After the moments of deepest disappointment, the players felt immense pride in particular. At home, everyone bowed to their “Nati”: the Swiss national soccer team can comfort themselves as European champions after the European Championship.

“Bravo for the nice trip.

You made us dream ”, praised Federal President Guy Parmelin.

Tennis superstar Roger Federer tweeted, among other things, on Schwyzerdütsch: “Cheer up guys.

Dream go to the EM with you. "

The Swiss newspapers wrote hymns of praise for the team that pushed the soccer world champion France out of the tournament in a penalty drama and four days later saved themselves once again until the decision from the point against the title favorite Spain.

But then the worse end for itself, also because substitute Ruben Vargas from Augsburg shot the Swiss last penalty over the gate.

But: no accusations, instead a tribute from the coach that Vargas was mentally strong enough to take the last penalty kick.

Vladimir Petkovic was then also one of the first to squeeze Vargas, who was devastated and in tears, and tried to comfort him.

“Our hearts are bigger than eleven meters!” Wrote the tabloid “Blick” on Saturday.

And it was fighters' hearts who brought Switzerland so far. 1: 3 behind against France, 0: 1 against Spain. Outnumbered on Friday evening in St. Petersburg since the 77th minute. Without captain Granit Xhaka from the start (suspended from yellow), without Breel Embolo after a good 20 minutes (injured), when the team was already behind due to an unfortunate own goal by Denis Zakaria. “My players were the heroes of the evening. We deserved to move into the semi-finals, ”said Petkovic.

Discussions about hairdressers and colored hair - passé. Sidelines - forget. “This team has filled an entire country with pure pride and joy. From young to old, from left to right. For a few hours this week there was only Nati euphoria, "it said at" 20 Minuten ". “Nothing has rattled the Confederation as much in recent times as this greatest success of a Swiss national team in 67 years”, emphasized the “Blick” after the first quarter-finals of a Swiss team at an EM or World Cup since 1954.

“The performances in the past two weeks are the best that Swiss football has seen in decades. They brought the team and the population together in a way that has not been the case for a long time, ”wrote the“ Tages-Anzeiger ”. A team welds a nation together. "Nobody bothered anymore who has what background, who is secondo or 'Swiss-Swiss', as the granite Xhaka once put it," added the "Tages-Anzeiger".

How it goes with coach Petkovic is open.

Zenit St. Petersburg should be interested.

When asked to do so, he only stated that it was a beautiful city after the European Championship ended.

But it is also clear that this team - not only with Federer ("I can hardly wait for the World Cup.") - has stoked hopes of establishing itself permanently in the upper regions of European football.

“For many years, our football was ridiculed abroad ... Not so at this European Championship.

The Swiss have definitely moved into Europe's top floor.

They are ennobled everywhere, ”wrote the“ Aargauer Zeitung ”.

Summer could have been the hero of the evening

On Saturday, the Swiss wanted to return home and sign autographs after landing in Zurich.

They are likely to be in demand, above all from Yann Sommer, who saved the decisive penalty in the France game against Kylian Mbappé and saved his team from further goals against the Spaniards with great saves, especially in extra time.

And it would not have been missing if the Borussia Mönchengladbach goalkeeper and not Spain's Unai Simón would have become the hero of the game.

"He would have deserved the award as the most valuable player," emphasized Simón, who had meanwhile been named "Star of the Match".

And what did Sommer himself say: "I am so proud of the team, what we have achieved here, with the whole country behind us."