Switzerland boss Murat Yakins picks experience over youth in World Cup selection

[p]A further three were in ‌the squad at the 2024 European Championship in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/germany/ptQide1O/"]Germany[/a], leaving only uncapped backup goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/keller-marvin/bRg73FU0/"]Marvin ‌Keller[/a] and the German-based quintet of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/amenda-aurele/xtDO40Js/"]Aurele Amenda[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/itten-cedric/SC0MTrRg/"]Cedric Itten[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jaquez-luca/OdWwxrM5/"]‌Luca Jaquez[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/manzambi-johan/pIqmcnKc/"]Johan Manzambi[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/muheim-miro/bympdcHJ/"]Miro Muheim[/a] playing in a major tournament for ‌the first time.[/p][p]Captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/xhaka-granit/QBHCDKff/"]Granit Xhaka[/a], who is Switzerland’s most capped player with ‌144 appearances, and fullback [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rodriguez-ricardo/8EqrjqCF/"]Ricardo Rodriguez[/a] (136 caps) will be competing at their fourth successive World Cup, while it is a third in a row for five other players.[/p][p]There ‌was surprise at the omission of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/young-boys/YXDi6MHo/"]Young Boys[/a] ⁠attackers [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sanches-alvyn/YmFZdKcc/"]Alvyn Sanches[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/monteiro-joel/xWWsgVFf/"]Joel Monteiro[/a], ‌who had both been in the last squad for friendly matches against Germany ​and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/norway/8rP6JO0H/"]Norway[/a] in March.[/p][p]But teammate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fassnacht-christian/CvP8jG9B/"]Christian Fassnacht[/a] was selected after topping the Super League scoring charts with 18 goals, while Cedric ​Itten was picked despite his club [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sittard/YH8HX5iP/"]Fortuna Duesseldorf[/a] being relegated from the German second division on Sunday. Itten scored 15 league goals this season.[/p][p]Also ⁠included was [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/burnley/z3dmTMMO/"]Burnley[/a] striker [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/amdouni-mohamed/4xAOYC7g/"]Zeki ​Amdouni[/a], who returned to action from a long-term knee injury this month but has made only three substitute appearances in the Premier League.[/p][p][b]"Medically, he is 100 percent fit. He knows our system. He knows his role. That's ‌the reason why I'm very glad he can be part of it," [/b]Yakin told a press conference on Wednesday.[/p][p]“I think we have selected the best players for the squad and I can’t wait to get going,” he added.[/p][embed guid="6a61999c-b3eb-4374-8c9f-ec711e3f7fd3" url="https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/2057032848381468820" social-type="twitter" /][p]The squad will assemble on Monday and play a friendly against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/jordan/vNcmJoU2/"]Jordan[/a] in St. Gallen on May 31. The Swiss will then fly to the US where they take on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/australia/xSrf6qMM/"]Australia[/a] in San Diego in a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/australia-xSrf6qMM/switzerland-rHJ2vy1B/?mid=ruc3zsQH"]warm-up match on June 6[/a].[/p][p]They meet [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/qatar/zqzHL77i/"]Qatar[/a] in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/santa-clara/YmQyLBJf/"]Santa Clara[/a] in ‌their opening Group B game on June 13, followed by fixtures against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bosnia-herzegovina/fqe7WYTr/"]​Bosnia[/a] and co-hosts [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/canada/x4toKORL/"]Canada[/a].[/p][h2]Squad:[/h2][p]Goalkeepers: Marvin Keller (Young Boys Bern), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kobel-gregor/xlBg2ttC/"]Gregor Kobel[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/dortmund/nP1i5US1/"]Borussia Dortmund[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mvogo-yvon/fkOg2Gqj/"]‌Yvon Mvogo[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lorient/jgNAYRGi/"]Lorient[/a])[/p][p]Defenders: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/akanji-manuel/UJm2XpLH/"]Manuel Akanji[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/inter/Iw7eKK25/"]Inter Milan[/a]), Aurele Amenda ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/eintracht-frankfurt/8vndvXTk/"]Eintracht Frankfurt[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/comert-eray/EZg4jPUF/"]Eray Comert[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/valencia/CQeaytrD/"]Valencia[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/elvedi-nico/fZO9OHIM/"]Nico Elvedi[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/b-monchengladbach/88HSzjDr/"]Borussia Monchengladbach[/a]), Luca Jaquez ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/vfb-stuttgart/nJQmYp1B/"]VfB Stuttgart[/a]), Miro Muheim ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hamburger/v9k3aY5F/"]Hamburg[/a]), Ricardo Rodriguez ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/betis/vJbTeCGP/"]Real Betis[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/widmer-silvan/rZFtbGem/"]Silvan Widmer[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mainz/EuakNmc1/"]Mainz[/a])[/p][p]Midfielders: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/aebischer-michel/MiXFJwit/"]Michel Aebischer[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/pisa/roasMsOT/"]Pisa[/a]), Christian Fassnacht (Young Boys Bern), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/freuler-remo/pETNY4Qt/"]Remo Freuler[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bologna/0M9xNN8N/"]Bologna[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jasari-ardon/hMT0CnTH/"]Ardon Jashari[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ac-milan/8Sa8HInO/"]AC Milan[/a]), Johan Manzambi ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/freiburg/fiEQZ7C7/"]Freiburg[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rieder-fabian/GQOPPSgM/"]Fabian Rieder[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/augsburg/fTVNku3I/"]Augsburg[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sow-djibril/tUNr1qOE/"]Djibril Sow[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vargas-ruben/U7XUxOei/"]Ruben Vargas[/a] (both [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sevilla/h8oAv4Ts/"]Sevilla[/a]), Granit Xhaka ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sunderland/WSzc94ws/"]Sunderland[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zakaria-denis/d23lOQrL/"]⁠Denis Zakaria[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/monaco/2PIvr8o4/"]Monaco[/a])[/p][p]Forwards: Zeki Amdouni (Burnley), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/embolo-breel/CpKkPKuP/"]Breel ⁠Embolo[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/rennes/d2nnj1IE/"]Stade Rennais[/a]), Cedric Itten ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/dusseldorf/ne1oL3y7/"]Fortuna Düsseldorf[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ndoye-dan/EmmpFCXN/"]‌Dan Ndoye[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nottingham/UsushcZr/"]Nottingham Forest[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/okafor-noah/EDhpumvd/"]Noah Okafor[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/leeds/tUxUbLR2/"]Leeds United[/a]).[/p]