A SUM GREATER THAN THEIR PARTS

With emphasis on the collective, Switzerland beat Serbia in a feisty fixture, advance from the group stages of a big event for a fifth consecutive time

- SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN

thought ON the evening of November 15, 2021, Switzerland their right to play at the World Cup in Qatar would go down to the wire. With one game remaining, they were level on points with toppers Italy. But the latter held the upper hand, thanks to a bigger goal difference (+11 to +9) and goals scored (13 to 11). Both teams also had winnable fixtures: Switzerland at home to Bulgaria and Italy away at Northern Ireland.

But Northern Ireland held Italy while Switzerland pumped four unanswered goals past Bulgaria. It was vindication for the Swiss FA who gave the managerial job to Murat Yakin, who had the unenviable job of filling Vladimir Petkovic's big boots.

Yakin, a captain of the national team during his playing days, had had some coaching success, most notably at FC Basel when the likes of Mohamed Salah were plying their trade there. But the appointment wasn't met with any great approval. Yakin, after all, was managing FC Schaffhausen, a club in Switzerland's second tier. Considering Petkovic had taken the country to the quarterfinals of the Euros only a few months ago, this was seen as, at best, a sideways step. But Yakin proved the doubters wrong, topping a group that involved Italy.