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3398 days! It’s been a long time since a Swiss Under-21 team last played a match at the European Championship. June 2011, 0-2 in the final against Spain. With Yann Sommer, Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri, the starting lineup is a trio that has shaped the Swiss national team for years.
Now a new generation follows in their footsteps. After a never-in-jeopardy 3-0 win against Liechtenstein, the U21 team can no longer participate in the European Championship for the first time in ten years. Eight games, 24 points! Neither Austria nor Romania, North Macedonia, Poland or the Czech Republic can achieve this number of points. It means: Even if coach Mauro Lustrinelli’s team lost the group win to the French, the team would still be one of the top five runners-up at the Euro. Two laps before the end. Exceptional!
Against Liechtenstein, the course was set for victory after just four minutes, St. Gallen striker Guillemenot heads a center from GC Pusic wing to the net, Andi Zeqiri (with his ninth (!) Qualifying goal) and Silvan Sidler (with a dream goal from a distance), Ländle’s kickers are served. They only won one of the 66 qualifying matches (against Azerbaijan), anything but a win for Switzerland would have been a sensation.
However, qualification for the Swiss Under-21 team is not a question of form. On the contrary. Eight wins in eight games, including a 3-1 win over the strong French, speak for themselves. As a reward, the Lustrinelli boys go to Slovenia and Hungary in March.
Tissot Arena, 500 spectators
The objectives: 4. Guillemenot (Pusic) 1: 0. 42. Zeqiri (Ndoye) 2: 0. 54. Sidler 3: 0.
Constellations:
Switzerland: Racioppi; Rüegg, Bamert (68th Stergiou), Van der Werff, Sidler; Pusic (61. Imeri), Domgjoni (61. Jankewitz), Toma, Ndoye (77. Stojilkovic); Guillemenot (61. Mambimbi), Zeqiri
