Euro 2016 team guide: Group A – Switzerland
A run of five wins on the spin was enough to see the Swiss take second-place behind England in their group, sealing their place in France with a thumping 7-0 win over San Marino with a game to spare.
The country has finished bottom in the group stages of every European Championship they have reached but the draw offers hope of making it through to the knock-out stages for the first time ever.
With experienced players playing in many of the top leagues across Europe, Switzerland have the squad to beat Albania and Romania to second spot in Group A though a run further looks unlikely.
Star Man – Xherdan Shaqiri
The man with the mighty thighs continues to be a player on the verge of true greatness.
Blessed with more tricks than a bag of weasels, the ‘Alpine Messi’ has only shown glimpses of what he can really do with Stoke in the Premier League but when he’s in the mood he can be truly devastating.
To date, the 24-year-old has scored 17 goals in 51 caps for his country and that’s the highest total of any Swiss international currently playing.
It’s a fantastic return for a midfielder but hardly surprising given just how deadly his left-foot can be.
One to Watch – Breel Embolo
Not just a rising star but quite possibly European football’s next bona fide superstar.
The young Basel striker was born in Cameroon but moved to Basel as a child and became a Swiss citizen at 17.
Lightning quick and super strong, the Basel striker shows all the qualities needed to make the step up to established international and it’s clear already that coach Vladimir Petkovic is keen to give him that opportunity.
Coach – Vladimir Petković
The successor to Ottmar HItzfeld, Petkovic arrived from Lazio having taken them to victory in the Coppa Italia in his first season at the Rome giants. A Bosnian Croat, he’s also managed six Swiss clubs, including a successful spell with Young Boys.
Petkovic is also unique among modern day managers in that until he coached Young Boys he also worked for a homeless charity in Locarno, combining his work there with taking training sessions with his clubs in the evening.
Factfile
Most capped player: Heinz Hermann (118)
Highest goalscorer: Alex Frei (42)
Best performance in Euros: Group stage in 1996, 2004 and 2008
FIFA world ranking: TBC
Odds: 66/1
Group A Fixtures
Friday, June 10: France v Romania (20:00, Stade de France, Paris)
Saturday, June 11: Albania v Switzerland (14:00, Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens)
Wednesday, June 15: Romania v Switzerland (17:00, Parc des Princes, Paris)
Wednesday, June 15: France v Albania (20:00, Stade Velodrome, Marseille)
Sunday, June 19: Romania v Albania (20:00, Stade de Lyon)
Sunday, June 19: Switzerland v France (20:00, Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille)