What's the difference between Scotland and Switzerland ?

[superfurryhibby]

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I guess I'm saying that if Rugby didn't exist and private schools had been playing football as their main sport for the last 100 years, I suspect our football infrastructure, culture and success as a nation might be different. Rather than suggesting that if Rugby disappeared football would suddenly be better off.

Fair enough.

For me it’s the barriers to participation for people who just don’t buy into football culture. Bampot coaches, unruly parents on the touchline, poor standards of sportsmanship and the cheating, win at all costs mentality at all levels of the game.

It stopped me immersing my two youngest in the game and I’m a passionate football supporter.

[worcesterhibby]

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Fair enough.

For me it’s the barriers to participation for people who just don’t buy into football culture. Bampot coaches, unruly parents on the touchline, poor standards of sportsmanship and the cheating, win at all costs mentality at all levels of the game.

It stopped me immersing my two youngest in the game and I’m a passionate football supporter.

Yup I would agree. 20 purpose built indoor facilities, run by professionals who have sports science based degrees aimed at providing a safe, enjoyable place for Scottish kids of all backgrounds to learn to play the game with a skill based culture and 15 years down the line we would be competing.

Quite how we could ever fund that, is another matter. Maybe if we switched about 1% of the £48billion we spend on defence each year, we could get it all sorted by 2020 ! I know where my priorities would lie ! #ballsnotbombs

[houstonhibbee]

witzercot

[Scouse Hibee]

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So Switzerland had qualified for the Elite European Semi final thing, by coming back from 2-0 down to beat Belgium 5-2. They are an international side who have over-performed consistently for the last decade and a half. Since 2004 they have qualified for every world cup and have only missed one Euros. That's 7 tournaments to Scotland's 0

So how do they compare as a country ?

Population:
Swiss 8.4million
Scots 5.4million

Home Football TV Deal:
Swiss 25million
Scots 19million


Average attendance at top domestic league games
Swiss 11,181
Scots 15,896



So population wise we are similar, TV deal wise we are similar and attendance wise at football games we are ahead.

If Switzerland can do it, surely Scotland can too ? What are the swiss doing that Scotland is not doing ?

Not sure how you can say they have over performed for a decade and a half! They are performing consistently at a level they have reached.

[Keith_M]

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Single malt whisky versus Absinthe.

William Tell v Jocky Wilson

Barbegazzi (a gnome like creature wi big feet) v Loch Ness Monster

Kindlifresser (child eater of Bern) v Alex Salmond.

[chrisski33]

Gordon Strachan would say its down to genetics. Personnally we as a nation probably think we are better than we are.

[Keith_M]

We do actually have some things in common.

Tynecastle : W-ankdorf Stadium

[SlickShoes]

Their domestic league is pretty poor. I currently live in Switzerland and outwith FC Basel and Bern, the standard in general is dismal. Outwith those two everyone else is fighting to avoid relegation. Grasshoppers aren't a big side, I saw them play Lausanne last year while we had Kamberi on loan and I couldn't believe they let him go.

Most of the teams are bank rolled by massively rich companies or individuals though, so they can pay higher wages than we can easily.

Sport is part of life here, everyone is always doing something even if it's just running or hill walking. It's culturally active and Scotland sadly is the exact opposite of that now, at least from my experience.

They also have a fairly diverse national team, it's not just all white native Swiss people.

[ekhibee]

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Sure xhaka is Swiss. Think his brother opted to play for Albania even though he is also Swiss.

You’re right about Shaqiri though although I believe has possibly from Kosovo?

You're right, Shaquiri is of Kosovan descent. So is Kamberi.

[ekhibee]

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Kamberi is also of Albanian heritage. I really think mass immigration / being a haven for asylum seekers from the former Yugoslavia has helped them massively.

Albania was never part of Yugoslavia, it was separate and practiced a kind of Maoist communism that alienated it from virtually every other country in Europe, including the then Soviet Union. But I totally agree that Switzerland has definitely benefitted from the influx of immigrants, no doubt about that at all.

[The_Horde]

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Not quite the same. We signed Kamberi from Grasshoppers (one of their bigger clubs) and Murray from Dundee Utd. The Scottish equivalent to Kamberi would be someone like Michael O'Halloran.

Michael O'Halloran is a bad example but I get your point.

[easty]

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So Switzerland had qualified for the Elite European Semi final thing, by coming back from 2-0 down to beat Belgium 5-2. They are an international side who have over-performed consistently for the last decade and a half. Since 2004 they have qualified for every world cup and have only missed one Euros. That's 7 tournaments to Scotland's 0

So how do they compare as a country ?

Population:
Swiss 8.4million
Scots 5.4million

Home Football TV Deal:
Swiss 25million
Scots 19million

Average attendance at top domestic league games
Swiss 11,181
Scots 15,896

So population wise we are similar, TV deal wise we are similar and attendance wise at football games we are ahead.

If Switzerland can do it, surely Scotland can too ? What are the swiss doing that Scotland is not doing ?

8.4m and 5.4m isn’t really a similar population. They’ve got more than 50% more people than us.

[worcesterhibby]

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8.4m and 5.4m isn’t really a similar population. They’ve got more than 50% more people than us.

That's absolutely true, however I was categorizing European nations into three groups in my head:

(20million plus)Big: Spain 46million, England 54million, France 67million, Germany 82million, Italy 60million, Poland 37million

(10-20million) Medium: Netherland 17million, Portugal 10million, Belgium 11million, Greece 11million sweden 10million

(5- 9.9million) Small: Scotland 5.4million, Norway 5million, Denmark 5million, Finland 5million, Switzerland 8.4million, etc etc

In relative terms compared to the big European nations we are similar. It's obvious why Spain, Germany, Italy, France and England should almost always be amongst the top teams in Europe they all have 10 times our population or more. switzerland isn't anything like as big a jump.

