Although the situation has certainly improved with Benaglio the situation of some goalkeepers like Jakupovic, Coltorti, Vailati and Zubi is dangerous.
I was one of those who would have liked to see Vailati as our Number 1 but his serious mistakes during the Championship and the arrival of El-Hadary have jeopardized his chances.
Furthermore Jakupovic and Coltorti have had some glorious moments but there heyday seems to be well behind them.

This video is just for fun,

2-0 over close rivals Young Boys. 38,015 spectators showed up for the thrilling ending to a very spectacular championship.
Yet the final held very little suspense, since Basel was already 2-0 up after 23 minutes with goals by 19-year old Stocker (a great talent) and Streller.

Christian Gross’ (Basel coach) nightmares following the 2006 draw with Zurich (with a goal at the 93rd minute), with the Championship victory of the latter team, were not renewed.

Young Boys couldn’t fight back for a title they had been waiting for in 22 years. Schneuwly missed two crystal-clear chances in the first 10 minutes giving way to Basel’s triumphal (and unforgiving) lead. Nor could Andermatt (Young Boys coach) count on the likes of Hakan Yakin (24 goals this season) and Haeberli (18).

Basel’s victory granted a UEFA Cup berth to Swiss Cup Finalists Bellinzona (currently second in the Challenge League) instead of 4th placed Grasshoppers Zurich.

Thus Christian Gross will begin next year (his last year as Basel coach) with a promising 3rd round Champions’ League spot where they will certainly not face a big name of European football (like Inter Milan or Werder Bremen in past years).

The final standings are as follows:
1. BASEL 36/74 (Champions’ League)
2. Young Boys 36/70 (UEFA CUP)
3. Zurich 36/56 (UEFA CUP)
4. Grasshoppers 36/54
5. Aarau 36/47
6. Luzern 36/44
7. Sion 36/43
8. Neuchatel Xamax 36/41
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9. St. Gallen 36/34 (will play against the second-placed team in Challenge League)
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10. Thun 36/27 (relegated)

A SUMMARY OF THE GAME IS AVAILABLE HERE: http://www.tsr.ch/tsr/index.html?siteSect=800001&sid=9074750

Amid the disappointment and disillusionment that Swiss starplayers had to cope with after a promising transfer market one player seems to stand out of the crowd of anonimity.

Gokhan Masera Inler, this being his not-very-Swiss name, was born on June the 27th, 1984, in Olten, Solothurn, Switzerland by Turkish parents.
Growing up in the Basel youth team Inler was surprisingly offered a try by Fenerbahce Istanbul (at the time, coached by Daum) during their pre-season training in Germany.
However, despite playing part of a game and enjoying prospects of a 4-year contract with the Turkish team, Inler was rejected and was offered a 3-year contract by Aarau where he played 25 games, scoring 3 goals.
In 2006 he was transferred to FC Zurich (under Lucien Favre) where he played a total of 52 games scoring 3 goals. When Lucien Favre left Switzerland to coach Hertha he didn’t mask his interest in bringing the player to Germany.
However, Udinese was quicker. On the 4th of July 2007 the Italian team confirmed that Inler had signed a 5-year deal and 3 months later, Alessandro Calori, a former Udinese captain, stated that Inler was the most pleasant surprise in this new Udinese team.
He scored his first goal against Torino (see video) on the 31st of October.

Yet, at the beginning of 2008 the transfer market turned Inler’s name into a redundant one.
Internazionale, Juventus, Lazio and Liverpool seem to be interested in signing the player.

In January Udinese stated that the player was not going to be transferred.
But how can that be now that Gazzetta dello Sport (the leading Italian sports newspaper) awarded the Swiss player with a second place in a “Best Foreign Player” list, immediately after Sissoko and towering above the likes of Juan, Lavezzi and Pato.
He’s second in the list of player who’ve played the most (3302 minutes, 3415 for Atalanta’s goalkeeper Coppola).

However, Inler states: “I don’t want to look too far, presently I’m at Udinese and it’s the only club I care for right now. I’m part of a good young team with a very interesting project”.

Inler has become a pillar of the Swiss National Team and has played 13 games scoring 1 goal.

Yet for us proud Swiss folks (ok, I’m Dutch, but I still consider myself from Schwiiz) the recent news that Degen is going to taste the emotions of Anfield on a free transfer from Borussia Dortmund comes as a surprise and something that can boost the morale ahead of Euro 2008.

Yet how much truth is there behind this shocking piece of news?
No official statements from either club suggest any veracity behind the usual choir of gossip that seems to spread across the most prominent magazines and websites.

The “Tages-Anzeiger” confirmed at first before stating that many sources had opened the possibility of a 3-year contract with the “Reds” yet Degen’s consultant Michael Becker stated: “This story is just based on speculation. Nothing has been signed”.

