Wednesday 12 May 2010

SWITZERLAND

THEY ARE:
An incredibly healthy and wealthy country with beautiful countryside providing something of a tax haven. The shape of Toblerone chocolate is designed to replicate the mountains of the alps. In The Sound Of Music Switzerland is where the Von Trapps flee to. These days Phil Collins has fled there as a tax haven. Poor Switzerland.

AS A FOOTBALL NATION:
They can cause the occasional nuisance but not necessarily by design. Famously they exited the 2006 World Cup without conceding a goal. They got game. Switzerland was actually the host nation back in 1954 which was the first televised finals.

MY OWN EXPERIENCE:
They were managed by Roy Hodgson at the 1994 finals in America where they made history by playing in the first ever indoors game against the USA inside the Pontiac Silverdome. At the 2004 European Championships England and Switzerland were drawn in the same group and when they played each other England comfortably won 3-0.

IN 2010:
There route to the finals was a relatively easy one (the perks of a high FIFA ranking). Comfortably they topped Group 2 which consisted of Greece, Latvia, Israel, Luxembourg and Moldova. Being drawn in the same group (Group H) as Spain is always going to be less than ideal. With the group being padded out with Honduras and Chile though they sport a more than decent chance of getting through the group stage.

FAMOUS PLAYERS:
It currently is Philippe Senderos of Arsenal.

MOST OBVIOUS REFERENCE:
Swiss army penknives, Swiss cheese and Swiss bank accounts. Also Toblerone.

AWAY FROM FOOTBALL:
The International Red Cross is based in Geneva. Its most famous “literary creation” is Heidi. FIFA is also based in Switzerland, you have to keep things neutral.

NUMBER OF PEOPLE FROM SWITZERLAND THAT I KNOW:
None.

QUOTE FROM A SWISS PERSON:
Not likely.

DO I LIKE THEM:
When we don’t have to play them.

FINAL COMMENT:
I love Toblerone.

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