Granit Xhaka will be suspended for Switzerland’s quarter-final against Spain on Friday evening – the only player to miss out through suspension out of the eight remaining teams at Euro 2020.
The Arsenal midfielder, who produced a man-of-the-match display as the Swiss stunned the reigning World Champions, picked up a suspension after an accumulation of two yellow cards at the tournament.
AFP
According to UEFA’s Article 52, a player is suspended for the next match after picking up two yellow cards in two different matches.
The world champions and favourites exited after Yann Sommer saved Kylian Mbappe’s spot-kick after a 3-3 draw following extra time.
And Xhaka was left absolutely stunned by his own team’s resilience after they came back from the dead.
“Sorry to say this word, but it’s f*cking amazing, man,” Xhaka told UEFA after the game.
“We can make score the 2-0 and finish the game but the penalty we missed breaks us a little bit.
Players one booking away from missing the semi-finals
Belgium: Alderweireld, T Hazard, Vermaelen
Czech Republic: Coufal, Hlozek, Masopust
Denmark: Damsgaard, Delaney, Jensen, Wass
Italy: Barella, Di Lorenzo, Pessina
Spain: Jordi Alba, Busquets, Rodri, Pau Torres
Switzerland: Akanji, Elvedi, Embolo, Gavranovic, Mbabu, Rodriguez, Schar
England: Phillips, Rice, Foden, Maguire
Ukraine: Sydorchuk, Yarmolenko, Shaparenko, Dovbyk
“After 3-1, to come back like this against France, to show big character, this team is f***king amazing, man.”
Shootout hero Sommer, meanwhile, joked he wanted Robert De Niro to play him in a movie about their famous win over Les Bleus.
“Yes, madness. I’ll give Robert De Niro a call to see if he wants to play me,” the goalkeeper told German broadcaster ZDF.
“We noticed that the French had a phase after the two goals (to put them 3-1 up) where they were slightly arrogant and thought they had won and we took advantage of it.”
