SFV Secretary General Frowns at Xhaka and Co.

The captain of the Swiss national football team Granit Xhaka is confused by the statements of SFV General Secretary Alex Miescher. (Photo: Georgi Licovski / EPA)

Sven Schoch (nda): Have you ever noticed during the World Cup that the climate around the national team has cooled?

Granite Xhaka : Football was often minor. After the match of Serbia, it was the two-headed eagle. Then came the following subject: Zuber or Embolo? So: who plays in front? Then it was that Djourou was no longer enough for this level.

But that was not the reason for the failure of the round of 16.

Take a look at our qualification values. We had barely conceded more goals, but almost always hit. We made defensive mistakes against the Swedes and offensively we did not do enough – that 's why we did not deserve to be quarter – finalist.

Alex Miescher, secretary general of SFV, thinks of the abolition of the double status of citizen. What went through your head when you heard about his interview?

The interview quickly went around the national team

And?

Even during the World Cup and after my double-headed eagle, Alex came to see us and ensures that he will do everything to protect us – and then three days later we will leave such statements of him.

You seem confused?

Certainly.

What's annoying you?

I hear from his lines that he does not trust the double citizens to go to the borders of Switzerland. It goes directly to my address and that of some others with two nationalities.

Is the time of his message surprising for you?

Three days after our bitter defeat in Russia, you do not do that.

How does his message feel for a direct hit?

For me, and certainly also for the affected teammates, it is strange to hear such comments from Alex Miescher. We are all Swiss and give everything for the Swiss Nati – each of us – because we all know what Switzerland has done for us and our families, and we are grateful for that. My family roots are in Kosovo – like Breel Embolo in Cameroon, Manuel Akanji in Nigeria and Ricardo Rodriguez in Chile and Spain. The Swiss national team is composed today of 50 to 60 percent of double citizens or Secondos. Even our boss (Vladimir Petkovic) is a double citizen and gives blood and sweat to the national team. With this useless incursion, Alex Miescher caused a lot of frown, but also disappointed a lot.

What does Miescher trigger now?

I think Alex probably questioned his comments about the stone age. 19659007] The spirit of the national A team could it be permanently disrupted?

Oh, not at all. Such nonsense exists from time to time. We must now prepare for an EC and do more important things. Football is played on the pitch, and we have a team that needs to accelerate in 2020.