The Swiss U-17 national team will be competing at a World Cup for the first time since their sensational title win in 2009. Luigi Pisino's team is traveling to Qatar with ambitions and dreams of another coup.
31.10.2025, 04:00
31.10.2025, 06:52
SDA
It only takes a few seconds for Luigi Pisino to be asked the question that is probably most on everyone's mind. The Swiss national coach of the U-17 men's national team is sitting in a hotel in Dubai on Tuesday afternoon. His team will be preparing there until October 31 for the World Cup, which will be held on the other side of the Persian Gulf in Qatar from November 3 to 27.
The two keywords "World Cup" and "U-17" continue to evoke great emotions in Swiss football, as the 2009 selection achieved something that had never before been achieved by a Swiss national football team at any level: in Nigeria, the young Granit Xhaka, Ricardo Rodriguez and Haris Seferovic were crowned world champions together with their team-mates.
And so Pisino is the first to be asked: "Is a coup like 2009 also possible for this generation?" The polyglot from Vaud, who effortlessly provides information in German, French and Italian, has called up 18 outfield players and three goalkeepers for this second World Cup adventure at this level. All of them were born in 2008, so they witnessed Switzerland's moment of glory in Nigeria as infants at best.
However, Pisino says that his players were brought up to date on this piece of Swiss football history with a television report and stories from those directly involved. And adds tellingly: "It's important to have a dream."
Ivory Coast, South Korea, Mexico
The fact that this dream of another World Cup title is even within the realms of possibility is thanks to the SFA delegation's performances in March. At that time, a European Championship qualifying tournament was held in Baden. The Swiss missed out on a place at the continental tournament, which was held in Albania this summer, in a direct duel with the Czech Republic.
However, thanks to victories against Sweden and Turkey, Pisino's team secured their ticket to Qatar as one of the top four runners-up in their group. Unlike the 2022 Men's World Cup, the tournament will not take place in large stadiums across the country, but will be concentrated on eight pitches in the modern Aspire Zone complex in Al Rayyan, around nine kilometers outside the center of the capital Doha.
The fact that 48 teams can take part in this major global event for the first time instead of the previous 24 could be interpreted by critics as a dilution of the sport, as could the fact that the world governing body FIFA will now hold the tournament on an annual basis. It is therefore important for Pisino to put his team's performance into context. The Swiss national team coach mentions that Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark are among the major European football nations to have missed out on qualification. "You have to be aware that it was difficult to qualify for this tournament," says Pisino, who is pleased that his players can now compete with the best teams in the world.
In Group F, Switzerland will first face the Ivory Coast next Tuesday, followed three days later by a clash with South Korea, before concluding the group stage three days later with a match against Mexico. Pisino says that his team has been drawn against very typical opponents for the respective continents. In other words: The coach is particularly impressed by the individual quality of the African players, while the Asians are characterized by their discipline and speed. The Central Americans, on the other hand, bring great enthusiasm to the game. Pisino says: "It will be very interesting to play against these different profiles."
Polyvalence is required
The 40-year-old, who took over responsibility for the Swiss U-17s at the beginning of July, has set qualification for the knockout phase as his first interim goal. The top two teams in the twelve groups of four will secure a place in the round of 16, as will the eight best third-placed teams. Pisino believes that all the teams in the Swiss group are "on an equal footing". It will therefore be important to get off to a good start in the tournament. Acclimatizing to the high temperatures of around 35 degrees and the high humidity will be just as important as game and tactical preparation.
In any case, Pisino wants to remain flexible. A quality that he also demands from his players. As the squad comprises just 18 outfield players, he has not been able to fill every position twice, says the Frenchman. Polyvalence was therefore a key criterion when putting together the squad. Players who can be deployed in different positions were more likely to win a World Cup ticket. "We want to be successful with our mentality and a good team spirit," says Pisino. This focus on the collective is central to a successful tournament.
Accordingly, the coach is not worried by the fact that captain Nelson Savonnier, who plays for Sion's youth team, and Parma's Gabriel Morisoli, two of the team's mainstays in defense, are missing through injury. "We have to be humble, but we have our ambitions," says Pisino. He pauses for a moment and then adds: "We're on a mission." He doesn't say it, but it's clear between the lines: it's a mission that should end in a great triumph, just like 16 years ago.
