The preparations for this year’s European Qualifier were short and efficient. After some training sessions in Switzerland and a trip to Zagreb, we headed straight to Vienna. In a video meeting, head coach Jaïr Levie introduced the game plan—a spatial system that had already proven successful at the U21 European Championship in Lausanne.

To put theory into practice, we organized a test match against the reigning Swiss champion, GC Zürich, in addition to the regular training sessions. On a warm Tuesday evening, the Swiss national team met at the Hardhof in Zürich to test their strength. Two days later, the team gathered again, this time in Kloten, to fly to Zagreb. There, a friendly match against the Croatian national team awaited us, a potential opponent in the upcoming Qualifier.

The travel day provided the team with a welcome opportunity to strengthen team dynamics. However, upon arriving in Zagreb, we realized that our special equipment had been left behind during our stopover in Vienna. Without sticks or goalkeeper gear, we had no choice but to replace the planned training session with an athletic program—a decision that, of course, thrilled the players.

Once the equipment finally arrived, we were ready for the three test matches against Croatia. We won the first game 4-2. With steady improvement, we secured victories in the next two games as well, 3-2 and 5-1.

Next, we moved on to Vienna. This time, the special equipment arrived on time, allowing all players to participate in corner training on Monday evening. In the remaining two training sessions, the focus was on circle behavior and set pieces, to be optimally prepared for the decisive knockout match against Portugal.

Thursday at 3:30 PM was the moment of truth—kickoff against Portugal. The opponent proved to be tough, and the game remained evenly matched and scoreless for a long time, thanks to the strong performances of both goalkeepers. In the 45th minute, debutant Ben Gasser scored the decisive goal for Switzerland. Unfortunately, we couldn’t maintain the lead, and after several short corners, the Portuguese managed to equalize—the final result. In the ensuing shootout, Portugal showed their nerves of steel and won the duel. It was a major setback for our team, as we failed to achieve our goal and secure a spot in the B-Division.

Despite the disappointment, we turned our attention to the future, as we needed to win the next two games to still qualify for the B-Division. On Friday, Hungary was on the schedule, a team that hadn’t competed since 2019. It quickly became clear that we lived up to our role as favorites, securing a dominant 13-0 victory.

Now, the final game was against an opponent we knew all too well—Croatia. After their win against Lithuania, they were now competing with us for the last spot in the B-Division. Everyone knew that a victory was possible, but also that the Croatians would fight with all their heart. This game would not be like the previous test matches.

Sunday at 11:30 AM was the decisive moment—kickoff Croatia vs. Switzerland. The opening phase was promising: Switzerland dominated the game and repeatedly posed a threat in the circle. In the 10th minute, Boris Stomps put Switzerland ahead, and eight minutes later, Loris Grandchamp made it 2-0. However, the Croatians didn’t give up and narrowed the score to 2-1 with a corner. Five minutes later, Elias Brönnimann restored the two-goal lead with a perfectly executed attack. The rest of the game turned into a true defensive battle, with the Swiss team having to defend 15 corners and two penalty strokes to hold on to the 3-1 lead.

At the final whistle, there was relief: the B-Division was secured, and the Swiss men’s team can look forward to a well-contested B-European Championship next year, featuring Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.