But I take your point it is valid..however they haven't qualified for 50% more tournaments than us in the last 20 years they have qualified for 7 and we have qualified for none.

Let's just hope Scotland can build on the positivity surrounding our promotion and kick on and do well in the proper Euro qualifiers !

[Sammy7nil]

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So Switzerland had qualified for the Elite European Semi final thing, by coming back from 2-0 down to beat Belgium 5-2. They are an international side who have over-performed consistently for the last decade and a half. Since 2004 they have qualified for every world cup and have only missed one Euros. That's 7 tournaments to Scotland's 0

So how do they compare as a country ?

Population:
Swiss 8.4million
Scots 5.4million

Home Football TV Deal:
Swiss 25million
Scots 19million

Average attendance at top domestic league games
Swiss 11,181
Scots 15,896

So population wise we are similar, TV deal wise we are similar and attendance wise at football games we are ahead.

If Switzerland can do it, surely Scotland can too ? What are the swiss doing that Scotland is not doing ?

The difference is the same as when we had Souness / King Kenny or Collins and Goram it is just their turn

[superfurryhibby]

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The difference is the same as when we had Souness / King Kenny or Collins and Goram it is just their turn

Scotland have never had their level of consistency of qualification. I seem to remember that our first ever Euro group stage was under Roxburgh in 1992. We did do well in qualifying for World Cups from 74- 90 and thenagain in 98. Played in two European Championships ever.

It’s not just a cyclical thing. Our game is rotten to the core.

[Since90+2]

I think Croatia and Uruguay have busted the myth that football success is down to your population.

[Keith_M]

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I think Croatia and Uruguay have busted the myth that football success is down to your population.

Craig Levein would make an ideal Uruguay Manager. They definitely have the same approach to Football.

[Since90+2]

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Craig Levein would make an ideal Uruguay Manager. They definitely have the same approach to Football.

Think your giving Levein abit too much credit there. Uruguay are definitely physical but they are also terrific defensively, have a phenomenal workrate, great team cohesion and world class strikers.

Not bad for a country with a population a few million less than Scotland.

[Michael]

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Craig Levein would make an ideal Uruguay Manager. They definitely have the same approach to Football.

If Craig Levein had Cavani he'd have done better for Scotland.

[Bostonhibby]

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If Craig Levein had Cavani he'd have done better for Scotland.

Agreed, with a bit of work Cavani would make an excellent 4th centre half in a 6-4-0 outfield formation.

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[MWHIBBIES]

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Craig Levein would make an ideal Uruguay Manager. They definitely have the same approach to Football.

30 years ago maybe. Uruguay are an excellent side now with some of the best players in the world.

[superfurryhibby]

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30 years ago maybe. Uruguay are an excellent side now with some of the best players in the world.

They are indeed but their gamesmanship and cheating is rank rotten.

[MWHIBBIES]

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They are indeed but their gamesmanship and cheating is rank rotten.

No different from anyone else these days. Spain, Brazil, Portugal, Chile and Italy can all be just as bad.

[superfurryhibby]

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No different from anyone else these days. Spain, Brazil, Portugal, Chile and Italy can all be just as bad.

Debatable, but it’s not a competition. Uruguay pissed me off more than anyone else at the World Cup, that’s all.

[Wilson]

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Debatable, but it’s not a competition. Uruguay pissed me off more than anyone else at the World Cup, that’s all.

I think it is more annoying when such talented teams go in for it. If it is a low ranked nation of giant buddies then fair enough - that is all they have in their locker.

[superfurryhibby]

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I think it is more annoying when such talented teams go in for it. If it is a low ranked nation of giant buddies then fair enough - that is all they have in their locker.

Exactly, a national side full of huge St Mirren players would have no other option

I agree, there is very little dignity left in the higher echelons of football. There always been nonsense, dirty tackles etc, but the gamesmanship is on another level in the modern era.

Suarez is a prime example. Magnificent striker, total prick.

[Since90+2]

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Exactly, a national side full of huge St Mirren players would have no other option

I agree, there is very little dignity left in the higher echelons of football. There always been nonsense, dirty tackles etc, but the gamesmanship is on another level in the modern era.

Suarez is a prime example. Magnificent striker, total prick.

Is it really any worse in the modern era or is it just simply highlighted more due to 24/7 football coverage,more cameras , VAR and social media? Certainly from some videos I've seen of football from past decades I'd say that there was definitely more dangerous and dirty tackles flying around.

[Keith_M]

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30 years ago maybe. Uruguay are an excellent side now with some of the best players in the world.

They're not the only ones but they have a very long history of ****my style of playing... from Mexico '86 to Luis Suarez and his oversize teeth.

[Hibeesmad]

Switzerland team that beat Belgium the other day consisted players from:

Borussia Mochengladbach x2
Liverpool
Arsenal
Fiorentina
AC Milan
Atalanta
Hoffenheim
Benfica
Young Boys
Norwich

The Scotland team that beat Israel last night consisted of players from:

Rangers
Cardiff City
Celtic x3
Sheffield Wednesday
Aberdeen
Southampton
Bournemouth
Liverpool
Hamburg

I think that explains a lot about the quality of player produced by each nation

[One Day Soon]

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Craig Levein would make an ideal Uruguay Manager. They definitely have the same approach to Football.

They'd be unbeatable, but perhaps not unprosecutable.