Switzerland director speaks out amid drama over Leeds star Noah Okafor
Leeds United star Noah Okafor's situation is back among the headlines in Switzerland.
The Whites ace is set to miss out on the upcoming international break, after announcing that he will not feature.
Okafor does not intend to play for his country while Murat Yakin is in charge.
The 26-cap international only featured for a total of 19 minutes at the World Cup, coming off the bench in the round of 32 win against Algeria.
However, he refuted the idea that game time was the reason for his call in a post on Instagram on 10 September.
Okafor believes that Yakin has broken his trust, and his post was liked by Swiss captain Granit Xhaka, and other teammates such as Breel Embolo and Zeki Amdouni.
Switzerland national team director Pierluigi Tami has now broken his silence over Okafor's decision to exile himself.
What did Pierluigi Tami say about Leeds star Noah Okafor?
Tami has backed his manager in the midst of the controversy surrounding the Elland Road ace.
In quotes reported by Swiss outlet Blick, he said: “I never wanted to lose such a good athlete like him, but Murat was very clear in his press conference.
"Noah’s qualities sometimes don’t fit his playing style, Murat explained well why Noah doesn’t have a place on the team.
“The players only see the issue from their own perspective, the coach has to see the whole picture, Murat tried everything to integrate him, in the end, we weren’t satisfied with his performance.”
That suggests that Okafor will be in the cold for the foreseeable future, while Yakin is in the job.
The fact that Tami has doubled down on the manager's claims mean that there is little chance of an improvement in relations between the parties.
Why Switzerland's loss is Leeds' gain
Okafor's absence from the national team can only benefit the Peacocks this season.
For starters, he can stay and train with the teammates that stay behind at Thorp Arch while the international break is on.
Secondly, it means that he will not pick up injuries, playing in the UEFA Nations League in the current break or in November.
Finally, he will determined to prove that the manager has made a mistake treating him like this, and try and force the media to question Yakin.
The best way to do that is by scoring goals and notching assists for the LS11 side in the best league in the world.
That should light a fire under him and see him emerge in even better form for Daniel Farke's side in the near future, and potentially take his game to a new level in the coming months.