Bundesliga - Xhaka ahead of the European Championship: "Hope we keep our tongues in our mouths"
Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka is happy to be Germany's group opponent at Euro 2024.
"We're already looking forward to playing against Germany, against the hosts," said the Swiss, who plays with several DFB players at the Bundesliga leaders: "There have already been a few comments in the dressing room. This is a great group." The DFB team is "a dangerous team with a lot of quality. Hopefully it will be a good European Championship, first for us Swiss - and then maybe for Germany too."
After the draw, DFB sports director Rudi Völler praised Xhaka as a "chief, not for Switzerland, but also in Leverkusen" and as a "key figure" for Leverkusen's rise this season. "When Rudi Völler says something like that, it makes you proud," replied Xhaka. But the recognition for him is "definitely higher in Germany than in Switzerland anyway. I'm criticized a bit more there than here."
Looking forward to the games in the Rhineland
The fact that Switzerland will play their first two group matches against Hungary and Scotland in Cologne brings back memories of the 2006 World Cup round of 16 against Ukraine in the same stadium. After a 0-0 draw following a weak 120 minutes, all three Swiss players failed to score in the penalty shoot-out.
Xhaka remembers in particular that the first scorer, Marco Streller, nervously played with his tongue before taking his penalty: "That was the one with the tongue, right? I hope we get the points this time. And that we keep our tongues in our mouths."
He is already looking forward to the games in the Rhineland. "It's not such a long journey. But it's nice that we're playing against Germany in Frankfurt. It's closer to Switzerland. Hopefully a lot of Swiss people will come."
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- Granit Xhaka, a midfielder for Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, expressed his excitement about facing the DFB team during EM2024.
- Rudi Völler, the DFB sports director, applauded Xhaka's leadership both in Leverkusen and Switzerland, calling him a "chief" and a "key figure."
- The DFB team, deemed "dangerous" by Xhaka, will compete in Group E of EM2024 alongside Switzerland, Hungary, and Scotland.
- Switzerland, who will play their first two matches in Cologne, are hoping to have a better outcome than their 2006 World Cup penalty shootout against Ukraine, where all three players missed.
- Bayer Leverkusen, located in North Rhine-Westphalia, will host several games for the DFB team and Switzerland during the EM2024 tournament.
- Granit Xhaka, reflecting on the past, hopes that this time around, they will secure points and keep their focus by not playing with their tongues during the penalties.
- Xhaka is looking forward to the games in Rhineland and is excited about the possibility of many Swiss fans attending the Germany match in Frankfurt.
- The 2024 European Championship in Germany will feature several high-profile soccer matches, including some in Bayer Leverkusen's home stadium.
Source: www.stern.de
