For Switzerland, the European Championship ended on Saturday night in a penalty shootout against England. Granit Xhaka, the Swiss captain, did not step up for a penalty in the decisive series. It turned out he had good reason.
After the painful exclusion, Xhaka admitted he was not fit enough to play at all. “Now I can say it: on Monday, an MRI scan found a ruptured muscle fibre in the upper part of my leg,” the midfielder said. “But I really wanted to be on that pitch and I had the feeling that the team needed me. I also wanted to convey the message that sometimes we will have to suffer through pain.
Xhaka didn't train much last week. “I wasn't able to play with my teammates for the first time until Friday,” said the captain. But 100 percent: it was clearly not the case. “During the game I couldn't give long balls or shoot on goal. Other than that it went well.
Despite the pain, Xhaka remained on the pitch for 120 minutes. Taking a penalty was not an option for the midfielder, who saw Manuel Akanji miss the only spot kick of the series. “He’s not the first and he won’t be the last to miss a penalty,” Xhaka consoled his team-mate. “But he has to keep his head up. “I’ve been in his position once and I just want to say how proud I am of him.
“abandoned country”
Afterwards, Akanji still struggled to lift his head. “I feel like I let my team down and the whole country down,” said the Manchester City defender. “I tried to take responsibility and I had a feeling I was going to score, but it wasn't a good penalty.”
Akanji himself claims that Jordan Pickford, the England goalkeeper who did his best to make Akanji lose focus, had no role in it. “I didn’t see him at all,” said the Swiss. “I don’t know what he did, I didn’t watch him. It’s a shame. Now of course I wish England the best of luck for the rest of the tournament, and above all I hope no one gets injured. That’s the most important thing.
Switzerland national coach Murat Yakin then said he hoped he would eventually remain in charge of the national team. Discussions with the association on this matter will take place soon. In any case, Xhaka supports Yakin: “We all want him to stay,” said the captain.
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