Switzerland face Hungary on Saturday 15 June 2024, as they look to begin their Euro 2024 campaign strongly.
The Red Crosses’ pre-tournament warm-up fixtures saw them emphatically demolish Estonia 4-0, before a determined 1-1 draw versus Ralf Rangnick‘s Austria. The results saw the Swiss Nati stretch their unbeaten run to four matches, and Swiss captain Granit Xhaka remained optimistic when speaking to the press Friday night.
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Pride of Leading National Team
Speaking at the Switzerland press conference on Friday night, Xhaka stated: “Being on the national team, and leading it as captain, is a source of pride for me.”
However, the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder stated that just participating in the tournament was not enough: “Neither of those things [by themselves] are any use to me.
“I am a very ambitious person, I want to be successful. I want to lead the team to make history again in Germany, so that this team is remembered, and we will work hard to achieve that!”
Xhaka hopes that the success achieved by himself and others within the Swiss Nati camp will translate to success with the national team.
“Many players have won titles. But a lot of players have also made it into the Champions League, and that gives them motivation and self-confidence, and we feel that during training. Training is at a very high level, and in my opinion, it hasn’t been this high for a long time and we push each other.”
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Competition within the Squad
Xhaka describes the competition within the squad as a positive factor as they aim to achieve national history, stating: “Everyone wants to play. We have a lot of competition for places. And that makes a team stronger and individual players stronger.”
Speaking from his experience at successful club sides, he added: “That’s how it has to be.”
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On reaching the Euro 2020 quarter-final
Xhaka reminisced on the success at Euro 2020 and the optimism that the Red Crosses can build upon the foundations laid: “It felt like recognition for us, the staff but also for the whole of Switzerland.”
When discussing how that impacts the mindset for the current tournament, the Bundesliga winner added: “It showed once again that we are a good team and that together we can achieve something. That’s our intention now for the tournament in Germany as well, and we will give our all in order to make history again.”
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Switzerland’s Euro 2024 Ambitions
Xhaka maintained that the Swiss Nati could not overlook a difficult group, but that the longer aim was to go as far as possible in the tournament.
“Obviously we want to get through the group stage. In my opinion, the group we’ve got is a difficult one.” The midfielder continued: “Our number one aim is to reach the round of 16, and then we’ll take one game at a time and hope that we get as far as possible.”
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Aiming for victory in the Euro 2024 opener
Xhaka understands that the game against Hungary could be pivotal for his nation’s chances, but did not want to go as far as making it a must-win game for their chances:
“The first match against Hungary is important of course. I’m not saying we have to win, but it would obviously be very nice if we could start the tournament with a victory.”
The midfielder finished talking to the media by confirming his optimism for the tournament ahead: “Together we are strong. Hopefully, we’ll be able to show that in our first match on Saturday.”
Xhaka and Switzerland will begin their campaign Saturday night in their Group A opener against Hungary, and both sides will know the importance if they are to progress from a group also containing Germany and Scotland.