Switzerland Jump to Fifth in the FIFA Rankings

Vladimir Petkovic has claimed that he is extremely happy with the rise in Switzerland’s rankings on the international stage.


After his appointment, Switzerland have been steadily climbing up the FIFA rankings and they are now placed fifth in the world. It is the highest ever ranking achieved by Switzerland, and most of the credit has been going to the manager.

The World Cup 2018 qualifications have been the key towards the rankings, and Switzerland have surprised many with their stunning record so far. Only two teams have been able to achieve maximum points in the qualification campaign up until now. Reigning World Cup champions Germany are one of the teams, but Switzerland surprisingly occupy the next name on the list.

After being undefeated in the last 12 months, Switzerland are clear favourites to reach the finals in Russia. As a result of their progression of the table, giants like France, England, and Spain have been pushed lower down the table. Petkovic may have received his taste of international football with Switzerland, but he has so far been excelling in his job.

He claims that the results of the first team are not a direct impact of the training methods, but the overall work done by the national team – even in places like the youth development and training facilities.

"There's been a great deal of investment in training, including training the coaches, and a lot of work as been done at youth level. Obviously in a country this small you might get a crop of players that doesn't quite click, or one that is more or less talented. But with a willingness to improve things, we can be positive about the future. Three years on and it is clear that his optimism was well founded,” said the Swiss national team boss after the latest FIFA rankings.

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