Luca Jaquez is one of the new faces in the national team. Ahead of the World Cup qualifiers against Sweden and Slovenia, the central defender talks about his anticipation, the call from Murat Yakin and role model Manuel Akanji.
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- Luca Jaquez was nominated for the Swiss senior team for the first time and describes the call from coach Murat Yakin as "surprising" and "emotional".
- The 22-year-old impressed with strong performances at VfB Stuttgart and in the U21 national team.
- Ahead of the World Cup qualifiers against Sweden and Slovenia, Jaquez emphasizes his ambition and sees Manuel Akanji as a role model for his development.
From 0 to 100 - that's roughly how Luca Jaquez's career to date can be described. He made the leap from FCL youth to the pros in 2022 and became a regular player two years ago. Last winter, he moved abroad to VfB Stuttgart - and now his first call-up to the senior squad.
It was a very emotional moment when he received the call from Murat Yakin, says the 22-year-old during his first media appearance as a national team player. "It fills me with pride and honor to be able to represent this country. I've been following the national team since I was a little kid. Now a childhood dream is coming true."
After his strong performances for Stuttgart and the U21 national team, it was really only a matter of time before Jaquez was called up by Yakin. In September, a broken nose prevented his nomination. Nevertheless, Yakin's call-up came as a surprise to him. "There's always a lot of speculation. When I got the call-up, it was an extremely nice feeling. I'm really looking forward to my time with the national team."
Akanji as a role model
His move abroad came early - but it seems to have been absolutely the right decision. Jaquez quickly became an important player in Stuttgart. He was allowed to play in the cup final against Bielefeld and is also a regular in the new season.
Now the Lucerne native wants to really get going in the national team. "I have the ambition that I'll also get appearances," he says confidently. "To do that, I have to work hard in every training session and give it my all." Tips from Manuel Akanji, who has been one of the best defenders in the world for years, should also help. "I can learn a lot from him and try to pick up a few things from him in training."
Jaquez and his Nati colleagues now have to prepare optimally for the two upcoming away games in the World Cup qualifiers. Switzerland face Sweden on Friday and Slovenia on Monday. After the opening victories against Kosovo and Slovenia, Murat Yakin's team can approach the games with a broad chest.
