Murat Yakin looks ahead to further tenure as Swiss national team coach after World Cup exit

At the press conference, which was scheduled as the final media round before the team's trip home, Yakin showed a combative stance. "Wir sind noch lange nicht am Ende", said the 51-year-old. He had "Lust und Freude, mit dieser Mannschaft zu arbeiten", and "null Gedanken daran, einen anderen Weg zu gehen". He looked forward to what lay ahead of him.

Commitment to the role

Yakin, who has been coaching the Swiss national team since 2021, also emphasized that he was "nach wie vor sehr gerne Trainer und extrem stolz, Schweizer Nationaltrainer". His contract runs until 2028. He thereby effectively ruled out a move or resignation.

With a wink, Yakin addressed a comparison that entertainer James Corden had recently drawn. Corden had compared him to a character from the James Bond universe. "Ich hoffe nicht, dass ihr denkt, dass ich eine neue Karriere als Schauspieler mache", Yakin said on the matter.

Squad and upcoming talks

Regarding the future squad, Yakin said that "stand jetzt" no player was known to him who wanted to retire from the national team. "Aber da werden sicher Gespräche in den nächsten Tagen stattfinden", he added. After Euro 2024 in Germany, long-time key players Xherdan Shaqiri and Yann Sommer had ended their careers with the national team.

Yakin was active as a player for clubs including VfB Stuttgart and 1. FC Kaiserslautern. Since taking office in 2021, he has led Switzerland to, among other things, two World Cup appearances. The upcoming international match dates will show in what form he intends to shape the transition following the departures of Shaqiri and Sommer.

Outlook until 2028

The match against Argentina had started evenly for long stretches before the sending-off tipped the balance in favor of the title holders. Down a man, Switzerland held on for a long time before Argentina sealed the victory in extra time.

Looking ahead to the coming months, Yakin announced talks with players and the association. The goal was to "die Mannschaft weiterzuentwickeln" and reshape the squad for the next tournaments. He did not provide details.

The Swiss Football Association had announced before the press conference that Yakin would also remain in office beyond the tournament. The confirmation now followed from the coach himself – with a clear commitment to his contract running until 2028.