Xhaka taunts Italy: ‘Switzerland won before entering the pitch’ | OneFootball

Switzerland star Granit Xhaka taunts Italy, saying that his team beat the Azzurri ‘before even entering the pitch’ in the EURO 2024 Round of 16.

The Azzurri suffered a 2-0 loss to Switzerland in Berlin on Saturday and were eliminated from the EURO 2024 knock-out stage.

Spalletti’s men offered a poor performance, making just one shot on target in 90 minutes.

“We won before even entering the pitch, as they had done against us three years ago. I’ve never seen Italy struggle as much as they did against us,” Xhaka said at a press conference on Wednesday, as quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Italy had beaten Switzerland 3-0 in the EURO 2020 Group stage with goals from Manuel Locatelli  – two – and Ciro Immobile.

Switzerland will meet England in the EURO 2024 quarter-finals on Saturday.

“I am incredibly proud of what every team member has done so far, including staff members,” continued Xhaka.

“What we have achieved is a more than special objective. Not only for the result but also for the style of the play. We played at a high level and used the right approach against a prestigious opponent.

“The defeat from three years ago still hurt, so we proved a great team spirit and deserved to reach this target. We were perfect in terms of discipline, with and without the ball.”