Switzerland captain Granit
Switzerland faces dark horse Hungary in its Group A opener in Cologne on Saturday and needs a strong performance to allay fears that its impressive record of reaching the knockout rounds of the tournament could come to an abrupt end.
Switzerland crashed into Euro 2024 second in their group after a campaign in which they only beat Andorra in their last eight matches and squandered late leads against opponents such as Israel and Kosovo.
The results sparked reports of tension between Yakin and his players and calls from fans for him to be fired.
“We are adults enough to clear everything up. So I have had a great relationship with the coach in the last six or eight months. It has been better than in the past,” Xhaka said at a press conference.
“He came to see me many times… We had dinner together. We drank a lot of wine together. So everything is going well. We are both ambitious and we want to be successful for ourselves and for the team.
“We are happy to have a coach who listens to us and wants to talk to us,” added Xhaka.
Midfielder Xhaka, one of Switzerland's key players, has earned a reputation for his fiery temper and occasional tantrums when substituted.
The 31-year-old has calmed down since leaving Arsenal and played a key role in Bayer Leverkusen's emphatic Bundesliga title triumph this season.
Switzerland has reached the knockout stages of the last five major tournaments, but Xhaka would be wary of his team's chances of finishing sixth in a group that includes Hungary, Scotland and hosts Germany.
“We know that I don't like to talk with ifs and buts,” he said.
“We would like to give an important signal tomorrow with a good game, trying to win all the games in the group stage.”
