With just six weeks until the 2022 World Cup, Switzerland boss Murat Yakin is preparing to manage for the first time at a major tournament – but who is the man taking charge of Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka, and Newcastle ace Fabian Schar?
Yakin, 48, came in just over 12 months ago as Switzerland manager – after Vladimir Petkovic left his role. Petkovic spent seven years as Switzerland gaffer, managing 78 matches. But after Euro 2020, he decided to step down. Yakin came in.
Despite still being particularly young for a manager, Yakin is already widely experienced. The former centre-back is an ex-player, starting his career at Swiss side Grasshoppers. He spent most of his career with his boyhood club.
He then spent time in Turkey with Fenerbahce, in Germany with Stuttgart and Kaiserslauten, as well as two spells with Basel. Yakin boasts three Swiss titles at Basel, and two Cup wins. But he retired at 32, immediately going into coaching.
Working as an assistant manager at a couple of clubs, as a manager lower down and then at Grasshoppers as B-team boss, Yakin got his first managerial break in 2009 – joining FC Thun. Winning 35 of 74, he moved to Luzern in 2011.
2022 World Cup: Who is Switzerland boss Yakin?
Another impressive year, saw him return to Basel as manager. He won two more Super League titles, winning 56 of 99 matches. He tried his luck in Russia with Spartak Moscow, but struggled – 13 wins in 32. He returned to Switzerland.
A wonderful 19 wins in 25 at second-tier Schaffhausen saw him become manager of boyhood club Grasshoppers. But again, it did not work out, neither did a spell at Sion. A return to Schaffhausen came in 2019, remaining until 2021.
A fourth-placed finish in his last season, saw him get the Switzerland job. His biggest role to date, ahead of Basel. Mirroring England’s Gareth Southgate in being of a similar age, and a former centre-back, he leads the Swiss to Qatar.
With Yakin, can Switzerland be dark horses? They have the players. It is difficult to say with this being Yakin’s first-ever tournament as an international manager. But he has 49 Swiss caps, but they have a really tough group – in Group G.
Brazil, Cameroon, Serbia. Brazil will be expected to finish top of the group, but of the three, Switzerland will be expected to finish second. However, Serbia and Cameroon can turn up on their day. Yakin is already under pressure.
But he has the CV – Super League titles, a stunning stint in his two spells with Schaffhausen. If he can be anything like Southgate, then he might just get the best out of Xhaka, Schar, Breel Embolo and Switzerland’s other best players.
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