Petkovic on the 2018 national year: "a state of war almost ruled"

Vladimir Petkovic, if it was again the World Cup, what would you do differently?
Vladimir Petkovic: Then I might become a journalist. I drew my conclusions from the World Cup. But I would rather keep that for myself.

Could not you be more specific?
Well, I might have had to leave five, six players in the last group match against Costa Rica to save them for the knockout stages. But there was always the possibility that Serbia won the last match against Brazil and we lost at the same time, so we would be out. Of course, after the match against Serbia, the team learned that FIFA was in recourse (because of the actions of the double eagle Xhaka, Shaqiri and Lichtsteiner, Red.). This can lead players to be satisfied with the victory but irritated at the same time. The first two days after the match against Costa Rica, I realized that the team was a little shaken, but the last two days before the knockout match against Sweden, there was no sign of a fall. And who knows if Dzemaili would shoot 1-0, how would the game have been? But I do not like to discuss questions about "What would have happened if …?" Or "What would you do differently today than you did then?"

Is 2018 the most difficult year of your coaching career?
For me, 2018 has been a positive year. What bothers me: the round of 32 should be a good result for Switzerland. After, however, there was almost a state of war. That made me a little nervous at the beginning. I wanted to talk, but I could not. We have entered a kind of organized disorder. Maybe we waited ten days before talking about the World Cup. What happened after the match against Serbia and after the World Cup cost a lot of energy. I've been adopted a few times myself (smiles). But I have always felt the support of the people and the support of the Union.

Now, according to the Heusler report, there will be a new Super Manager for the Nati. What is your opinion
Although I have also met with Bernhard Heusler and Georg Heitz, I have not yet been involved.

It's going to be your new boss, right?
This will be my boss? Does he decide who's playing? (Smiles). No, we'll see everything. We know the first suggestions since Saturday. It now takes a little while to start implementing them.

What happened during the 0-1 defeat in Qatar?
I risked playing poker. But lost. It was a calculated risk. But I would do it again if we had two games in a row and the first is a friendly match. But it must be clear to everyone that we are not so good that we can beat any team with any team.

What does the 5-2 win against Belgium mean three days later?
For this, we must congratulate the players. It showed how much they lived for such games. But: It will not always be possible to play a game after a 0: 2 deficit. I wish they do not cause such situations too often. But he still remains behind the head: after a draw 0-2, they have always believed in themselves and caused situations that led to success against the current world number 1.

What about Lichtsteiner, 35, and Djourou, who is almost 32 years old? Were you in last contact with Captain Lichtsteiner?
Yes, he congratulated me for the match of Belgium, I wish him a good health and a quick return to Arsenal. I'm not too worried about who will be in our next game in March. But of course, I am all players in their clubs. The team has become larger, the competition bigger. This is good for the development of the team. But one thing is certain: I can not and do not want to retire, this was not the case of Valon Behrami either. But one of them is so absorbed, the other differently.