Zurich (AFP) – Cheering fans gave Switzerland’s World Cup football squad a heroes’ welcome as they returned home on Tuesday after reaching the quarter-finals for the first time in 72 years. Supporters gathered in the Turbinenplatz square in Zurich to greet the “Nati” following their exploits in the United States and Canada, full of pride at what a team from a small country, ranked 19th in the world, had achieved on the biggest stage. Switzerland is on a hot streak, having also reached the last two European Championships quarter-finals.
The players and manager Murat Yakin, wearing red t-shirts that said “History”, were welcomed onto a stage in front of a backdrop reading “We are Switzerland”, in the country’s four official languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansh. “We would have loved to stay for another week,” Yakin told the crowd. “But of course it’s also lovely to be able to return home to our own fans like this. We’re extremely proud of what the entire staff and all the players have achieved.”
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Fans joined in with the players as they danced about on the stage, with many supporters dressed in red shirts and baseball caps with the Swiss cross. “It’s a bit hard to fully grasp what we’ve achieved,” said captain Granit Xhaka. “Overall, it was a good tournament. We can be really proud of what we accomplished. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite enough in the end. With a bit of luck, we might have gone even further. But that’s part of the game, and we accept it.”
– Night of drama –
Switzerland were beaten 3-1 by Argentina after extra time in Kansas City on Saturday, equalising in the second half shortly before striker Breel Embolo was sent off in tears after simulating a foul with a theatrical dive. The Swiss had had Lionel Messi’s defending champions on the back foot for much of the match — then had to defend valiantly once reduced to 10 men. For fans packed into bars and fan zones in Switzerland, the match finished shortly before 6:00am, with people streaming home in broad daylight after a long, long night.
There was plenty of support for Embolo at the Zurich homecoming party, with one youngster holding up a placard asking for his signature. Another home-made sign read: “Dear Breel Embolo, you’re innocent.” Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel said the team’s defining characteristic was “the resilience everyone showed” throughout the tournament. “The way everyone gave it their all, the way everyone kept going right to the end,” he said. “That was huge for every single one of us.”
Switzerland topped Group B, drawing 1-1 with Qatar before beating Bosnia-Hercegovina 4-1, and then co-hosts Canada 2-1 in Vancouver. In the knock-out stages, Switzerland downed Algeria 2-0, then beat Colombia 4-3 on penalties after a goalless draw, before losing to Argentina. “It was nice to celebrate here with all the fans, and to welcome the team, which was a joy to watch,” said supporter Roman, who came from the Zurich suburbs. “We know they should have gone through, but it was great that we were able to celebrate them.”
Jernnine, who came from Basel with her family, said they had woken up early to watch the rollercoaster quarter-final. “It was emotional; it was cool!” she told AFP.
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