Turkyilmaz named in Trossero’s first squad

Kubi Turkyilmaz (left) celebrates his second goal in Switzerland's Euro 2000 qualifier against Belarus last September Keystone

Nineteen Swiss footballers have accepted a call-up to the national squad's first training session under new coach Enzo Trossero. Some of the country's biggest stars will be absent on club duty, although Kubi Turkyilmaz has promised to attend.

Turkyilmaz, who has recently moved to Italy to play for Brescia, spoke to Trossero by telephone and assured him that he would be in Yverdon for next week’s gathering. The Argentinian coach will have to wait a little longer to see some of his other options.

The Swiss captain, Ciriaco Sforza (Bayern Munich), Stéphane Henchoz (Liverpool), Johann Vogel (PSV Eindhoven), David Sesa (Lecce), Alexandre Comisetti (Auxerre) and Fabio Celestini (Troyes) are all unable to attend because of club commitments.

Stéphane Chapuisat, arguably Turkyilmaz’s best ever strike partner, will at least be at the training session after recovering from injury. Chapuisat’s Grasshoppers teammate, Bernd Haas, on the other hand, is still recuperating from the injury that has kept him out of the start of the season.

While demonstrating his interest in the country’s veteran strikers, Trossero has also brought some new blood into the squad. The coach has called up Lugano’s Ludovic Magnin and Lucerne’s Alex Frei, both of whom are 21 years old.


Squad in full.

Goalkeepers: Pascolo (FC Zurich), Stiel (St Gallen), Zuberbühler (Basel)

Defenders: di Jorio (Salernitana), Jeanneret (Servette), Magnin (Lugano), Mazzarelli (St Gallen), Müller (Olympique Lyonnais), Wicky (Werder Breme), Murat Yakin (Kaiserslautern)

Midfielders: Bühlmann (Lausanne), Cantaluppi (Basel), Esposito (Grasshoppers), Gerber (Grasshoppers), Hakan Yakin (Grasshoppers)

Strikers: Frei (Lucerne), Rey (Servette), Türkyilmaz (Brescia)

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