Swiss relying on Turkish trio against Turkey

Euro 2008 co-hosts Switzerland head into their Group A encounter against Turkey tomorrow relying on three players with Turkish passports.

Defensive midfielder Gokhan Inler, playmaker Hakan Yakin and striker Eren Derdiyok all possess joint Swiss-Turkish nationality and are expected to play in a Swiss team that is now looking to knock Turkey out of the tournament.

Both teams lost their opening Euro 2008 matches, Switzerland 1-0 to Czech Republic and Turkey 2-0 against Portugal.

A further defeat tomorrow would probably see the losing side becoming the first team to exit the tournament.

“The match against Turkey is going to be particularly special because of the fact my family come from there,” Yakin told reporters at Switzerland’s training camp last week.

“I’ve got a lot of Turkish friends who are getting really excited about it, although they’ll be supporting Turkey of course.

“My mother is really tense about having both countries playing against each other but she always says she supports the teams her sons play for.”

Yakin, 31, whose elder brother Murat also played for the Swiss national team, is the second most-capped player in the Switzerland squad.

Despite making 67 international appearances he has never played against Turkey.

In November 2005, Switzerland beat Turkey in a bad-tempered World Cup qualifying play-off marred by a post-match brawl that left Swiss defender Stephane Grichting in hospital but Yakin was not in the squad.

“What happened in Istanbul is over now,” Yakin said. “The most difficult thing for me about tomorow’s match is all the mates I have pestering me for tickets.”

Yakin could be given a rare start for Switzerland just in front of regular starter Inler as coach Koebi Kuhn looks to increase his attacking options following the loss of top scorer Alex Frei to a knee injury.

At 19 – he celebrates his 20th birthday on June 12 – Derdiyok is the tournament’s youngest player but he too is expected to be involved at some stage as a result of Frei’s absence.

“I grew up here in Switzerland and playing for Turkey was never even a question for me,” said Derdiyok after being surrounded by Turkish journalists at the Swiss training camp last week.

“It should be a fantastic night, though. My family and a lot of my friends are going to be watching in the stands. So I hope they get to see me play.”