Murat Yakin has been named the new manager of Switzerland, replacing Vladimir Petkovic, who left after taking the team to the European Championship quarterfinals in July. The 46-year-old Yakin signed a contract until the end of World Cup qualification in November 2022 with the option of an extension, the Swiss Football Association said on Monday. He joins from Swiss second division club FC Schaffhausen with immediate effect, a statement added. He has less than a month to prepare before three matches in September. Yakin, a former Swiss captain who won 49 caps, will start against Greece in Basel on September 1 and then face two World Cup qualifying ties against European champions Italy in Basel and Northern Ireland in Belfast within a week. “Even as a player, the national team was an affair of the heart for me. It is a great honour and pleasure for me to be able to represent our country as manager of the national team. I’m convinced that we will qualify for the World Cup with this...
