National team coach Murat Yakin explains his thinking behind the World Cup squad. It is important to him to include experienced and flexible players who know their role in the team.
Murat Yakin on the surprising non-nomination of Alvyn Sanches:
"Alvyn has great potential. But we have players in his position who are a step ahead of him. I'm thinking of Johan Manzambi, who has shown what he can do at Freiburg and in the national team, or Zeki Amdouni, who has returned from injury and has known the team for some time. I personally shared my thoughts with Alvyn - and it wasn't an easy decision for us either."
... on the risk of Sanches switching nations:
"It would be wrong to use a World Cup to tie a player down. We are in contact with Alvyn. He has signaled to us that he wants to play for Switzerland and we have already expressed our confidence in him several times. We've also talked about the Nations League in the fall, where we want to integrate more young players. For the World Cup, however, I preferred to call up players who already know the tournament, the procedures and their role. He was disappointed, but took the decision in a sporting spirit and accepted it."
... on the fitness level of Zeki Amdouni:
"He's been back in team training for a good two months. From a medical point of view, he's 100 percent fit, but not yet in terms of match practice, of course. He recently made three partial appearances. But Zeki knows exactly how we play, knows the systems, the processes and his role. I know that I can use him flexibly and I'm very happy that he got fit in time."
...on the non-nomination of Vincent Sierro:
"I think a lot of him. The fact that he's not included has nothing to do with the fact that he's playing in Saudi Arabia. We know that he works extremely professionally and is perfectly prepared in every training session and every game. But there is a lot of competition in his position with the well-established duo of Xhaka/Freuler as well as Jashari, Zakaria, Sow and Aebischer. These are all players from the top 5 European leagues. That's why it wasn't enough for him."
... on the tournament experience factor in the team:
"For such a long tournament, you also need team players who can carry the team. Because one thing is clear: Not all 23 outfield players will be used equally. It is therefore all the more important that the first 16 to 17 players are challenged in training and that we have experienced substitutes in case of an emergency."
... on the fact that there is no trained right-back in the squad alongside Silvan Widmer:
"There were various criteria when putting together the squad. On the one hand, we wanted to reward those who proved themselves in qualifying. On the other hand, we also wanted to consider players who have made a name for themselves with strong performances in recent months and currently have the momentum on their side. We have various options on the right-hand side. In the back five, we already played Michel Aebischer or Dan Ndoye in this position at the last European Championship. In the back four, I see Luca Jaquez and Eray Cömert as possible alternatives."
... on the role of Christian Fassnacht:
"He knows where the goal is, but also what his role is defensively. He is a flexible player who has earned his place in the squad with his performances. It would have been a shame to leave the Super League's top scorer at home."
... on Johan Manzambi's strong season:
"He showed what he's capable of in his very first training session with us. He lives for football and has a great urge to score. This season, he has improved from game to game and I don't think he has reached his full potential yet. He deserves to be in the Europa League final. That doesn't give me a headache, it gives me joy. Johan is versatile: at Freiburg he often plays in the center, with us on the wing. But I can also imagine him playing up front. I'm happy that I have so many options with him."
... on the largely drama-free selection:
"We earned that with the strong qualification. Unlike in the past, there was no background noise. It harmonizes extremely well. Everyone knows their role and how they can help the team."
