Murat Yakin (R), head coach of Switzerland, reacts during the Group G match against Serbia in the 2022 FIFA World Cup at Stadium 974 in Doha, Qatar, Dec. 2, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Gang)
Switzerland's head coach Murat Yakin thanked his players' 'great spirit' after the team was eliminated from the FIFA World Cup.
DOHA, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Switzerland manager Murat Yakin denied that his position was under threat after his team was eliminated from the FIFA World Cup in Qatar with a 6-1 loss to Portugal on Tuesday.
The 48-year-old, who took charge of the national team in August last year, said he had no intention to leave before his contract expires in 2024.
"We lost a game today and that doesn't mean we have to be too pessimistic and criticize everything," Yakin told a news conference.
"The team showed great spirit and we had big plans but unfortunately they didn't work out. It's something we have to put behind us now. We will get over this as a team and we have to look forward."
Switzerland started their World Cup campaign with a 1-0 win over Cameroon and suffered a 1-0 loss to Brazil before ending the group stage with a 3-2 victory over Serbia.
Yakin praised his team's performance during the group stage but admitted they had no answer to Portugal's pace and deadly finishing.
"We had great plans and we wanted to make history here," he said. "We showed great football in the group stage but today we faced a better opponent.
"We're sad to be dropping out [of the World Cup]. We can still be proud of what we achieve because we had our moments. But in the end we lacked the strength and the freshness ... and there was nothing more that we could do." ■
