Shaqiri speaks out: Fitness discussion “embarrassing” – settling scores with Chicago Fire
Xherdan Shaqiri is going into his seventh finals with the Swiss national team. Two days before the first European Championship match against Hungary, the 32-year-old speaks frankly about his role in the team and the likely impending departure from the USA – and he compares himself to Lionel Messi.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- At a memorable press conference, Xherdan Shaqiri speaks frankly about his role in the national team and his situation at Chicago Fire.
- Shaqiri cannot understand why some people think he cannot play 90 minutes. “I find the debate a bit embarrassing,” he says.
- The 32-year-old also makes it clear that he would like to play in Europe again and that he will probably leave Chicago Fire by the end of the year at the latest. He also does not hold back with criticism of his employer: “I hope the sporting management learns from their mistakes.”
- The national team starts the European Championship on Saturday against Hungary.
The role of Xherdan Shaqiri is one of the big topics surrounding the national team in the run-up to the European Championship. In two of the four European Championship tests, against the stronger opponents Denmark and Austria, Shaqiri started on the bench. Is Shaqiri not fit enough for the starting eleven? “It would be sensational for this national team if he came in from the bench and then did that certain something. I see him more in that position,” said blue Sport expert Pascal Zuberbühler recently in the “home game with the national team.”
And how does Shaqiri see his own role? How is his fitness? At the press conference two days before the Hungary match, he spoke plainly: “This debate is a bit embarrassing,” says Shaqiri, and seems a bit irritated by Murat Yakin’s statement that he cannot play 90 minutes twice in four days. “Did he really say that? I’m here to help the national team. Every player who is here can play 90 minutes.”
Shaqiri also stressed that he would respect any decision the coach made, whether he played from the start or came off the bench. “The coach decides who plays and who doesn’t. Every player has to accept that, including me. There is no agreement between me and Yakin. Even if I come off the bench, I will do my best.”
The comparison with Messi
Shaqiri has proven several times how important he can be for Switzerland at major tournaments. It was no coincidence that he was often referred to as the “Alpine Messi” when he was younger. The nickname is not a coincidence. Shaqiri himself sees great similarities in his playing style to that of the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.
“I bring creativity with my style, I can play the decisive passes and score goals out of nowhere. It’s similar to Lionel Messi. He just has this talent inside him and didn’t have to train himself to do it, and I see it the same way with myself,” explains Shaqiri. Accordingly, he believes that he can still be a great support for the national team. After all, he’s “not with the national team to go on holiday.”
Reckoning with Chicago Fire
Shaqiri wants to attack again. And not just for the national team. He says that he strongly believes he will no longer play for Chicago Fire next year. “My contract expires in the winter. There is a strong tendency that I will leave. I would like to return to Europe.”
The 32-year-old makes it clear that he had imagined his time in the USA a little differently. “My ambitions in Chicago were different, I wanted to lead the team into the playoffs. But the right decisions were not always made,” says Shaqiri – and does not hold back with criticism of former FCB sports director Georg Heitz, who has been Chicago’s sporting director since 2019: “At Inter Miami you can see very clearly what four or five good players can do. I hope the sporting management learns from their mistakes.”
The press conference in the live ticker for reading
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That’s it
The press conference is over.
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Shaqiri on board games with his teammate
“I’m good at darts (laughs), I aim very precisely. I hit the centre twice. Chess isn’t really my thing.”
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Shaqiri on his future: “The trend is farewell”
“I don’t look too far into the future. I don’t know where I’ll be in two years. My contract runs out in the winter. There’s a strong tendency that I’ll have to say goodbye. I’d like to return to Europe. But I’m very relaxed, it’s still too early to say anything. My contract still runs until the end of the year. A return to Europe would be cool, I still feel good. That would also be important for the national team.” When a journalist asked whether Servette or Sion could be the topic of discussion, Shaq replied with a laugh: “I’m from Basel.”
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Shaqiri on his iconic goal at the 2016 European Championship
“Perhaps it was my best goal (against Poland). But it would have been even better if we had progressed. I see the goal again and again in videos now, and I will probably see it often in the future too.”
