“There are pills for headaches.” The question posed to Murat Yakin was not about the best way to erase the consequences of the festivities that could liven up the Swiss team’s evening. “On that subject, the players are free to celebrate as they wish. But they are professionals, I am not sure they will want to go out,” the coach specified. No, the question was how he was going to go about choosing the eleven players who would start Saturday’s quarter-final, knowing in particular that Silvan Widmer will be back from suspension.
The question is certainly food for thought. The fact is that, since the start of the Euro, the Swiss coach has been guided by a formidable intuition. “Finding the right system, using the right tactics, is also a question of luck,” continued “Muri”, whose choices continue to pay off. We must remain humble, in relation to that and the rest. Modesty characterizes us, there is no reason to change our state of mind.«
Speaking of modesty, Ruben Vargas instinctively paid tribute to his captain when he was invited to comment on his grandiose goal (2-0, 46th). “It’s funny, because when we came back on the pitch, Granit (Xhaka) said to me: “Please, score a goal”, reveals the man who received the man of the match award . Wish granted in less than a minute.
Everything, really, went in the best possible way to allow Switzerland to write a fantastic page in its history. “Including the post that saved us at the start of the second half. Fortunately it was there, precisely, and not 10 centimetres further away. We must not forget that the details turned out in our favour,” continued Murat Yakin in a humble tone.
The rest of the tournament? The coach preferred not to mention it. “We beat a great football nation, in style, by dominating it from the first second. What we have just experienced is something rare. You have to know how to take advantage of it.”
What could pass for an invitation to enjoy the nocturnal joys of Berlin is therefore not one. “I think we are all on the same wavelength. We want to think football, breathe football. This is what brings us joy, what gives us strength. For everything else, we don’t have time.”
