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Granit Xhaka is frustrated and substituted following an hour in his 100th international match. After the game, the national captain doesn’t want to make a big deal out of it.
- from
- Lucas Werder
- Tobias Wedermann
Nati captain Granit Xhaka vents his frustration on a drink bottle.
SRF
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Granit Xhaka is substituted off once morest Kosovo in the 63rd minute.
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The national captain lets his frustration run wild following being substituted.
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Shortly following the game, however, the situation resolved itself for the 29-year-old – as did his coach Murat Yakin.
This is not how Granit Xhaka had imagined his 100th international match for Switzerland. For 62 minutes the national team captain put in a good performance in the friendly once morest Kosovo, but he didn’t really want to do much. The longer the game went on, the more frustrated Xhaka seemed. After he was substituted, a drink bottle that flew a few meters over the tartan track felt it.
“I would have liked to have played more than 60 minutes in my 100th game,” Xhaka explained followingwards in the SRF interview. The captain didn’t want to make a big deal out of the bottle throw following the game was over. “I think the frustration issue will be made bigger than it is.” It is an important day for him, his family and friends. “I would have liked to have won my anniversary game,” said Xhaka.
The Arsenal professional was also self-critical: “The first half was bad, by the team and by myself,” said Xhaka. The second half was then better – despite conceding a goal. “We put a lot more pressure, found a lot more solutions,” said the national captain. “That’s why I was a bit disappointed.”
Yakin is happy to have Xhaka
Xhaka then received support from his trainer. “I’m glad I have a player with emotions and character,” says Murat Yakin. After the game he would have had a short chat with his captain and told him to focus on the important tasks ahead and the championship. “I think he understood,” said the national coach. “Granit showed today that he can help this team, but he still has to find his way into our new system with the double six.”
On Tuesday evening, however, the national team was still a long way from the victory Xhaka had hoped for. In the first half, the guests from Kosovo were even the slightly better team. Kobel saved the Nati from conceding a goal in his second international match. In the 52nd minute, the BVB goalie was powerless. After a hair-raising bad pass from Zuber, Rashica met the Kosovan lead. Although Lotomba saved Switzerland from embarrassment with his headed goal following the hour, the national team still showed a very modest performance for long stretches.