At the Switzerland camp up in the hills outside Stuttgart, they have been playing a lot of Uno. One of a number of “stupid card games” the squad have got into, according to the winger Steven Zuber; it is a pastime that looks easy to start with. But judicious use of the plus-four card is something that only comes with experience.
On the field, Switzerland are no novices and have certainly been playing their cards right. With an average age of 30, they have held Germany to a draw and dispatched the holders, Italy. Next up are England and Zuber is among the contingent who have seen it and done it.
Now 32 years old and at AEK Athens, he made his name in the Bundesliga and has 55 international caps. He also had a pivotal role in perhaps the biggest win in recent Swiss history, against France in the last 16 on penalties at the last European championships.
“In our national team one of the good things is that we have known each other for 10 or 15 years,” he says. “I have physios I have worked with since I was in the under-16s and it’s the same with my teammates. We know the good and bad parts of each other. That makes it a bit easier. If you have known your teammates for a long time, then you may know when it is not going so well for him, on the pitch, next to the pitch, and you know how to talk to him, how to help him in certain things.
“We have a good base camp, a lot of activities, a good team around the team. Our mood is great – we are happy. If you are having a good result it’s easier to have a good atmosphere, but the main thing is how we respect each other, how we know each other.”
As many as six of the XI who began the match against France three years ago are set to start in Düsseldorf on Saturday. Zuber is likely to be on the bench, but in Bucharest he had one of the games of his career, assisting Haris Seferovic’s opening goal with a delightful cross and winning a second-half penalty, albeit one saved by Hugo Lloris.
Zuber’s memories of that night, at least those he will share, are twofold. First, there was the response, a tidal wave of support from the traditionally restrained Swiss public that overwhelmed the team. “It was a special night for us,” he says.
“We didn’t have too many supporters because of the Covid restrictions and I just remember afterwards I got so many videos from our country showing people going crazy. It’s not usual for us to show our emotions, to show that we are proud of our nation, so it was really really nice to see.”
Second, there was the lesson the players took from their performance. “We felt we could do something good,” Zuber says. “We felt that because of our body language that night. It was something impressive to see, that we could treat this match like a normal game.”
As often happens in football, those feelings of optimism were quickly dispelled. Switzerland, having beaten France on penalties, lost to Spain in a shootout. Now comes another big match against a pre-tournament favourite struggling for form, not unlike France.
after newsletter promotion
Like the seasoned professional he is, Zuber would not be drawn into making critical remarks about England. He even insisted the experience of his team would have no bearing against a more youthful group. “In football age doesn’t matter any more, it’s only about the quality of the player,” he says.
When pressed Zuber acknowledged that the Swiss mentality may have changed from that of a nation that did not have expectations, to one that backs itself to win.
Asked whether the team had limits to their expectations in this tournament, Zuber said: “I hope we do not set limits. Not only the players, but the whole nation itself. That we are a nation that sets ourselves limits, that we are not allowed to go further than a certain match, I hope that is gone.
“Nevertheless, we also know where we come from; that it is not normal you play against such top teams and win. We have seen it a few times now in tournaments, that the so-called favourites can also have it hard. But one small mistake can cost you the tournament and of course we want to avoid that. But the limits, that should be nothing for us any more.”