. Not even former national team player Fabienne Humm. In an interview with blue Sport, she admits that she didn't know Navarro. However, her first impression was "very positive".
For the past six years, Navarro has been assistant coach at FC Barcelona Femeni, one of the most successful women's teams in the world. Although he has mostly been in the background in his role as assistant coach, he has undoubtedly played his part in the great successes. With Barça, he won the championship six times, the cup five times and the Champions League three times.
Of course, Humm now knows this too. The 80-time former international likes the fact that the SFA is bringing in a coach who has already proven that he can work well with young players. "I think this is a solution we can all look forward to."
Humm on the World Cup qualifiers
Navarro joins the SFA with immediate effect and signs a contract until summer 2029. The first big goal is to qualify for the 2027 World Cup. What are the chances? "Malta, Turkey and Northern Ireland are teams that you have to beat. The aim is clearly to finish top of the group so that we face a slightly weaker opponent in the first play-off round."
In the second play-off round, there would then be a good chance of facing a top team. The path to the World Cup is "quite difficult, but nothing is impossible," says Humm. Qualifying for the finals is of course also important for the future of football in this country and must therefore also be the goal. Perhaps it will also take a bit of luck.
