Switzerland manager Ottmar Hitzfeld unveiled his squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil; the squad is exactly the predicted list by pundits. The German selected the team through a blend of experience and youth, the coach plan on ending his management career after the end of this tournament.
Bayer Leverkusen striker Eren Derdiyok and Fulham midfielder Pajtim Kasami were both dropped by Hitzfeld even though they are on standby. The team is selected majorly from players plying their trade in Italian, German and Swiss top flight.
Hitzfeld has also named a list of 7-man should in case any of the 23-man be injured and cannot be fit for the tournament before the final ultimatum of June 2 for the list submission stipulated by FIFA.
Switzerland is paired in Group E with France, Honduras and Ecuador. Their first match of the campaign is against Ecuador on 15 June in Brasilia’s Estadio Naciona. They have pre-tournament friendly matches with Jamaica on May 30 and Peru on June 3.
Switzerland squad
Goalkeepers: Diego Benaglio (Wolfsburg/GER), Roman Buerki (Grasshopper), Yann Sommer (Basel)
Defenders: Johan Djourou (Hamburg/GER), Michael Lang (Grasshopper), Stephan Lichtsteiner (Juventus/ITA), Ricardo Rodriguez (Wolfsburg), Fabian Schaer (Basel), Philippe Senderos (Valencia/ESP), Steve von Bergen (Young Boys), Reto Ziegler (Sassuolo/ITA)
Midfielders: Tranquillo Barnetta (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER), Valon Behrami (Napoli), Blerim Dzemaili (Napoli), Gelson Fernandes (Freiburg/GER), Goekhan Inler (Napoli), Xherdan Shaqiri (Bayern Munich/GER), Valentin Stocker (Basel)
Forwards: Josip Drmic (Nurnberg/GER), Mario Gavranovic (Zurich), Admir Mehmedi (Freiburg), Haris Seferovic (Real Sociedad/ESP), Granit Xhaka (Borussia Moenchengladbach/GER)
On standby
Goalkeeper: Marwin Hitz (Augsburg/GER)
Defenders: Timm Klose (Wolfsburg), Silvan Widmer (Udinese/ITA)
Midfielders and forwards: Eren Derdiyok (Bayer Leverkusen/GER), Fabian Frei (Basel), Pajtim Kasami (Fulham/ENG), Pirmin Schwegler (Eintracht Frankfurt)