SWITZERLAND VIEW: Christian Andiel gives an insight into the career of Jakob Kuhn, the man charged with the task of leading his country to Portugal and Euro 2004.

The two loves of Jakob 'Kobi' Kuhn's life are the Swiss national team, with which he won 63 caps, and FC Zurich, the club he played for between 1961 and 1976, winning six championships, five cups and becoming one of its all-time greats.

After the end of his playing career, though, Kuhn left the spotlight, preferring to work quietly in the background coaching young players.

But then came the most exciting and most difficult day of his life, June 8th, 2001. He was the successful coach of the Swiss under-21 team, but then, on the same day, he was offered the two jobs of his dreams.

In the morning, Kuhn decided to quit his under-21 post and accept FC Zurich chairman Sven Hotz's offer of the manager's job at the club.

But that afternoon he got a call from the Swiss football association, asking him to succeed Enzo Trossero, who had resigned following Switzerland's 1-0 defeat by Slovenia in the World Cup 2002 qualifying campaign.

Kuhn was torn between his two greats loves, but he made his decision that evening, he said yes to the national team.

He might have changed job that day, but Kuhn's character remains the same. The man with the grey hair and soft features is still a quiet coach, one who prefers to work and talk with his players rather than the media.

Admired and respected by Swiss football fans, Kuhn, friendly, polite and always smiling, does, though, enjoy talking soccer to the man in the street. He is seen as an old-fashioned man, one who extends his belief in the family to the national squad.

"The national team has to work like a family," he has said. "You can have different opinions, you can discuss, you even can quarrel - but always and only inside your own house".

Is Kuhn the right coach for this generation of players, most of whom are richer than he has ever been and are more egoistical than the generation Kuhn played with in the 1960s and '70s?

That was the big question for some commentators, but not for Ralph Zloczower, president of the Swiss Football Association, who had no doubts about Kuhn's suitability for the job.

"Kobi is an honest man who has proved that he can work with young, talented players - and he is a natural leader, just as he was during his own career," he said.

The search, then, was over for a coach who knew Swiss football and its traditional problems - no great reservoir of top-quality players, three different languages and as many different "mentalities".

Asked if he would be tough enough for the job, and tough enough to deal with the "big" names, Kuhn said, "I have my ideas, I'll do it my way, if someone doesn't agree with that he can leave."

Soon after those words, in November 2001, Kuhn ended the international career of Ciriaco Sforza, who was one of Switzerland's best players, but a difficult character who often caused problems in the team.

After a very good start this qualifying campaign, Kuhn is now under pressure following that 4-1 defeat in Moscow. Now his most important job is to bring the players together for Saturday, to deal with the different factions in the squad that work against each other.

The problem should have been solved with the departure of Sforza, but it's still there. And everyone knows from past experience that only a united Swiss team has a chance of reaching its goal.

Kuhn himself was no stranger to trouble in his international days. He was at the centre of controversy, the so-called "Sheffield night" which is still famous in Switzerland, when he played at the 1966 World Cup.

Kuhn left the team hotel the night before the match against Germany - allegedly to visit some bars - and returned late.

The team manager, Foni, dropped him for the game, which Germany won 5-0, and after the tournament the association banned him for two years. So, Kuhn should be able to understand his own players who find themselves in trouble.

If he gets things right for Saturday against Ireland, Kuhn will become a hero like Roy Hodgson, the last coach to lead Switzerland to major championships (World Cup 1994 and Euro '96). If not? The Swiss people won't criticise him too much, president Zloczower will want to keep him in his job, but the media might not be so kind.

There is the chance, then, that Kuhn, who will be 60 on Sunday, will face a familiar choice: FC Zurich are currently bottom of the Swiss Super League, their chairman Hotz is looking for a new coach again. Déjà vu.

Christian Andiel is a journalist with Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger