the Swiss way to Euro 2008

to discuss warm-up matches, squad selection etc...

By the way, the Liechtenstein friendly next month is sold out. The current fixtures for the rest of the year

16.8. Liechtenstein - Switzerland
2.9.-6.9 friendly tournament with Switzerland, Austria, Costa Rica and Venezuela in Basel and Geneva
11.10. Austria - Switzerland

 

who would you like to see at Euro 2008? I think, the most discussions will be about the spots in midfield as in defense, we could play with the same guys as at the World Cup and in attack, there are not many possibilities. However, in midfield we have a big choice

keepers:
Zubi (Basel)
Coltorti (GC)
Benaglio (Sevilla)

defenders:
Magnin (VfB)
Spycher (Eintracht)
+evtl. Gonçalves (Heart of Midlothian)
Senderos (Arsenal)
Djourou (Arsenal)
Mueller (Lyon)
Grichting (Auxerre)
Degen (Borussia D.)
Lichtsteiner (Lille)

what about Dzombic (Basel) if he gets playtime with Basel?

midfielders:
Vogel (Milan)
Dzemaili (Zuerich)
Margairaz (Zuerich)
Hakan (YB)
Wicky (HSV)
Cabanas (Koeln)
Barnetta (Leverkusen)
David Degen (Basel)
Behrami (Lazio)
Gygax (Lille)

I hope some of the youngsters will get their chance, such as
Rakitic (Basel)
Kuzmanovic (Basel)
Chiumiento (Juventus)
Schwegler (Leverkusen)
Ziegler (Tottenham)

attackers:
Frei (Borussia D.)
Streller (VfB)
Vonlanthen (Red Bull Salzburg)
Lustrinelli (Sparta Prag)

hope Esteban (Servette) gets his chance

 

for most bookmakers, Switzerland is the nr. 8 as for Unibet for example:

Italy 7.00
England 7.00
Holland 8.00
France 8.50
Spain 9.00
Germany 9.00
Portugal 17.50
Switzerland 20.00
Czech Republic 25.00
Russia 35.00
Croatia 50.00
Sweden 50.00
Austria 60.00
Denmark 60.00
Turkey 75.00
Ukraine 75.00
Greece 80.00
Poland 100.00
Romania 100.00
Ireland 100.00
Norway 150.00
Belgium 200.00
Slovakia 200.00
Bulgaria 200.00
Hungary 400.00
Slovenia 500.00
Bosnia-Herzegovina 500.00
Israel 600.00
Scotland 600.00
Belarus 750.00
Finland 1000.00
Wales 1000.00
Latvia 1000.00
Lithuania 1500.00
Georgia 1500.00
Estonia 2000.00
Northern Ireland 3000.00
Iceland 3000.00
Macedonia 3000.00
Albania 4000.00
Cyprus 4000.00
Faroe Islands 5000.00
Moldova 5000.00
Luxembourg 5000.00
San Marino 5000.00
Kazakhstan 5000.00
Azerbaijan 5000.00
Armenia 5000.00
Malta 5000.00
Liechtenstein 5000.00
Andorra 5000.00

 

Liechtenstein - Switzerland is approaching

hopefully, Esteban gets a surprising call.

 

Switzerland against Liechtenstein without Vonlanthen and without the injured Senderos

 

I guess it's the only possible reason.

And Vonlanthen already showed egoistic behaviour in the U-21 team and it seems he had a discussion with Trappatoni before the rematch against Zurich because he wasn't in the starting XI. So against Zurich he was on the bench and against GAK as well

 

the Swiss team against Liechtenstein is the same as at the WC with Senderos lacking due to injury


in the U-21 there are three new names for the match against Denmark with Esteban, Kuzmanovic and Afonso being promoted from the U-19


Gardien: Leoni (FC Zurich/22 ans/4 sélections/0 but). Zibung (Lucerne/22/3/0).

Défenseurs: Bühler (Sochaux/21/12/1). Kuzmanovic (Bâle/19/0/0). Lichtsteiner (Lille/22/28/1). Maric (St-Gall/22/7/0). Schwegler (Young Boys/22/5/0). Stahel (FC Zurich/21/2/0).

Demis et attaquants: Abdi (FC Zurich/20/1/0). Afonso (Twente/21/0/0). Antic (Aarau/21/2/0). Esteban (Servette/20/0/0). Fernandes (Sion/20/1/0). Malenovic (St-Gall/21/3/2). Marazzi (Saint-Gall/22/12/1). Salatic (Grasshopper/21/6/0). Schwegler (Leverkusen/19/7/0). Stanic (FC Zurich/21/1/0). Ziegler (Tottenham/20/12/1).

 

Djourou, Dzemaili, Barnetta and Behrami won't play against Venezuela and Costa Rica because they shall play for the under 21 to help the U-21 team to qualify for the Euro next year

if the team qualfies for the Euro, also Senderos and Vonlanthen should join the U-21 team

so, Esteban and Stanic won't get a call up for the matches against Costa Rica and Venezuela, but perhaps for the match against Austria

 

he is double-citizen, talented and playing for Zurich

but if Switzerland tops the U-21 group, we will have the playoffs in October and they wouldn't play against Austria then

 

it can be seen as live streaming on the swiss tv website, but I guess you need to connect to the internet via Switzerland

http://www.sf.tv/tvprogramm/index.php?tvdate=2006-08-16&channel=2

 

btw, Switzerland and Brazil are in talks for a friendly in November

 

Kuhn in the interview saying that Vonlanthen will get his chance again, that Chiumiento might get his chance, that Coltorti and Benaglio will play some time in the preparation matches. He also mentionned Stanic and Kuzmanovic and said there are other promising youngsters... No mention of Esteban, but apparently he hasn't seen him playing yet although a lot of people will talk him about (Michel Pont, Bernard Challandes etc.)

 

Challandes saying that Esteban could be in the starting XI in 2008 next to Frei

http://www.lematin.ch/nwmatinhome/nwmatinheadsport/sport_football/bernard_challandes.html

Esteban about himself

http://www.lematin.ch/nwmatinhome/nwmatinheadsport/sport_football/_j_ai_encore_tout.html

Vinas about Esteban
http://www.lematin.ch/nwmatinhome/nwmatinheadsport/sport_football/francisco_vinas_(president.html

Interview with Esteban in the tribune de Geneve
http://www.tdg.ch/tghome/toute_l_info_test/sports/esteban__18_08_.html

 

7 goals and 4 assists by Esteban in 5 matches and a great display. I certainly would like to see him alongside Frei at Euro 2008