Coach
Ottmar Hitzfeld
12.01.49
Switzerland coach since 2008
One of only two coaches to win the European Cup/Champions League with two clubs (Borussia Dortmund in 1997 and Bayern Munich in 2001). Although German, he was born near the Swiss border and speaks in the Swiss dialect used in the region.
Goalkeepers
Diego Benaglio
VfL Wolfsburg
8.9.83
Caps: 25. Goals 0.
Third-choice at the 2006 World Cup, Benaglio was promoted just before Euro 2008 after some erratic performances by predecessor Pascal Zuberbuehler. Agile, he commands his defence well despite being a quiet character off the pitch. Benefitted greatly with a move from Nacional Madeira to Vfl Wolfsburg in 2008, helping his new team win the Bundesliga in his first season.
Johnny Leoni
Zurich
30.6.84
Caps: 0. Goals. 0
Winner of two Swiss titles with Zurich, Leoni has been called up by his country eight times but has yet to get a game. Produced some very mixed performances in this season’s Champions League.
Marco Woelfli
Young Boys Berne
22.8.82
Caps: 4. Goals. 0
A late developer, Woefli made his international debut two years ago at the age of 26. Captain of Young Boys Berne, where he is also the longest-serving player. Played in the final qualifier against Israel which clinched Switzerland’s place in South Africa.
Defenders
Mario Eggimann
24.01.81
Hannover 96
8 caps 0 goals
Eggimann was selected by then-coach Kobi Kuhn prior to Euro 2008 but did not make the final squad, which meant he missed out playing in the finals on his home soil.
Stephane Grichting
Auxerre
30.3.79
Caps: 33. Goals: 1
Central defender whose first international goal against Greece last year was also one of the most important of Switzerland’s qualifying campaign. Is in his eighth season at French club Auxerre.
Stephan Lichtsteiner
Lazio
16.1.84
Caps: 26. Goals: 1
Dependable right-back who completed an apprenticeship in banking when he was a young player at Grasshoppers Zurich. After three seasons at Lille, he moved to Serie A club Lazio for the 2008/09 season. Known as Forrest Gump thanks to his impressive running down the right flank has earned him the nickname Forrest Gump.
Ludovic Magnin
Zurich
20.4.79
Caps: 61. Goals: 3
Unusually excitable by Swiss standards, Magnin is a left-back who loves going forward and is also a useful free kick-taker. A qualified primary school teacher, he has won Bundesliga titles with Werder Bremen and VfB Stuttgart. He left the latter club in February after losing his grip on the left-back position and joined FC Zurich in a move aimed at keeping his Switzerland place.
Philippe Senderos
Everton
14.2.85
Caps: 38. Goals: 5
Born to a Spanish father and Serbian mother, Senderos is strong in the air in both defence and attack. He made an early impression, captaining the Switzerland team which won the European under-17 championship in 2002 and joined Arsenal the following year. After spending 2008-09 on loan to AC Milan, he moved to Everton in January in an attempt to get more first-team football.
Steve von Bergen
Hertha Berlin
10.6.83
Caps: 10. Goals: 0
Central defender who won two Swiss titles with FC Zurich before moving to Hertha Berlin for the 2007 season. Missed Euro 2008 with a broken hand but made several appearances in the 2010 qualifying campaign. Played in the under-17 European championship team in 2002.
Reto Ziegler
16.01.86
Sampdoria (Ita)
10 caps (1 goal)
Left-sided defender or midfielder who has been tried out by Hitzfeld in a couple of friendlies. Joined Tottenham as an 18-year-old, but spent much of his time in England loaned out. Brother Ronald is also a footballer and plays for Swiss side ES FC Malley.
Midfielders
Tranquillo Barnetto
Bayer Leverkusen
22.5.85
Caps: 50. Goals: 6
One of Switzerland’s most important players, he was impressive at the 2006 World Cup.Versatile, quick and with good ball control, he was at the heart of Bayer Leverkusen’s 24-match unbeaten run in the Bundesliga and was ever-present in Switzerland’s qualifying campaign.
