The head coach of the Swiss national football team, Vladimir Petković, kicked Valon Behrami out of the team. This football player spoke about this for the Swiss radio-television RSI, and his statements stirred up the Swiss public. Behrami told RSI that Petkovic called him by phone: "I thought it was a courtesy call. But it was a conversation in which he wanted to kick me out of the door of the national team. And that a month after being eliminated from the World Cup in Russia."
"We have a division," said Behrami. When asked by a journalist if he was referring to Dzhakina and Shaqiri showing the double-headed eagle with their hands in the match with Serbia, Behrami answered in the affirmative: "Those gestures divided us. They show another side of us. We are going in one direction and we want to create a good environment for the pride of Switzerland. And then we got knocked out of the World Cup. And when it comes to that, it's always easy to criticize, to look for division among us. We have been told that we favor one nation over other nations, but we have proved that we belong to only one. We always bear the responsibility as Swiss. Both when we win and when we lose."
"The coach," continued Behrami, "can say what he wants - this is a political decision." I defended myself against people who don't understand what football means. Who have never played football! This is the general problem of Swiss associations. People are pushing forward who want to save their positions, but have no idea how an athlete feels. People who have never been gamers have a say. That hurts."
"Everyone saw what happened after the match with Sweden. And now it looks like that has led to this decision. At that moment, a lot fell apart. Many wanted to make important decisions. And I said: I will stand in front, because I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I can do it, my way is almost over. The persons in question called me for help. I helped them too," he added.
Who were those people? Can you say a name? – asked the journalist. The answer was: "General Secretary". And the general secretary of the Swiss Football Association is Alex Mischer, who asked to review the political decision that allows dual citizenship. On that occasion, there were players who "reacted violently" - not specifically Xhaka and Shaqiri (who do not even have dual citizenship).
"I always tried to calm those players, and then the general secretary called me and asked for help. To reassure my colleagues. And I just did that, because I want to unite and not separate. And he said he was going to give one specific message. But that didn't happen - everything continued to develop to the point where we are now," Behrami told Swiss Radio and Television.
The tabloid Blik notes on that occasion: "The Swiss national football team is in ruins. This was learned after coach Vladimir Petković, in an uncoordinated action carried out hastily, expelled Valon Behrami, one of the most deserving players, from the national team. The great fighter has served his time and now he can go."
"It is obvious that now other players should be forced to retire early. In this regard, the situation is not yet clear. The Football Association denies this. Petković obviously surprised not only the public, but also his superiors. To some extent, it can be understood that Petković wants to make a break and that he does not see the perspective for certain seniors in the national team. But the way he does it shows only one thing: the Swiss national team is a pile of ruins," the newspaper adds.
Blik writes that these ruins were not caused by the "affair with the double-headed eagle", but that the affair only opened conflicts that cannot be smoothed over. "The fact that now a deserving player is leaving speaks of a total mismanagement of management and communication." This tabloid believes that Vladimir Petković should resign from the position of national team selector.
Noje Zircher Zeitung reminds that at the beginning of this week, Petković informed other national team members that he would no longer hire them: "Team captain Štefan Lichtsteiner (34), Gelson Fernandes (31), Johan Djuru (31) and Bljerim Džemaili (32). Between September and November, the national team will play six games that are not very relevant, against England, Qatar, and two games each with Iceland and Belgium in the newly formed League of Nations. That's where Petkovic wants to give younger players a chance to prove themselves - a prospective decision with one catch: he demoted Lichtsteiner and the others to the rank of leaders who come by invitation."
"However, it doesn't matter whether Petković said goodbye to Behrami in 30 seconds or temporarily demoted him. There is something hesitant about the selection process, as if he wasn't sure which way to go - and as if he didn't have the courage to make the cut he felt was necessary."
At this point, Noje zircher zeitung recalls another case that hints that the public actually knows nothing about the events behind the scenes. "A small football country like Switzerland needs proper work hygiene, a good mood in the dressing room - and a coach who knows what he wants. Petković made his most important decision of this kind so far when he announced his departure from captain Gokhan Inler at the beginning of 2016, because he was no longer playing in his club."
"At that time, no one criticized Petković for that, and Inler himself never gave an interview in which he seemed as hurt as Behrami was." But perhaps what Inler said in November 2017 to the weekly edition of Noja zircher zeitung, namely: 'I don't want to talk about certain things. I protect myself, I protect others. Things are still in progress. I need time'.”
"Who was he protecting?" - asks Noje Zircher Zeitung. "And in the case of Behrami, the decisive things revolve around something that is not known to the public. Was the mood before the World Cup really as good as the players claimed? How much did the unrest that reigned after Granit Xhaka and Đerdan Šaćiri celebrated their goals against Serbia with a double-headed eagle gesture hurt the national team? Behrami said: 'Those gestures divided us' – where do those cracks go?"
Bonus video:
