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Switzerland have announced their squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday. Coach Ottmar Hitzfeld announced a 23-man squad filled with young players with the only player above 30 is defender Steve von Bergen, who turns 31 on June 10.
The squad contains no Premier League players with Pajtim Kasami only making the reserves. Bayern Munich midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri is the star of the squad with Phillipe Senderos also being picked. Senderos was taken off in the first half of Switzerland’s opening game of 2010 World Cup and will be hoping for a better campaign this term.
Josip Drmic, who signed for Bundesliga side, Bayer Leverkusen on Monday also made the cut along with a bunch of players who played for English clubs in the past like Johan Djourou, Reto Ziegler, Valon Behrami and Gelson Fernandes. Coach Ottmar Hitzfeld is set to retire after the tournament after leading them in the 2010 World Cup as well.
Switzerland are in a relatively easy group with European giants France being the only major threat, their other group-mates are Ecuador and minnows Honduras. Switzerland start their campaign on June 15 against Ecuador.
Goalkeepers: Diego Benaglio (VfL Wolfsburg), Yann Sommer (FC Basel), Roman Buerki (Grasshoppers)
Defenders: Johan Djourou (Hamburg SV), Michael Lang (Grasshoppers), Stephan Lichtsteiner (Juventus), Ricardo Rodriguez (VfL Wolfsburg), Fabian Schaer (FC Basel), Philippe Senderos (Valencia), Steve von Bergen (Young Boys), Reto Ziegler (Sassuolo)
Midfielders: Tranquillo Barnetta (Eintracht Frankfurt), Valon Behrami (Napoli), Blerim Dzemaili (Napoli), Gelson Fernandes (Freiburg), Gokhan Inler (Napoli), Xherdan Shaqiri (Bayern Munich), Valentin Stocker (FC Basel), Granit Xhaka (Borussia Moenchengladbach)
Forwards: Josip Drmic (Nuremberg), Mario Gavranovic (FC Zurich), Haris Seferovic (Real Socieded), Admir Mehmedi (Freiburg)
Reserves: Marwin Hitz (Augsburg), Timm Klose (VfL Wolfsburg), Silvan Widmar (Udinese), Eren Derdiyok (Bayer Leverkusen), Fabian Frei (FC Basel), Pajtim Kasami (Fulham), Pirmin Schwegler(Eintracht Frankfurt).
