Granit Xhaka brutally tells fellow Premier League star to 'shut up' after complaints about year-long exile from Switzerland national team

Leeds star Noah Okafor has been snubbed by Switzerland again and made it clear how unhappy he is with the decision. The striker told The Athletic he has not heard from manager Murat Yakin in almost a year, admitting he can't understand why he continues to be overlooked for selection and has not featured since his last appearance in the Nations League in November 2024.

"Since then, I never spoke with the coach, not even a phone call or a message, also with the (Swiss Football Association’s) sporting director Pierluigi Tami," he explained. "They don’t even call me or ask me. For me, it makes no sense. I can say it makes me sad because they don’t even text me or call me to see how I am. For example, when I moved to Leeds, ‘Congrats’ or something like that, because I play now in the best league in the world."

Xhaka had some strong words for Okafor in an interview with Blick. He said: "I had a phone conversation with Noah before his interview. Naturally, the national team was also a topic of discussion. It’s difficult for me to comment on this topic at all without knowing all the details. He was given opportunities at the European Championship and the World Cup. For my part, I would realistically assess the situation: Why am I not making it? Why am I not in the squad?”

The Sunderland star then responded to Okafor's claim that he hadn't hear from Yakin for a long time. He added: “I don’t know. I’m just saying that I think it’s good to maintain contact. Noah has great potential. He hasn’t shown it often enough in recent years. He’s really coming into his own now at Leeds. The league suits him. Nevertheless, Noah could play a role in the future if he gets a better handle on certain things. Sometimes you have to look down, shut up, and work. That applies to everyone, including me. In the end, performance on the pitch is what counts.”

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Yakin has explained why Okafor needs to do to force his way back into the reckoning. He told reporters: "I’ve spoken with Okafor repeatedly, telling him what I expect from him on and off the pitch. I hope my words eventually get through to him. We’ll continue to monitor him. Attacking players are also measured by their goalscoring. Those who are currently in the squad have an advantage over Okafor in that regard."

Okafor's complaints have not helped his cause, either. He has come in for criticism from team director Pierluigi Tami, who has blasted his decision to speak out ahead of the team's two matches.

"This statement is not welcome. The timing is bad. The manner is wrong. If a player has a problem with a coach, he should only speak to him. You can always call him, talk to him," he told Blick. "I have absolutely no understanding for what he did. He needs to be patient and humble. And above all, he must put the team before his personal problems. The national team must come first. o be called up, a player must perform well at club level and be in line with the coach’s needs. Both criteria must be met. Currently, in Noah’s case, they aren’t, according to the coaching staff. We’re not even talking about his footballing abilities."

Yet Tami also insisted that the international door is still open for Okafor if he can prove he deserves a place in the squad in the future.

"It’s not closed for anyone. But with this interview, Noah hasn’t done anything to bring the two sides closer together. After this training camp, we’ll try to reconnect with him, even if we’re not happy with what he’s done. The ball is in Noah’s court. Murat clearly told him what he expected from him during his last training camp against Serbia a year ago. At Milan and Napoli, he played very little. He’s started playing again this season," he added.

"He knows what’s expected of him. Murat told him so. What I’m saying today is that we need positive energy, and we’re losing because of things like this. The priority is to keep the team away from these issues. I don’t want it to affect the team."

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