After making a major impact at Euro 2020, Switzerland will be determined to go even further on this occasion.
In the last edition of the competition, Switzerland showed excellent spirit as they overcame France and made it through to the quarter-finals, where they were beaten on penalties by Spain.
Being placed in the same group as hosts Germany won’t make matters easy for Switzerland this time around, but they will be hopeful that they can finish above Scotland and Hungary.
There is a lot of experience in the Switzerland squad, which should prove to be useful during the tournament.
The likes of Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri know what it is like to play at a major tournament and certainly won’t be fazed by the occasion.
Switzerland will be aiming to build on Euro 2020, when they reached the quarter-finals
Ricardo Rodriguez, meanwhile, also has over 100 caps, and there is a strong feeling of togetherness in the group.
Here’s everything you need to know about Switzerland, including how they qualified for the tournament, their history in the competition and who to look out for.
Who is their manager?
Murat Yakin (2021-present)
Murat Yakin has been in charge of Switzerland since August 2021 and has overseen 14 wins, 10 draws and eight defeats so far.
His Switzerland side reached the round of 16 stage at the 2022 World Cup, where they were beaten 6-1 by Portugal.
Murat Yakin, who played for Switzerland himself, has managed the national team since 2021
Yakin played for Switzerland himself, scoring four goals in 49 caps between 1994 and 2004, while his brother Hakan also played for the nation.
Prior to taking on the Switzerland job, Yakin had managed a host of clubs including Basel, Spartak Moscow and Grasshoppers. He won the second division title with Thun in his first season as a manager (2009-10). Yakin also won the Swiss top division title twice with Basel.
Who is their star man?
Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji is undoubtedly a superb player, but Xhaka is perhaps Switzerland’s star man.
The former Arsenal midfielder will go into this summer’s tournament off the back of an outstanding season with Bayer Leverkusen, who went unbeaten as they won their first Bundesliga title. Xhaka also scored an excellent winner in the final as Leverkusen beat Kaiserslautern to win the DFB-Pokal.
Granit Xhaka goes into the tournament off the back of a superb season with Bayer Leverkusen
On the international stage Xhaka holds the record for the most caps for Switzerland in history with 123, while he has also scored 14 goals for his country.
The Switzerland captain is undoubtedly an important figure for his side, and Xhaka’s performances could well be key as they look to enjoy a lengthy run in the tournament.
How did they qualify?
Switzerland secured their place in the final tournament after finishing as runners-up in qualification Group I behind Romania. They finished above Israel, Belarus, Kosovo and Andorra.
During qualifying, Switzerland won four, drew five and lost one of their 10 games. They also had the top individual scorer in their qualifying group, with Zeki Amdouni of Burnley netting six goals.
Zeki Amdouni scored six goals in qualifying as Switzerland secured their place at the finals
Fixtures (all UK time)
June 15 – Hungary v Switzerland (Cologne, 2pm)
June 19 – Scotland v Switzerland (Cologne, 8pm)
June 23 – Switzerland v Germany (Frankfurt, 8pm)
Tournament history
1996 – Group stage
2004 – Group stage
2008 – Group stage
2016 – Round of 16
2020 – Quarter-finals
Switzerland have only been involved in five Euros finals, but they gave their best showing so far in the last competition. They were joint-hosts with Austria for the 2008 edition.
Switzerland were joint hosts for Euro 2008 but couldn’t progress beyond the group stages
Odds to win the trophy
66-1 (Sky Bet)
Provisional squad (33 players)
Goalkeepers: Yann Sommer (Inter Milan), Yvon Mvogo (Lorient), Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund), Marvin Keller (Winterthur), Pascal Loretz (Luzern)
Defenders: Ricardo Rodriguez (Torino), Fabian Schar (Newcastle United), Manuel Akanji (Manchester City), Nico Elvedi (Borussia Monchengladbach), Silvan Widmer (Mainz 05), Kevin Mbadu (Augsburg), Cedric Zesigner (Wolfsburg), Leonidas Stergiou (Stuttgart), Albuan Hajdari (Lugano).
Xherdan Shaqiri, who now plays for Chicago Fire, remains part of the Switzerland squad
Midfielders: Granit Xhaka (Bayer Leverkusen), Xherdan Shaqiri (Chicago Fire), Remo Freuler (Bologna), Denis Zakaria (Monaco), Michel Aebischer (Bologna), Fabian Rieder (Rennes), Uran Bislimi (Lugano), Ardon Jashari (Luzern), Filip Ugrinic (Young Boys), Vincent Sierro (Toulouse).
Forwards: Breel Embolo (Monaco), Steven Zuber (AEK Athens), Ruben Vargas (Augsburg), Renato Steffen (Lugano), Noah Okafor (AC Milan), Zeki Amdouni (Burnley), Andi Zeqiri (Genk), Dan Ndoye (Bologna), Kwadwo Duah (Ludogorets).