Squad update
Gokhan Inler and Timm Klose were the major omissions from Vladimir Petkovic’s squad. Inler, the Swiss captain, barely featured for Leicester City this season, while Klose was deemed not to be fit after suffering a knee injury in April. Pajtim Kasami, Renato Steffen, Silvan Widmer, Luka Zuffi and Josip Drmic also missed out. Fabian Lustenberger was another surprise omission.
Denis Zakaria’s inclusion was a surprise. He made the cut along with Nico Elvedi, Steve Von Bergen, Gelson Fernandes, Fabian Frei, Denis Zakaria, Shani Tarashaj and Eren Derdiyok.
Final squad
Goalkeepers
Name: Roman Burki
Caps/goals: 4/0
Club: Borussia Dortmund (Ger)
Age: 25 (14.11.90)
Moved to Dortmund this season and immediately won the first-choice spot from Roman Weidenfeller, though there has been some criticism of his performances. His brother, Marco, plays for Swiss side Thun.
Marvin Hitz
2/0
Augsburg
Age 28 (18.09.87)
Third-choice stopper who made his debut against Liechtenstein in 2015. Agreed to pay a £100 bill sent to him by Cologne earlier this season after he intentionally damaged the pitch before facing a penalty which was missed.
Yann Sommer
17/0
Borussia Monchengladbach (Ger)
Age 27 (17.12.88)
The natural successor after Diego Benaglio decided he would concentrate on his club career following the 2014 World Cup. Has excellent reflexes, is calm and self-assured, and averse to risk-taking.
Defenders
Johan Djourou
59/2
Hamburg (Ger)
Age 29 (18.01.87)
Played at the 2006 World Cup but has had an up-and-down career before settling at Hamburg. Born in Ivory Coast, he joined Arsenal as a teenager although he struggled to get into the team. Suffered a knee injury in 2009 which cost him an entire year of his career and a place at the 2010 World Cup.
Nico Elvedi
1/0
Borussia M’gladbach (Ger)
Age 19 (30.09.96)
Highly-rated young centre-back who made the squad after breaking into Gladbach’s first team.
Michael Lang
15/2
Basle
Age 25 (08.02.91)
Played for Switzerland at various youth levels and is now understudy to Lichtsteiner at right-back. Was in the 2014 World Cup squad.
Stephan Lichtsteiner
80/5
Juventus (Ita)
Age 32 (16.01.84)
Feisty right-back who is known for his storming runs down the flank. A winner of four successive Serie A title with Juve since 2011, he completed an apprenticeship in banking when he was a young player at Grasshoppers.
Forest Moubandje
10/0
Toulouse (Fra)
Age 25 (21.6.90)
Second-choice left-back behind Rodriguez, he was briefly dropped by Toulouse at Christmas but has since fallen back into favour.
Ricardo Rodriguez
35/0
Wolfsburg (Ger)
Age 23 (25.08.92)
Left-back who provides an endless supply of crosses, is strong in the air and dangerous at free-kicks. Born in Zurich to a Spanish father and Chilean mother.
Fabian Schar
19/5
Hoffenheim (Ger)
Age 24 (20.12.91).
One of Switzerland’s most important recent discoveries, the central defender compliments good long-range passing with a powerful free-kick. Worked as a bank intern until he was signed by Basle in 2012.
Steve Von Bergen
49/2
Young Boys
Age 32 (10.06.83)
Experienced centre-back who is back in Switzerland after spells in the Bundesliga and Serie A.
Midfielders
Valon Behrami
64/2
Napoli (Ita)
Age 31 (19.04.85)
Happy at right-back or in midfield, he is aggressive, hard-working, strong-tackling – and sometimes reckless. His tattoos and ever-changing haircuts are not always to the liking of the reserved Swiss. Born in Kosovo.
Blerim Dzemaili
46/5
Genoa (Ita)
Age 30 (12.04.86)
Central midfielder who has been in and out of the team for the last decade. He was in the 2006 World Cup squad but did not play, then missed the cut for South Africa before finally got his chance in Brazil. Born in Macedonia, his parents moved to Switzerland when he was four.
Fabian Frei
7/1
Mainz (Ger)
Age 27 (08.01.89)
Former Basle midfielder who replaced Schalke-bound Johannes Geis at Mainz last summer.
Gelson Fernandes
53/2
Rennes (Fra)
Age 29 (02.09.86)
Experienced, much-travelled defensive midfielder. Born in the Cape Verde Islands.
Granit Xhaka
41/6
Borussia Monchengladbach (Ger)
Age 23 (27.09.92)
New Arsenal signing is elegant and composed, although he sometimes looks somewhat lightweight. Known as “Little Einstein” because of an interest in science, he has publicly supported Kosovo’s campaign to be allowed to play international matches. Born in Kosovo to a family of ethnic Albanians, he considered representing Albania but complained he was shunned by the country’s federation.
Denis Zakaria
1/0
Young Boys
Age 19 (20.11.96)
Under-19 defensive midfielder who has been fast-tracked into the senior side this season. A surprise selection.
Forwards
Eren Derdiyok
50/10
Kasimpasa (Tur)
Age 27 (12.06.88)
Tall striker who has revived his career in Turkey after a poor run in the German Bundesliga.
Breel Embolo
9/1
Basle
Age 19 (14.02.97)
Powerful and technically gifted Cameroon-born centre-forward who made his professional debut at 17. Had to take time off school to play against Liverpool in the Champions League last season and is being closely watched by Bundesliga and Premiership clubs.
Admir Mehmedi
40/3
Bayer Leverkusen
Age 25 (16.03.91)
Macedonian-born who has had a good scoring record with Freiburg but has found goals harder to come by since joining Leverkusen this season. Helped Switzerland reach the 2011 Euro Under-21 Final and played at the 2012 Olympic Games.
Haris Seferovic
29/7
Eintracht Frankfurt (Ger)
Age 24 (22.02.92)
Was then tournament’s top scorer as the Swiss won the Under-17 World Championship in 2009, but has had lots of ups and downs at club level since. Spent a night in a Spanish police cell following a disturbance when he was with Real Socieded. Born in Switzerland to Bosnian parents.
Xherdan Shaquiri
51/17
Stoke City (Eng)
Age 24 (10.10.91)
The pick of his generation, he can play on either flank or behind the striker and as a playmaker. Always a threat with his powerful shooting and good crosses. Born in Kosovo, his club career was punctuated by spells in the reserves at Bayern Munich and Internazionale.
Shani Tarashaj
4/0
Everton (Eng)
Age 21 (07.02.95)
From an Albanian-Kosovan family but made his senior Swiss debut in March. On loan at Grasshoppers this season.
