With performances like last autumn they have no place at the European Championships, says the captain of the Swiss footballers. And the Germans are much better than the latest results suggested.
Granit Xhaka is already thinking about the Bundesliga summit between his team Leverkusen and Bayern Munich on February 10th. He says: “Against Bayern we are playing for everything, for a milestone.”
Thilo Schmuelgen / Reuters
Granit Xhaka, you are starting the second half of the Bundesliga season from pole position with Leverkusen this weekend. Last summer, many observers viewed your transfer from Arsenal to Bayer as a step backwards.
“There were actually a lot of comments along those lines. Why are you doing this? From London to Leverkusen, that’s a step backwards. You could have played in the Champions League with Arsenal. All well and good. I was interested in this challenge, this project with sports director Simon Rolfes and coach Xabi Alonso. Hardly anyone would have expected that things would go so well straight away. But somehow it feels so good to have accepted this challenge.”
What makes you confident that things will end well in the spring?
«Let me back up a bit. When I walked into the dressing room for the first time in the summer, I immediately felt special vibes – the togetherness, the respect, the fun, the seriousness, an incredibly good environment. I couldn’t have made a better decision.”
Alonso impresses you.
“It represents the incredibly great hunger. He does more kilometers in every training session than us players. Details, details, details! Xabi really doesn’t leave anything to chance – if he has to, he interrupts the exercise often until the passing combination is perfect. He lives for football, he gives everything, he makes us better. For a coach like that, a team will go through fire without hesitation.”
You need a coach in top form in the long-distance duel with Bayern. Leverkusen will have to do without top scorer Boniface for months, and two defensive regulars will miss several games because of the Africa Cup.
«The failures are another challenge for all of us. Everyone has to give four to five percent more. There are opportunities for new players. Patrik Schick is back again. A lot came from our bench in the preliminary round too. It pays off that Alonso always looked after the entire squad intensively. Players with joker roles feel this appreciation and push the limits accordingly.
🤝 Granit #Xhaka about his association with Coach @XabiAlonso. 🗣️⬇️
📺 For the full interview: https://t.co/3Q7idURL47#Bayer04 | #Werkself pic.twitter.com/V4cmysRJYP
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04fussball) January 6, 2024
The summit meeting with record champions Bayern Munich is scheduled to take place in their own stadium on February 10th – an early turning point would be possible.
«This game will be decisive. We can get the morale and self-confidence there for the rest of the season. Against Bayern we are playing for everything, for a milestone.”
Speaking of milestones. Germany is your old and new home. And at the European Championship finals next June you will face the hosts Germany in Frankfurt. What went through your mind after the draw?
«First and foremost, I was happy. It’s nice that we can compete on a big stage with a really big player in international football. I’m not interested in what condition the DFB selection is currently in. Germany still has a number of quality players. And at the tournament in their own country they will present a completely different face to everyone. They are the organizers, so the tension was somewhat lost in the sometimes arbitrary tests. Not all players always pushed the limits – these are not extraordinary things, they happen. The coach Julian Nagelsmann carried out personnel experiments. For example, he would never use Kai Havertz as a left-back in a relevant game. Never!”
You know the German mentality from direct experience in the Bundesliga dressing room. They feel the German rhythm and know what the status of Germany as a football nation is. Do you share the general doubts?
“No, I don’t share that at all. The national team is extremely well staffed. At least three goalies can claim number 1 status: Neuer, Ter Stegen, Leno. Except for the full-backs, every position has three positions. Think of Rüdiger. He is a regular at Real Madrid, one of the best clubs in the world. My club colleague Jonathan Tah doesn’t have to hide from any defensive player in the world. Florian Wirtz? All I’ll say is: Enjoy this boy while he plays football. Wow! Özil was already a wow teammate for me, but Florian is a completely different caliber. We will be raving about him in the coming years.”
The Swiss national team continues with Murat Yakin – despite the considerable turbulence in the unsuccessful finish to the European Championship elimination. How did you follow the discussions about the national team?
“It’s not surprising to me that Muri is continuing – regardless of how the qualification went. We weren’t all that confident when you look at the results and games. Since the 2-2 draw against Romania, the team has not performed the way we imagine. The last four games were really weak. Insufficient! From the goalkeeper to the striker – including the coaching staff.”
Without a noticeable improvement in performance, it will be difficult with a view to the upcoming European Championship finals.
«We have no business at the European Championships with performances like last fall. In March we have to regain confidence in the two tests against Denmark and Ireland. We are called upon to show a different face. It doesn’t work with playful means alone. We see that every day in the Bundesliga and the Premier League. You have to run, win duels, you have to be a team, otherwise it will be a very difficult year for us.”
Are the international match dates in March pointing the way?
«For me these are not test games. We face better opponents than we have faced in the last twelve months. Denmark are a great team, Ireland are a toxic team that can play with a Scottish mentality. These two duels are a benchmark. We have to be 100 percent ready. Anything else is no fun.”
On another topic. The association parted ways with Yakin’s assistant Vincent Cavin in December. It is rumored that the SFV is now integrating a former national player into the coaching staff. Do you have a specific name in mind?
“It would certainly be an advantage if someone with experience at the highest level could join us. An ex-player who knows exactly what is going on inside and outside a national team. Someone with open ears and eyes, who communicates, who can be an additional competent contact person for the players. Someone who also corrects us when something is wrong.”
Assistant coach Vincent Cavin leaves ASF ➡️ https://t.co/zC9wVcUVRc
Assistant Coach Vincent Cavin Leaves ASF ➡️ https://t.co/t8doyfrUiH
Thank you for your many years of commitment, thank you for your commitment, thank you for your success, Vincent! pic.twitter.com/JV5Ng5t8YQ
— 🇨🇭 Nati (@nati_sfv_asf) December 7, 2023
Who are you specifically thinking of? Who fully meets such a profile?
«I have a name in mind. If I could choose, I would choose Stephan Lichtsteiner. He would be a great solution for our team. He knows how to win and what it takes to be successful. He lives football without any ifs and buts. He also brings a huge personality. Steph enjoys the highest reputation at home and abroad, he is totally respected everywhere. He is currently gaining his first experience as a coach in Basel. So why not?”
What could Lichtsteiner include?
“He could refine our defensive structure. In my opinion, defense is extremely important. Good work at the back makes the path to victory easier. We create fewer opportunities offensively than the big nations, so a lot depends on the defense. That’s why Stephan Lichtsteiner would be the perfect candidate.”
As a player, Lichtsteiner was a hard worker with high demands on those around him.
“I got to know him better and appreciate him during his time at Arsenal. He came to London at 34 and demonstrated his professionalism to everyone every day. That’s when I saw and finally understood why he won all his titles with Juventus. That’s no surprise. The way you prepare, behave, train is how you play at the end of the day. That has to get into our heads.”