Valon Behrami
West Ham United
19.4.85
Caps: 26. Goals: 2
Happy at right back or in midfield, Behrami was a regular during three seasons at Lazio while remaining on the fringes of the Swiss squad, where he has raised a few eyebrows with his tatoos and ever-changing haircuts. Joined West Ham in 2008 but suffered a serious knee injury the following year from which he has recovered. Played in three qualifiers. Born in Kosovo, his parents brought him to Switzerland at the age of four.
Gelson Fernandes
St Etienne
2.9.86
Caps: 22. Goals: 1
Energetic, never-say-die defensive midfielder. Born in Cape Verde, he moved to Switzerland at five and took up football after being inspired by his father’s work as a groundsman at FC Sion. Made his first-team debut at 16 and became one of Switzerland’s most expensive players when he moved to Manchester City in 2007 after catching the eye of Sven-Goran Eriksson. Fell out of favour when Mark Hughes replaced Eriksson and joined St Etienne at the start of this season.
Benjamin Huggel
FC Basel
7.7.77
Caps: 36. Goals: 2
Defensive midfielder popular for his determination, though somewhat lacking in finesse. He was banned from the 2006 World Cup for his part in the shocking brawl which followed their decisive qualifier in Turkey. He spent seven seasons at Basel and returned to the club in 2007 after an unhappy two-year interlude with Eintracht Frankfurt. Played at Euro 2004 and was an used squad member four years later.
Gokhan Inler
Udinese
27.6.84
Caps: 34. Goals: 2
Hard man midfielder, Inler made the big leap from the Swiss league to Serie A with surprising ease when he joined Udinese from FC Zurich in 2007. Ever-present in qualifying campaign and was in the Euro 2008 team.
Marco Padalino
Sampdoria
8.12.83
Caps: 7. Goals: 1
Right-sided midfielder who broke into the team last year. Joined Samporia in 2008 having previously played for Catania and Piacenza. Started the last four qualifiers.
Xherdan Shaquiri
Basel
10.10.91
Caps: 1. Goals. 0
Quick and a good crosser, Shaquiri is suited to playing on either flank although he prefers to the left. Born in Kosovo, he moved to Switzerland as a child because of the war and joined FC Basel’s youth academy at the age of 10. Made both his professional and international debuts this season.
Pirmin Schwegler
09.03.87
Eintracht Frankfurt (Ger)
3 caps (0 goals)
Began his career at Lucerne.
Although an infrequent performer for Eintracht Frankfurt during the 2009-10 season, Schwegler earned a call-up for the final 23. His brother, Christian, plays for Strasburg in Austria.
Hakan Yakin
Luzern
22.2.77
Caps: 80. Goals. 20
One of the few players in the squad with real flair, Yakin’s career has been hampered by some ill-judged transfers and injuries, including unsuccessful stints with Paris St Germain, VfB Stuttgart and Galatasaray. He played at the Euro 2004 and 2008 and the 2006 World Cup but has only been used as a substitute under Hitzfeld.
Forwrads
Albert Bunjaku
29.11.83
FC Nuremberg
2 caps 0 goals
Of Kosovar Albanian descent, moved to Switzerland when he was eight. He first came to the attention when playing for lower league Rot-Weiss Erfurt, scoring twice against Bayern Munich in a DFB Cup tie on August 10th 2008.
Eren Derdiyok
Bayer Leverkusen
12.6.88
Caps: 19. Goals: 2
Tall, powerful striker with an instinctive nose for goal and who occasionally fills in at centre back. Won Swiss league and cup titles with FC Basel before joining Bayer Leverkusen at the start of this season and has scored at a rate of more than one goal every two games for them.
Alex Frei
Basel
15.7.79
Caps: 73. Goals: 40
Switzerland’s record scorer is fighting to get fit in time for the World Cup after breaking his arm in a league match in February. He also missed most of Euro 2008 after suffering a knee injury in the first half of their first game. Suspended for spitting at Steven Gerrard during Euro 2004 and later adopted a llama at Basel zoo — a surprisingly light-hearted move from a usually dour figure.
Blaise Nkufo
Twente
25.5.75
Caps: 29. Goals: 7
Born in Democratic Repulic of Congo and raised in Lausanne, Nkufo has been a remarkably consistent scorer since joining Twente Enschede in 2003, scoring at least 10 goals in each of his seven seasons with the club. Something of a perfectionist, he dropped out of the national team in 2002 because he felt he was not been given a fair chance but was persuaded to return in 2007.
