Group A with Italy, Switzerland, Wales and Turkey – that is “one of the most difficult groups” for the Swiss Captain Granit Xhaka. And the Swiss national coach Vladimir Petkovic believes that in this group “everyone is convinced that they will make it through the last sixteen”.
The figures support the statements made by the two Swiss. Only in Group A is there no team outside of the top 30 in the FIFA ranking. In addition to group A, there are only three teams in the top 20 in group F with world champions France, European champions Portugal and Germany.
If you look at the positions in the FIFA rankings, Turkey is number 29 among the underdogs. That alone shows how tricky the task is for the quartet in the preliminary round. After all, Turkey is the team that won four points in the European Championship qualification against the world champion France and which beat the Netherlands 4-2 in the World Cup qualification that started in March. Xhaka said of the Turks: “The current generation has a lot of talent and quality.”
Italy with home advantage
Objectively speaking, an elimination after the group stage would only be an embarrassment for Italy in this group A. The Squadra Azzurra is often mentioned in the same breath as world champions France, FIFA number 1 Belgium or the ambitious English when it comes to naming the EM favorites. In addition, the Italians have a home advantage in the preliminary round. They are allowed to play 16,000 Tifosi in the Roman Olimpico and, unlike the Swiss, Turks and Welsh players, they do not have to fly thousands of kilometers to the games in Baku, the second venue.
The Italians are also to be placed above the other teams in Group A in terms of sporting quality. Roberto Mancini’s selection has now played 26 international matches without defeat. The Italians are currently in the right mix: players like Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini or Alessandro Florenzi have a lot of (tournament) experience. Others like Gianluigi Donnarumma, Federico Chiesa or Nicolò Barella represent the new wave. The Italians only worry about Marco Verratti’s medical bulletin. The Paris Saint-Germain star is in a race against time after suffering a knee injury.
How good is Gareth Bale?
Bonucci, Chiellini and Verratti are reminiscent of the old football power that Italy had been before the empire collapsed in the 2018 World Cup qualifying. But the biggest name in Group A is a Welshman: Gareth Bale. But how much can the Tottenham Hotspur attacking player shape the British game? He was retired from Real Madrid last summer and deported to Spurs on loan. He hasn’t done badly in England, but he is unlikely to stay at Tottenham. A return to Madrid also seems unlikely. Recently there were even rumors that the soon 32-year-old Bale could end his career after the European Championship.
With Turkey, it’s more like the star is sitting on the bench. Senol Günes has an entry on his business card, like nobody else in this group apart from Italy’s coach Mancini (as a player): He was a World Cup semi-finalist. In 2002, Günes led Turkey to third place in Japan and South Korea. The Swiss have been dreaming of such a coup for decades and before every tournament. Most recently, they failed three times in a row in the round of 16. Goalkeeper Yann Sommer said: “We want to get as far as possible, and I packed so that I still have fresh underwear in the final.” But he also added: “We take it step by step.” Caution is advisable – especially since in this balanced group A.
facts and figures
Switzerland in numbers. – Population: 8.4 million – Capital: Bern. – Founding of the “Swiss Football Association”: 1895. – FIFA ranking: 13. – Participation in European finals so far (4): 1996, 2004, 2008, 2016. – Best European result: Round of 16 (2016). – Qualification: Group D winner (8 games / 17 points). – Top scorer in European Championship qualification: Cédric Itten (3 goals). – Most famous players: Granit Xhaka, Xherdan Shaqiri, Yann Sommer, Haris Seferovic. – Trainer: Vladimir Petkovic (SUI / CRO, since 2014).
Italy in numbers. – Population: 60 million – Capital: Rome. – Founding of the “Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio” association: 1898. – FIFA ranking: 7. – Participation in European Championship finals so far (9): 1968, 1980, 1988, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016. – Best European Championship result: Winner (1968). – Qualification: Group J winner (10 games / 30 points). – Top scorer in European Championship qualification: Andrea Belotti (5 goals). – Most famous players: Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Marco Verratti, Ciro Immobile. – Trainer: Roberto Mancini (ITA, since 2018).
Record against Switzerland: 58 games, 28 wins, 22 draws, 8 defeats. – Last game on June 5, 2010 in Geneva: Switzerland 1-1 Italy.
Turkey in numbers. – Population: 82 million – Capital: Ankara. – Foundation of the “Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu” association: 1923. – FIFA ranking: 29. – Participation in European finals so far (4): 1996, 2000, 2008, 2016. – Best European result: semi-final (2008). – Qualification: Second in Group H (10 games / 23 points) behind France. – Top scorer in European Championship qualification: Cenk Tosun (5 goals). – Most famous players: Hakan Calhanoglu, Burak Yilmaz, Cengiz Ünder, Caglar Söyüncü. – Trainer: Senol Günes (TUR, since 2019).
Record against Switzerland: 23 games, 8 wins, 5 draws, 10 defeats.
Wales in numbers. – Population: 3.1 million – Capital: Cardiff. – Founding of the “Football Association of Wales”: 1876. – FIFA ranking: 17. – Participation in European finals so far (1): 2016. – Best European result: semi-final (2016). – Qualification: Second in Group E (8 games / 14 points) behind Croatia. – Top scorers in European Championship qualification: Gareth Bale, Kieffer Moore, Aaron Ramsey (2 goals each). – Most famous players: Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey, Daniel James. – Trainer: Robert Page (WAL, since 2020 / interim for Ryan Giggs, who has been suspended from the association).
Record against Switzerland: 7 games, 2 wins, 0 draws, 5 defeats.
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