With a 2:3 defeat against Spain in Tenerife, SRF star presenter Rainer Maria Salzgeber says goodbye to the Nati after 28 years. Here he names his five ultimate highlights from this time.
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- No international match without Rainer Maria Salzgeber. That was true for all Swiss players over the last 28 years.
- After the 2:3 against Spain, the star presenter from Valais is stepping down from the SRF national team crew.
- For blue Sport, he names his 5 highlights of these 28 years.
Xherdan Shaqiri was only five when Rainer Maria Salzgeber (55) made his debut with the national team at the 1996 European Championship. Now the man from Valais is stepping down just a few weeks after Shaqiri.
The SRF presenter was a formative figure off the pitch for 28 years and provided many highlights. His math challenge with national team star Manuel Akanji in November 2018 is unforgettable: Salzgeber with the calculator, Akanji, the math genius, in his head.
Salzgeber loses the maths duel despite the aid.
When asked about his highlights with the national team, Salzgeber himself names five others. For blue Sport, he recalls his most memorable moments with the national team.
Here are Salzgeber's top five in chronological order.
European Championship 1996: England - Switzerland (1:1)
"I hadn't been at SRF for long back then and wouldn't have dared to dream of the European Championships in England. And then I was allowed to step in as a Flash interviewer. I was with TV greats like Thurnheer, Netzer and Hüppi at a final at Wembley. And then at Switzerland versus England. It was unbelievable for me back then and still unforgettable today."
2001: Faroe Islands - Switzerland (0:1)
"A trip I'll never forget, first the flight to Denmark, then on a small plane to the Faroe Islands. When I saw the stadium, I was reminded of the mountain village championship in Valais. That was something I always appreciated during my time with the national team: You get to see places you'd probably never see otherwise."
Euro 2016: Albania - Switzerland (0:1)
"Switzerland versus Albania at the European Championship in France was one of the most emotional things I've experienced with the national team. The brotherly duel between Granit and Taulant Xhaka, the many crests, half Switzerland, half Albania. The first duel between the two countries was also a duel of friendship, with many colleagues facing each other."
2018 World Cup: Serbia - Switzerland (1:2)
"Also very emotional, but much less friendly. What happened before, during and after the game was extreme. These are special memories, not just sporting ones. This match showed me that football is much more than just a game on the pitch."
Euro 2024: Switzerland - Italy (2:0)
"In the round of 16 against Italy at a European Championship in Germany. That euphoria, that party. I can immediately see Beni Huggel doing the wave with the Swiss fans again. And then this great performance by the Swiss, this clear victory. At that moment, I knew that it couldn't get any better."
