Switzerland 2014 FIFA World Cup Squad: Player-by-Player Guide
Karl Matchett@@karlmatchett
Featured ColumnistMay 13, 2014Switzerland 2014 FIFA World Cup Squad: Player-by-Player Guide
The 2014 FIFA World Cup is drawing close and the preliminary squads are quickly being assembled, with the lists shortly to be whittled down to the chosen 23 players for each nation.
Our latest roundup of each nation sees us take in the Switzerland national side, who have qualified for their 10th World Cup finals after topping their UEFA zone qualifying group. The Swiss side, led by coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, did not lose a single fixture during qualifying.
In the 2014 finals in Brazil they have been paired with Ecuador, France and Honduras in Group E.
Here is the 23-man squad selected by Hitzfeld.
The seven reserves named are Marwin Hitz (Augsburg), Timm Klose (VfL Wolfsburg), Silvan Widmar (Udinese), Eren Derdiyok (Bayer Leverkusen), Fabian Frei (FC Basel), Pajtim Kasami (Fulham) and Pirmin Schwegler (Eintracht Frankfurt).
Goalkeepers
Name: Diego Benaglio
Date of Birth: September 8, 1983
Birthplace: Zurich
Position: Goalkeeper
Caps: 55
Club: Wolfsburg
Name: Yann Sommer
Date of Birth: December 17, 1988
Birthplace: Morges
Position: Goalkeeper
Caps: 5
Club: FC Basel, transfer agreed to Borussia Moenchengladbach for July 2014
Name: Roman Buerki
Date of Birth: November 14, 1990
Birthplace: Munslingen
Position: Goalkeeper
Caps: 0
Club: Grasshopper Club Zurich
Defenders
Name: Johan Djourou
Date of Birth: January 18, 1987
Birthplace: Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Position: Centre-back
Caps: 43
Club: Hamburger SV
Name: Michael Lang
Date of Birth: February 8, 1991
Birthplace: St. Gallen
Position: Right-back
Caps: 5
Club: Grasshopper Club Zurich
Name: Stephan Lichtsteiner
Date of Birth: January 16, 1984
Birthplace: Adlingenswil
Position: Right-back
Caps: 61
Club: Juventus
Name: Ricardo Rodriguez
Date of Birth: August 25, 1992
Birthplace: Zurich
Position: Left-back
Caps: 19
Club: Wolfsburg
Name: Fabian Schar
Date of Birth: December 20, 1991
Birthplace: Wil
Position: Centre-back
Caps: 5
Club: FC Basel
Name: Philippe Senderos
Date of Birth: February 14, 1985
Birthplace: Geneva
Position: Centre-back
Caps: 52
Club: Valencia
Name: Steve von Bergen
Date of Birth: June 10, 1983
Birthplace: Neuchatel
Position: Centre-back
Caps: 40
Club: BSC Young Boys
Name: Reto Ziegler
Date of Birth: January 16, 1986
Birthplace: Geneva
Position: Left-back
Caps: 34
Club: Sassuolo, on loan from Juventus
Midfielders
Name: Tranquillo Barnetta
Date of Birth: May 22, 1985
Birthplace: St. Gallen
Position: Winger
Caps: 73
Club: Eintracht Frankfurt, on loan from Schalke 04
Name: Valon Behrami
Date of Birth: April 19, 1985
Birthplace: Mitrovice, Kosovo
Position: Central midfield
Caps: 46
Club: Napoli
Name: Blerim Dzemaili
Date of Birth: April 12, 1986
Birthplace: Tetovo, Macedonia
Position: Central midfield
Caps: 32
Club: Napoli
Name: Gelson Fernandes
Date of Birth: September 2, 1986
Birthplace: Praia, Cape Verde
Position: Central midfield
Caps: 46
Club: SC Freiburg
Name: Gokhan Inler
Date of Birth: June 27, 1984
Birthplace: Olten
Position: Central midfield
Caps: 71
Club: Napoli
Name: Xherdan Shaqiri
Date of Birth: October 10, 1991
Birthplace: Gjilan, Kosovo
Position: Winger
Caps: 31
Club: Bayern Munich
Name: Valentin Stocker
Date of Birth: April 12, 1989
Birthplace: Kriens
Position: Wide forward
Caps: 22
Club: FC Basel
Name: Granit Xhaka
Date of Birth: September 27, 1992
Birthplace: Basel
Position: Central midfield
Caps: 24
Club: Borussia Moenchengladbach
Forwards
Name: Josip Drmic
Date of Birth: August 8, 1992
Birthplace: Freienbach
Position: Forward
Caps: 5
Club: FC Nurnberg
Name: Mario Gavranovic
Date of Birth: November 24, 1989
Birthplace: Lugano
Position: Forward
Caps: 10
Club: FC Zurich
Name: Admir Mehmedi
Date of Birth: March 16, 1991
Birthplace: Gostivar, Macedonia
Position: Forward
Caps: 19
Club: SC Freiburg, on loan from Dynamo Kyiv
Name: Haris Seferovic
Date of Birth: February 22, 1992
Birthplace: Sursee
Position: Forward
Caps: 9
Club: Real Sociedad