Ricardo Rodriguez’s 20 seconds drive the former Lazio, Napoli, and Genoa player up the wall

Ricardo Rodriguez is nearing a historic milestone with the Swiss national team, but his most recent appearance has sparked quite a bit of controversy. The Torino defender took the field for only the final 22 seconds of the match against Slovenia, bringing his total to 149 appearances with the Swiss national team. Now his sights are set on 150 appearances, but above all on the all-time record held by Granit Xhaka, who currently stands at 152. If Rodriguez were to play on Monday against Scotland as well, he would move within just two appearances of the record.

His substitution against Slovenia took place under unusual circumstances. With the score still tied at 0-0, Rodriguez prepared to enter the game in the 90th minute but had to wait for the ball to go out of play. This wait was accompanied by rather obvious gestures toward the players on the field, until the substitution finally took place with just a few seconds left before the final whistle.

“It was important to come on, even though I didn’t touch the ball. It’s still one more appearance,” the Granata player explained to RSI reporters. As for the possibility of overtaking Xhaka, Rodriguez downplayed it: “It’s not something that particularly interests me. I just hope to play in the next match as well.”

A decision that did not sit well with former midfielder Valon Behrami, who was scathing in his commentary on the incident from the Swiss television studios. According to Behrami, granting a mere twenty-second appearance just to get closer to a personal record was ridiculous. The former national team player also criticized the coaching staff, accusing them of prioritizing individual interests over those of the team. For Behrami, the number of appearances cannot be considered more important than the actual contribution made to the national team.