JAKARTA - Switzerland's attacking midfielder, Xherdan Shaqiri, has denied any doubts about his fitness ahead of Euro 2024's opening match against Hungary at Cologne on Saturday, June 15. The 32-year-old, who played for Bayern Munich and Liverpool, is preparing for his seventh major tournament with the Swiss national team and is ready to play the lead role.
Coach Murat Yakin reportedly doubted Shaqiri's ability to play in consecutive matches at the Euros, and this topic was brought up in a press conference on Thursday, June 12. "It's almost embarrassing to have to answer this question. Every player who enters the national team can and wants to play -- throughout the game," Shaqiri told reporters.
"Nothing should have just emerged to work half a time. I don't see a problem with that. Is (Yakin) really saying that? I gave an answer: I'm here with the national team because I want to help the team and play as much as possible. I'm not traveling to the European Cup for a vacation," he said.
Switzerland are undergoing an mediocre qualifying campaign, finishing second behind Romania in their group, by winning just four of 10 games and five draws. However, they have experienced players like Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen, and with the unique flair from Shaqiri, they hope to at least repeat their achievements to the quarter-finals of Euro 2020 -- including a win over France on penalties after trailing 3-1.
Meskipun demikian, mereka akan dianggap sebagai kuda hitam, namun Shaqiri tidak peduli. Ia mengatakan bahwa Swiss siap untuk tampil. "Ini adalah final kejumlah saya, dan masing-masing memiliki ceritanya sendiri," kata Shaqiri, yang telah bermain di Major League Soccer dengan Chicago Fire sejak 2022. "Saya menyukai pertaan sebelum turnamen, itu tidak ada di tempat lain."
"Since I joined the national team, we have continued to improve. Respect from the opponent and the public for us has grown, as well as the quality of the national team. Many players have important roles in big clubs," he added.
"To talk about the best national team of all time, we haven't had a major exploit -- three years ago we were very close to the semi-finals. The next generation is preparing and I hope one day Switzerland can lift the trophy," he explained.
Shaqiri scored an impressive acrobatic goal against Poland in the 2016 European Cup and Swiss fans hope he can find his sparks again this time. "They already told me at home: 'you did something special again in this final round.' So I already had a lot of pressure," joked Shaqiri, adding that he would be happy with whatever role was planned. Convinced for him.
"The coach and I have a transparent exchange. We'll see what happens. If I get off the bench, I'm ready to help a team like that," he said. "I'm also here to help the players face pressure. It doesn't matter how long you've been on the pitch -- you always give your best with a national jersey."
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