A new campaign begins for the Swiss national team in Copenhagen. In the Nations League, it’s all about money, points and a good starting position for World Cup qualification.
Before the premiere as number one: Goalie Gregor Kobel (left) and the Swiss national coach Murat Yakin in the Parken Stadium the day before the match against Denmark.
Gian Ehrenzeller / Keystone
It was Gregor Kobel’s first appearance as the number one goalie of the Swiss national team when he sat on the podium in the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen next to national coach Murat Yakin on Wednesday evening. A little tension was part of this premiere, it was “something different to being in the club,” Kobel later said of his new role as Yann Sommer’s successor. But nervous? He won’t know until tomorrow, he said. “Nervousness is part of our job.”
A new chapter in Kobel’s career begins against Denmark on Thursday evening at 8:45 p.m. It was a boyhood dream to be the number one goalie in the national team, he said. That’s why he was very happy when he got the call from Yakin after Sommer’s retirement was announced. He said: “I will do everything I can to contribute to the success and a good atmosphere in the team.”
Denis Zakaria is likely to try his hand as a central defender
The change between the goalposts is the biggest change in the Swiss team after ten years with Sommer. But the retirement of central defender Fabian Schär also presents Yakin with the task of finding new solutions – in the center of defense. “I decided this morning that there is a more offensive and a more stable variant,” said the coach. He did not want to be more specific.
Nevertheless, at least the starting line-up against Denmark is not particularly difficult to guess. As he did when announcing the squad, Yakin indicated again that he also considers midfielder Denis Zakaria to be a good option in the three-man defense – that would probably be “the more offensive option.”
In Monaco, where Zakaria has been promoted to captain, the 27-year-old has occasionally helped out in defence. Nico Elvedi would be left behind if Zakaria plays alongside Manuel Akanji and Ricardo Rodriguez. Elvedi could then be part of the more defensive variant on Sunday against Spain. Gregory Wüthrich, who has been nominated for the first time, could also be considered for this.
On the left side, Yakin will likely rely on Michel Aebischer and Ruben Vargas, while the right flank could be handled by the recovered Silvan Widmer and Fabian Rieder. Granit Xhaka and Remo Freuler are set to play in the centre, and Breel Embolo will be in the centre of the attack.
Denmark is not an easy opponent. The Danes reached the round of 16 at the European Championships, but were then eliminated by Germany (0:2). After the tournament, Danish captain Simon Kjaer announced his retirement after 132 international matches. Andreas Christensen, Thomas Delaney and Rasmus Hojlund have withdrawn due to injury.
More significant is the fact that Denmark’s national coach Morten Wieghorst is on sick leave due to stress symptoms. Lars Knudsen will be on the sidelines for Wieghorst. Knudsen is assistant coach at FC Augsburg and has been given permission by his employer to take over as interim coach. Knudsen knows most of his players as a former youth coach in the Danish association.
The influence on World Cup qualification
In addition to Denmark, Switzerland will compete in League A with Spain and Serbia. After the match against European champions Spain in the sold-out Stade de Genève on Sunday, Serbia will be the third group opponent in Leskovac in October. After the last group match in Tenerife against Spain, the score will be settled in November: the top two in each group will qualify for a play-off in March. The four winners of the play-offs will take part in the final tournament in June 2025. On paper, the Swiss are the second strongest team in their group. If they finish fourth, they would be relegated directly, and if they finish third in the group, they would have to play a play-off to avoid relegation.
The results of the Nations League will also influence the draw for the World Cup qualifiers for the tournament in North America in summer 2026. In addition to the FIFA ranking, the first and second from the four Nations League groups in League A will be placed in the first pot for the draw, regardless of their position in the nations’ rankings. The four remaining places in the first pot will be determined after the end of the Nations League. It would be an advantage for the Swiss to be in the first pot in the draw, because it would allow them to avoid the top nations in the World Cup qualifiers.
It has also not yet been officially confirmed that the four finalists of the Nations League will automatically qualify for a play-off for participation in the World Cup if a team does not finish first or second in their group in the World Cup qualification.
The draw for the World Cup qualification will take place at the end of November or the beginning of December. Due to the increase in the number of World Cup participants to 48, 16 teams from Europe will be able to take part in the World Cup instead of the previous 13. The Nations League is also financially lucrative. The Swiss will receive a starting fee of 2.25 million euros in League A. Those who reach the final tournament will receive another 2.5 million euros. The prize money for the winner is an additional 6 million euros.
However, it will still be a while before the score is settled. The first thing the Swiss national team has to do is solve the problem in Copenhagen.
