Frank Christian
Switzerland has been delivering impressive performances at Euro 2024, contrasting with their upcoming quarterfinal rivals, England.
Except for Spain, Murat Yakin’s team has displayed an exceptional synergy, nearly topping Group A over Germany.
This team, with a mix of intelligence and a spine of title-winners, convincingly defeated Italy 2-0, questioning Italy’s status as reigning champions.
The unique question arises – how does this diverse team, representing a multilingual nation, communicate on the field?
Switzerland has been a home to migrants from various regions, as seen in the Balkan and African heritage of Yakin’s squad members.
Even players with generations-long roots in central Europe are proficient in multiple languages.
Linguistic Diversity in Switzerland
The majority in Switzerland speak German or French, or their dialects, as their primary language.
As per the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, in 2022, 61.8% of the population identified as German speakers, while 22.8% spoke French.
Italian speakers represent a smaller percentage (7.8%), with 23.4% citing “other” languages, including English, Portuguese, and Albanian.
The distribution of languages aligns with the geography, with French in the west, German in central regions, and Italian in the south.
Swiss German, a common workplace language, differs from standard German, showing variations across regions, despite Switzerland’s relatively small size.
Swiss Football Team’s Language of Communication
While Switzerland’s footballers may share tacts in Albanian, German likely serves as their primary communication medium on the field.
Out of Yakin’s 26-man squad, 17 hail from German-speaking regions in Switzerland.
Even players like Shaqiri, who weren’t born in German-speaking areas, have ties with German clubs, suggesting a strong German-speaking influence within the team.
So, England faces a challenge against a German-speaking Swiss team in the upcoming knockout stage.
