Haas enjoying Italian experience
Saturday, May 7, 2005
Article summary
Switzerland defender Samuel Haas talks to uefa.com about the experience of playing at these finals.
Article body
By Paul Saffer in Tirrenia
Switzerland are the only nation in Italy to have won a previous UEFA European Under-17 Championship, and as they sit top of Group B they can still dream of emulating that honour.
Assured presence
Their defence has taken the plaudits so far, having kept two clean sheets in the 3-0 win against Israel and goalless draw against the Netherlands. At the heart of their backline is Samuel Haas, the oldest player in the squad by eight days, who has stood out with his assured presence.
'Exciting and new'
The Grasshopper-Club centre-back now wants to go one step further. "We want to get to the semi-finals - our goal is to reach that stage," he told uefa.com. "It is exciting and new for us all, as well as for the other teams. We all started aiming for the same goal."
Relaxation time
Although the Swiss squad did manage a trip to a local college on Friday, the busy schedule has meant they have largely been focusing on the matches. "We don't have much time to see the sights but it is very important to be relaxed," Haas said. "We spend many hours having massages and in the jacuzzi. Training is just a small part of our preparation."
Pre-match nerves
However, it is inevitable that players feel nerves for all the relaxation. He said: "We are happy to be here, but before the game it is a big feeling to get on the pitch and play at this level."
First-team hopes
Though Haas is yet to make his senior league debut for Grasshoppers, having been in the U18 squad last season, he says that opportunities do exist in Switzerland - one of Europe's medium-sized top flights - to step up at a young age. "It is not easy to be promoted, but we have a great chance of playing first-team football in Switzerland because the level is not as high as elsewhere," he said.
Premiership ambitions
Playing abroad, though, is an ambition. "It is the target of every player in Switzerland to play abroad because the league is not so strong," Haas said. "If I had the choice I would love to play in England for Manchester United [FC]."
