Switzerland captain Vogel dropped from national team

Switzerland trainer Koebi Kuhn announced yesterday that he had axed captain Johann Vogel.

In a statement released by the Swiss football association, Kuhn said he had made his decision "because the chemistry was no longer right, both on the pitch and off it."

The Real Betis midfielder reacted "very emotionally" when told of the decision in a conversation with Kuhn.

As a result of the conversation, Kuhn said it was unlikely that Vogel would play for the team again.

Vogel, who turned 30 yesterday, was part of the Swiss team that qualified for the 2004 European Championships and he captained the side to the 2006 World Cup finals.

Following the team's second round defeat by Ukraine at the World Cup, Vogel was reported by Swiss media to have fought with the team's top goalscorer Alex Frei.

There were also rival camps within the squad and disputes between the French- and German-speaking players, the reports said.

Switzerland were the only team at the World Cup to keep clean sheets in all their matches but exited the tournament when they also became the first team in World Cup history not to score a goal in a shootout.

Vogel, who chose not to take a penalty that day, was often blamed by Swiss fans for the side's overly defensive approach to matches.