According to a Liverpool website Liverpool has reached a pre-contract agreement, under the Bosman ruling. According to the same website this deal will endanger Finnan’s position since Degen seems to be meant for a starting lineup in the Premiership (and some appearances in the European competitions).

woo-lfc from a Liverpool blog elegantly states:
“Lads whatever happens, hes an experienced international right back (who if we sign him we can look at during EURO 2008 ), played for a good german side in dortmund, wont cost us anything, wont be on a big wage. If he turns out shit we sell him on, if he turns out good we have a bargain. Rafas scouting department hasnt really failed us much at all, especially defensively so lets not be too sceptical. If Rafas happy with him then it enables us to spend out money in the more urgent positions of the team”.

Just to remind you David Degen is 25 years old, plays as a full back for Borussia Dortmund and has previously played for Basel (don’t confuse him with his twin brother, Philipp).

I am pretty confident that Degen will play for Liverpool and will prove to be a good choice for the English team.

Parc St-Jacques - 38 500 spectators
Referee: Bramhaar (NED)
Goals: 23rd Klose 0-1. 61st Gomez 0-2. 67th Gomez 0-3. 89th Podolski 0-4.

Switzerland: Benaglio; Lichtsteiner, Eggimann, Senderos (75th von Bergen), Spycher; Behrami (58th Gygax), Inler, Fernandes (87th Huggel); Barnetta (80th Vonlanthen); Derdiyok (46th Nkufo), Frei (83rd Yakin).

Germany: Lehmann; Lahm (87th Trochowski), Mertesacker, Westermann, Jansen (79th Rolfes); Fritz (72nd Friedrich), Ballack, Hitzlsperger, Schweinsteiger; Gomez (75th Kuranyi), Klose (58th Podolski).

Switzerland without Philipp Degen, Magnin, Margairaz, Müller, Streller (injured) and Dzemaili (U-21). Yellow Card: 45th Schweinsteiger, 45th Ballack, 48th Klose, 65th Inler.

Kuhn took a risky choice - he decided to build his team around the Euro 2004 formation 4-3-1-2 with Barnetta taking on Hakan Yakin’s playmaker role. It was a failure.

With an attacking debut for the Frei-Derdiyok duo (instead of a more obvious Frei-N’Kufo or Frei-Vonlanthen) Barnetta’s role was undermined by a position that doesn’t grant him the speed and space he requires. The left wing was an utter failure with Gelson Fernandes having to play a role which is not is and Spycher being too slow for the German attackers.

The only positive news came from Inler and Behrami; the Serie A duo should certainly be in the starting 11 at Euro 2008. Despite the 4 goals he conceded Benaglio has proven to be the first-choice goalkeeper with an excellent save in the first half and good intervention in the second half. He is certainly responsible for Podolski’s final goal but the team’s morale must have fallen apart by then.

Despite the score Switzerland controlled the game with class and good passing and often Inler and Behrami did better than Ballack and Schweinsteiger yet the central duo Senderos-Eggimann failed to impress, the absence of Muller is a heavy price to pay (he will certainly sit out Euro 2008 since he’s trying to get back to a good shape playing with the Lyon reserve team).
All goals were due to lack of concentration, one on one situations with the goalkeeper and losses of the ball in midfield - furthermore, the state of the St. Jacques turf was awful (the third goal was due to the ball slowing in the mud and Senderos failing to reach it before the German counterattack).

Freiis a fundamental player - he scored a goal that was rightly disallowed for offside and provided Switzerland’s best chances. We are certainly a Frei-Barnetta dependent team.

Germanyplayed without impressing, without dominating, scoring on counterattacks and Swiss mistakes and showing how much experience matters in football.

This is the 4th consecutive defeat after the games against the US, Nigeria and England (something that hasn’t happened in 28 years). Kuhn has little time (friendlies against Slovakia and Liechtenstein) to build the player’s confidence and prepare a mature team that cannot make the same mistakes at an important tournament. The Swiss fans leaving the pitch at the German’s third goal and the booing at Zuberbuehler are certainly evidence for the growing disillusionment that is afflicting Swiss football.

What happened after World Cup 2006? What will happen at Euro 2008?

That is an answer Kuhn will have to provide us with.

What they said

Kuhn: “My players were completely shattered. I had to encourage them. The German team was superior to us. Against such an athletic team we have to be more precise. We made too many individual errors even when our opponents weren’t putting pressure on us. They were amateurs’ mistakes.”

Lichtsteiner: “The score is hard to accept. However, we played a first good half. Two serious mistakes ruined our game.”

Behrami: “We played well in the first hour. After that we lost concentration. It’s hard to find any positive side when the score is so heavy.”

Benaglio: “The team is very disappointed. A 4-0 score doesn’t reflect the actual game. We missed our last chance in Basel before the start of Euro 2008 but I’m certain that we’ll be able to recover.”

