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Report nowCoach Roy Hodgson wanted to start Andy Egli in the third World Cup group stage match against Colombia in 1994. Egli said, “No thanks, Roy.” Here, he explains why that was and what role the Italian Roberto Baggio played in it.
“I actually went to great lengths to be able to compete in the tournament in the U.S., since I’d suffered two serious cruciate ligament injuries,” says Andy Egli. “I did everything I could to get back in shape so I could experience a World Championship tournament at least once in my career.”
Nevertheless, the five-time Swiss champion did not see any playing time at the tournament in the U.S. This was despite the fact that then-national team coach Roy Hodgson wanted to put him in the third group stage match against Colombia after the team had already secured its place in the next round. But Egli declined to come off the bench. He told Hodgson at the time: “Thank you very much for your trust, but Dominique Herr is simply better than I am and fully integrated into this team.”
Despite the effort the 77-time national team player put in to participate in the tournament, he came to an important realization after preparing for the World Cup. Egli got to play in one of the final warm-up matches against Italy before the tournament in the U.S. During that game, Roberto Baggio “made such a fool of him” that he had to admit: “I may be fit again, but it just isn’t enough at the highest level anymore.”
Together with Roger Wehrli, Heinz Lüdi, and Charly In-Albon, he formed the so-called “Abbruch GmbH” in the 1980s under national team coach Paul Wolfisberg: “No one could get past us,” he sums up.
But for Egli and his teammates, “breaking up” the play didn’t mean stopping the opponent by unfair means. “We used our tactical and technical skills to prevent our opponents from getting past us.” That’s why, unlike Michi Wegmann, head of blue News Sport, and many others, the 68-year-old still associates the nickname “Abbruch GmbH” with positive thoughts even today.
14.07.2026, 17:51