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Shaqiri on his experience
“The nervousness is still there even in the seventh tournament. But I know what to expect. My role hasn’t changed much. I am of course one of the most experienced players in the national team and have experienced the whole process. I have also learned a lot in the last few years. My goal is to give everything and do my part to ensure that we are successful.”
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Shaqiri on the strength of the national team
“The best national team of all time? I don’t know. But Swiss football and the national team have developed. The people and the opponents have gained more respect. The players have gained a lot of experience and are playing at a high level. That certainly helps. At the last European Championships we almost made it to the semi-finals, now we’re trying again. Who knows, maybe one day Switzerland can win a trophy.”
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Shaqiri about Hungary
“They have good players, we must not underestimate them. I expect a great fight, they are strong. There are no favorites at a European Championship, anything can happen. But we also know what we can do and we have a chance of winning against Hungary.”
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Shaqiri on his strengths
“I bring creativity with my style and can score goals out of nowhere. I can play the decisive passes. Messi has that in him and I see it the same way with myself, that I simply have this talent without having to do much for it. It’s a plus point for me to have that little something extra.”
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Shaqiri on Chicago Fire
“You have to draw the right conclusions and make the right decisions to get back into the playoffs. Inter Miami has shown us how to do it. You can see what five strong new players can do. I hope that Chicago Fire can reach the playoffs again in the next few years.”
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Shaqiri on the expectations
“I can already feel the pressure from home (laughs). The mood in the team is very good. Our group is not as easy as everyone thinks. We have to be ready. But we are really looking forward to the games and I hope that we can start with good momentum.”
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Shaqiri on his role model role and help for the young people
“You shouldn’t pretend. The older you get, the more you look at the young people. You try to help and give them tips, but also have fun with them. It’s important that they feel well looked after and can act carefree.”
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Shaqiri about Xhaka
“He had a very good season in Leverkusen and I’m happy for him that he was finally able to win something in Germany. In Germany, people are crazy about football, I noticed that when I was at Bayern and won titles. I’m happy for Granit, you can see that he joined the national team with even more self-confidence.”
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Shaqiri about his injuries
“My knees, my hip, everything is fine, I’m fit. I’ll keep playing until one day I get up in the morning and realise that I don’t feel like playing anymore. This is my seventh tournament, I’m really enjoying being here with the guys. This isn’t something I do every day.”
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Shaqiri: “I want to recommend myself for the first eleven”
“It doesn’t matter how long you play. As a national team player, you want to give your best for your game. No matter how long you play. When I train, I want to recommend myself for the first eleven. I’m not with the national team to go on holiday.”
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Shaqiri on his role
“There is no agreement. The coach decides who plays and who doesn’t. Every player has to accept that, including me. Even if I come off the bench, I will do my best. It is also my job to help the young players. The pressure is high and you have to be able to deal with it. But again: the coach decides.”
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Shaqiri on his fitness level
“A lot has been written. Every player in the national team is there to play 90 minutes. This debate is a bit embarrassing. Every player who is here is not there to play 6 minutes. We can all play 90 minutes. I don’t see any problems there.”
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Shaqiri is here
Shaqiri enters the media room and takes time for the journalists. Before that, there is some information about Steven Zuber. He will train individually today and will be back with the team tomorrow.
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It’s about to start
The press conference is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. It should start shortly.
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Hello …
and welcome to the press conference with Xherdan Shaqiri. The Nati star answers journalists’ questions two days before Switzerland’s opening match at the European Championships against Hungary.
The problems with the grass in the Waldau stadium, where the national team trains and will probably continue to do so, are likely to be a topic of discussion. Shaqiri is a member of the team council, which has apparently spoken out in favor of continuing to train on the pitch.
His role in the national team is also likely to be discussed once again. In the last European Championship test match against Austria (1:1), Shaqiri started on the bench. Would the 123-time national team player be satisfied with the joker role? Or does he assume that he will be back in the starting eleven on Saturday against Hungary?
Ethel Purdy – Medical Blogger & Pharmacist
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