Frei: “When you lose 4-0 you shouldn’t say anything. You have to get working to do better.”

Lichtsteiner, Behrami and Inler were probably the best Swiss players on the pitch. The right flank is strong and provided the best offensive moves. On the opposite side Spycher and Fernandes are often put under pressure and seem to suffer from the speed of the German players (it isn’t a coincidence if Germany scored from the left flank).

Frei’s first game back on the Swiss turf is pretty positive - a couple wasted chances, a disallowed goal but plenty of effort and a good physical condition.

Thumbs up for Benaglio - no chance on Germany’s goal - but an excellent save on a German shot and on Senderos and Eggimann (I’m confident that these two will be our backbone at Euro 2008).

Yet a good half cannot hide our biggest limit - we pay for one small mistake and we fail to make the best out of our chances. Switzerland is a small country and perhaps winning the Euro is a very demanding ambition.

45 minutes left - HOPPPPP SCHWIIIIIIZ!!!!

The Switzerland line-up will be:
Goalkeepers: Benaglio, Coltorti, Zuberbuehler
Defenders: Behrami, Eggimann, Lichtsteiner, Magnin, Senderos, Spycher, von Bergen
Midfielders: Barnetta, Fernandes, Gygax, Huggel, Inler, Yakin, Ziegler
Forwards: Derdiyok, Frei, N’Kufo, Vonlanthen

In other news, Mario Eggimann, who will play against Germany and has been a solid defender ever since being called to defend his nation’s colours, will move from Karlsruhe to Hannover for 1 mill. euros.

His Karlsruhe coach said: “Mario has made real strides this season. He has really improved in building moves, avoiding unnecessary fouls and his defensive headers.” He has scored 4 goals for Kalsruhe this year.
Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt and Bolton Wanderers were allegedly interested in the promising defender.

Johann Vogel, a rather forgotten player (I will never understand why he left PSV for Milan, in the Netherlands he was an amazing player, one of the Team’s best and was particularly impressive in the PSV - Milan Champions’ League fixtures), has signed for Blackburn Rovers. He was without a team since quitting Betis (after all the controversy that had arisen from that transfer) and joins the English team on a 2-year contract.
He will certainly miss out on the Euro 2008 event but perhaps his career might need such a fresh start with a small team - no Swiss can possibly forget what a good captain he was!

On a final note, the Swiss championship is drawing to an end with a stunning finale: Basel and Young Boys are on the top sharing 52 points with Zurich considerably behind. The struggle to avoid relegation concerns some high-ranked teams like FC Sion, St. Gallen and Grasshopers.
A prediction of what will occur is hard to draw!

Now Egyptians and Swiss know him for the strange case that has taken place these past weeks.

Super League side FC Sion from Valais (my team) allegedly signed the Egyptian superstar from Al Ahly:
“We signed the player on 14 February and it’s now up to us to find a solution with Al Ahly,” FC Sion spokesman Lars Gansaeuer said.

Al-Ahly wasn’t pleased with the situation: “There is no way the club has agreed to sell the player, because we have only three goalkeepers registered. To my knowledge there’s nothing in his contract that allows him to terminate it unilaterally.” said Al Ahly board member Khaled Mortagy.

Sion has offered Al Ahly US$400,000 for the player, equivalent to the remaining two years of his contract (similar to the Andy Webster case).

A conference with El-Hadary was scheduled last Wednesday at a hotel in Martigny (yet no reports are available on the FC Sion website) yet the Egyptian goalkeeper was allowed to leave for Cairo to take care of all practical issues that might require attention. Sion’s president, Christian Constantin, is confident that FIFA will approve of the transfer after the Webster case.

If El-Hadary stays Vailati will probably have to move to another team. After the terrible mistake in the game against St. Gallen, the FC Sion number 1 has lost the team’s trust and this El-Hadary business will certainly take away his confidence too.

As an FC Sion fan I don’t take this decision with great enthusiasm. Even though Sion’s championship is going down the drain (we aimed at a Champions’ League or UEFA CUP spot at the beginning of the year) punishing Vailati this way and buying a goalkeeper who has no experience whatsoever of European football just shows how undecided and weak the managing of this team has become.

Stay tuned for further news about this case.

German Switzerland vs Italian Switzerland! Bellinzona is a surprising team: firmly in control in the Challenge League and thus probably in the Super League next year they defeated FC Sion and Neuchatel Xamax and will certainly not be easy underdogs for Basel! If Basel become Swiss Champions then Bellinzona will be guaranteed a UEFA CUP berth! Lokvenc scored for Basel (the new signing from Kaiserslautern) in a game the team from the Rhine did not dominate.

Now Basel is aiming at its 9th Swiss Cup!

Pardon the biased statement:
FORZA BELLINZONA

Videos of the games are available here: (in french)