Switzerland: sharp upward trend

Switzerland was forced to endure a toughening process when qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 2006. No other country suffered such similar torture on the way to the finals. Competition was so tough right from the word go in Europe’s Group 4 that their place in the next preliminary stage hung on a very thin thread. And things then got even tougher in the play-offs against Turkey. After winning the first leg 2-0 in Bern, the Swiss only just got through by the skin of their teeth despite a 4-2 loss in Istanbul. The game sent waves reverberating around the world due to the ugly incidents that began prior to the match and that found their ignominious climax after the final whistle. Deep-felt nervous tension, which was there to be overcome, turned into a remarkable deep-felt delight. Switzerland’s appearance at the World Cup finals in Germany will be their first since the FIFA World Cup 1994 in USA.

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“A dream has become reality,” wrote the newspapers on the morning after a night in the Fenerbahce Istanbul’s Sükrü-Saracoglu Stadium which had ended in chaos. Turkish fans are famed for their enthusiasm and they can make football matches become real festivals. That things can go to the other extreme was obvious for all to see in the play-offs. Immediately after arriving in Istanbul, the Swiss team was subjected to hostilities. The electric atmosphere during the 90 minutes could perhaps be explained by the game’s utmost importance. But it was no excuse for the Swiss being pelted with missiles from the stands upon the referee blowing up for full time. Far worse were the aggressive scenes between Turkish and Swiss players after the end of the game.

“We were really terrified. None of us had ever experienced anything like it,” said striker Marco Streller. The Turkish defender Alpay Özalan was singled out as one of the main culprits for the fracas in the player’s tunnel and changing room passageways. The International Football Federation (FIFA) took up the matter. President Joseph S. Blatter announced stiff punishments would be meted out. Upon returning home, Swiss fans gave their team the red carpet treatment. The enthusiasm in the country was almost boundless. National coach Jakob “Köbi” Kuhn was given a special honour: three days after qualifying a square in the Wiedikon working class area in his home town Zürich was officially renamed “Köbi-Kuhn-Platz World Cup 2006”. The idea came initially from the quarter’s residents.

Before the Swiss qualified for the finals in neighbouring Germany – on the away goals rule after the two games against Turkey had produced a 4-4 aggregate – they had previously gone 14 games without loss over a period of more than a year. Switzerland remained undefeated in the European World Cup qualifying Group 4. And the group contained strong competition in France, who went through as group winners, Israel and Ireland. In no other group was the outcome so wide open until the final minute. A draw in Ireland in the final match, which constituted one of the highlights in addition to the two draws against France, increased the Swiss tally of points to 18. In the end, it was just enough for them to qualify for the play-offs against Turkey, as Israel also had 18 points to their credit.

The FIFA World Cup 2006 appearance is an indication of the sharp upwards trend in Swiss football. Their junior teams have belonged to the continent’s strongest for several years now thanks to an exemplary academy system. The U-17 team became European champions in 2002. Team members Tranquillo Barnetta (Bayer Leverkusen) and Philippe Senderos (Arsenal) are already regulars in the senior team, which is also quite successful these days. It reached the European Championships finals in Portugal in 2004. And in two year’s time, the Swiss national team, known simply as “Nati” in their home country, will appear at their third major finals in succession as they are joint hosts of the 2008 European Championships along with Austria.

“Köbi” Kuhn will still be coach for the finals on home soil as he signed a new two-year contract after the successful World Cup qualification. Having previously guided the U-21s on the road to the top, Kuhn has been in charge of the national team since June 2001. During his playing career he won six Swiss championships with FC Zürich and gained 63 caps for his country. His team based around captain Johann Vogel (AC Milan) is a mixture of experienced players and talented youngsters. The FIFA World Cup 2006 will be a “home game” for seven current team members: Raphael Wicky (Hamburg), Barnetta (Leverkusen), Benjamin Huggel, Christoph Spycher (both Eintracht Frankfurt), Marco Streller, Ludovic Magnin (both Stuttgart) and Philipp Degen (Borussia Dortmund) are all on the books of German clubs. Goalkeeper Pascal Zuberbühler (Basel) also played for Leverkusen once.

Kuhn formulated the targets for the guest appearance next summer in Germany as being: “The team showed its maturity in qualifying, especially in the last game against Turkey. They stood firm when under great pressure. It makes me confident that we can also put on a good display at the World Cup itself,” said the successful national coach. At their last FIFA World Cup, the Swiss forced their way into the last sixteen. Should things go favourably at the 2006 edition, they will hope to go further.