The defender, interviewed at the Switzerland national team training camp, said: "We have to adapt and understand French. Xhaka is more outgoing and direct than I am."
For Akanji, the task is not easy. Wearing the captain's armband, his approach to Switzerland's upcoming matches differs slightly from Xhaka's. "I'm not like Xhaka, we have different characteristics. He's more outgoing and direct than I am. Sometimes I let things go." The center-back explained this on the third day of the Switzerland team's training camp in FC St. Gallen 1879. Akanji's goal is the same as Xhaka's: "The main goal is to secure qualification in the first match, and then return to League A of the UEFA Nations League." With four wins out of four, the Switzerland team has already laid the foundation for achieving this goal.
There had been some tension within the team previously, especially surrounding Embolo. The striker criticized the Swiss Football Association in an interview with a CH Media newspaper. He was excluded from the squad at the last minute before the September training camp due to purchasing a forged COVID certificate. Now, interim captain Akanji is trying to defuse the controversy: "Some things made him unhappy, and he has raised them. Some internal issues have also been resolved." However, this is more a matter between the Swiss Football Association (ASF) and Embolo, "rather than a serious problem within the team." Akanji also understands his teammate's words: "He is a good friend of mine, and I support him in almost everything. So I understand him."
In recent months, the Switzerland national team has seen several new players join, many of whom are from French-speaking regions. Is a growing cultural divide forming within the team? "I don't see any problems. We have to adapt, and we can try to understand French. For now, I'm communicating quite well with them," the Internazionale defender replied.