Maybe it could have gone unnoticed. But on Saturday, in Leskovac, Breel Embolo missed the penalty which could have put the Swiss team back in its match, which was trailing 2-0 by Serbia. Symbol of a player losing confidence, the try hit halfway up delighted Pedrag Rajkovic, the Serbian goalkeeper.
But was Breel Embolo the designated shooter? A priori not. It was Granit Xhaka who put the ball in his hands, after the Monaco striker told him he wanted to shoot. As if everything wasn’t clear. It’s not just an impression. There does not seem to be a precise framework for this responsibility, which is not trivial.
Let’s explain. In recent years, it has been Xherdan Shaqiri who has been the regular penalty taker for the national team. He loved and took on this responsibility. Since Murat Yakin took charge in the summer of 2021, the national team had only obtained three, before that of Saturday: the first missed by Haris Seferovic in Northern Ireland, during the coach’s third match; the other two achieved by Shaqiri, against Andorra in Sion a year ago and against Estonia in a friendly match before the Euro.
In short, the question has never really arisen. But after the playmaker’s international retirement and before the match in Denmark last month, Yakin was asked about the issue. His response? “It’s up to the captain to decide, I like him to take this responsibility. But we also have a few other candidates.” After Saturday’s match, he repeated himself, believing that it is up to Xhaka or Akanji to choose.
In other words, he expects these two to shoot. Unless they don’t feel each other and another suitor shows up. This is probably what happened in Leskovac, since Embolo was not a priori designated before the match. This still raises questions about the method.
According to our information, in the past, in the Swiss team, three players were designated before the match, with an established order, even if it is never fixed. Is this still the case today? It seems more vague. This looks more like a transfer of responsibilities to executives. And no doubt that, in the coach’s mind, it is up to them to take a penalty, and not another, regardless of the “trauma” which may be linked to it (Xhaka had missed his shot on goal against Poland at Euro 2016, Akanji against England this summer).
The fact remains that the facts, as presented by the coach, leave room for doubt and misunderstanding. On Ticino television RSI, Blerim Dzemaili, former international and now consultant, smiled: “In my twenty years of career, I have never heard that it is up to the captain to choose the shooter. I can’t believe that’s the case.”
Murat Yakin seems to believe that things should be less rigid. Maybe he’ll change his mind.
