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Switzerland national team. UEFA (Europe). Nicknames: in the French: La Nati (the National); in the German: Schweitzer Nati (Swiss National); in the Italian: Rossocrociati (the Red Cross). Home jersey: bright red with white trim.
-Switzerland is in Group E (with Ecuador, France, and Honduras), ‘2014 FIFA World Cup Group E‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
2014 FIFA World Cup qualification: 2014 is Switzerland’s 10th qualification out of 19 tries (1930: did not enter).
Switzerland has qualified for the World Cup in: 1934, 1938, 1950, 1954, 1962, 1966, 1994, 2006, 2010, 2014.
Previous WC finish: 2010, Group Stage (1-1-1). Highest WC finish: 1934, 1938, 1954, Quarterfinals.
Population of Switzerland: 8.0 million {2012 estimate}. Capital and largest city: Zurich, metro area pop. 1.8 million {2011 est.}.
-Switzerland coach, Ottmar Hitzfield. Ottmar Hitzfield.
-Switzerland squad captain, Napoli MF Gokhan Inler. Gökhan İnler.
[Note: all players in chart below are part of the final 2014 WC roster, 'Switzerland national football team/Current squad' (en.wikipedia.org).]
Below: Theoretical Best XI for Switzerland (with 4 other player-options further below) -
Photo and Image credits above -
Switzerland 2014 home jersey, photo from worldsoccershop.com.
Switzerland map, by NordNordWest at ‘File:Switzerland location map.svg‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
Switzerland on globe, map by TUBS at ‘File:Switzerland on the globe (Europe centered).svg‘ (commons.wikimedia.org).
Coach,
Ottmar Hitzfield, photo unattributed at goal.com.
Goalkeeper,
Diego Benaglio (Wolfsburg) , photo unattributed at weltfussball.de/news.
Defenders,
Stephan Lichtsteiner RB/RM (Juventus), photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images Europe via zimbio.com
Johan Djourou CB (Hamburger), photo by Bongarts/Getty Images via dailymail.co.uk/sport/football.
Philippe Senderos CB (Valencia), photo by AFP/Getty Images via uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news.
Ricardo Rodríguez LB/LM (Wolfsburg), photo by Stuart Franklin/Bongarts/Getty Images via gettyimages.in.
Midfielders,
Xherdan Shaqiri AMF/RW/LW (Bayern Munich), photo by John Berry/Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
Valon Behrami CM/DM/RM (Napoli), photo unattributed at tuttomercatoweb.com.
Gökhan İnler CM/DM (Napoli), photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images Europe via zimbio.com.
Valentin Stocker LW/LM/AMF (Basel), photo unattributed at football365.com
.
Forwards,
Haris Seferović FW (Real Sociedad), photo by George Herringshaw at sporting-heroes.net.
Admir Mehmedi FW/LW (Dynamo Kyiv/Freiburg), photo unattributed at rga-online.de.
Other player-options,
Josip Drmić FW/W (Nürnberg), photo by Franconia at ‘File:Josip Drmic FCN 2013.jpg‘ (commons.wikimedia.org).
Granit Xhaka CM/DM/AM (Borussia Mönchengladbach), photo by Getty Images via sportsmole.co.uk.
Tranquillo Barnetta LW/AM/RW (Eintracht Frankfurt), photo by bundesliga.com/en/liga/news.
Reto Ziegler LB/LM (Juventus/Sassuolo), photo by Getty Images via gettyimages.com/editorial/reto-ziegler-pictures.
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Thanks to the contributors at ‘2014 FIFA World Cup qualification‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
Thanks to the contributors at ‘Switzerland national football team‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
Thanks to http://www.transfermarkt.com/en/, for player-position details.
Thanks to Soccerway.com, for recent squad line-ups (with positions-on-the-field graphics), at int.soccerway.com/international/europe/wc-qualifying-europe/2014-brazil/1st-round/r15653/.
