- Nati chef Francesco Baraldo Sano provides insights into the diet of the Swiss national team.
- Breel Embolo eats almost every meal with chili flakes and oil – the chef is happy to fulfill this extra request.
- The evening before every game, Baraldo Sano serves risotto with Parmigiano – the players eat a total of around three kilos of it.
Spicy food for Embolo
A member of the SFV staff since 2023, Nati chef Francesco Baraldo Sano knows the national players’ culinary preferences very well. He doesn’t have to fulfill many special requests in his work, says the Italian in an interview with 20 Minutes. The chef would like to fulfill Breel Embolo’s preference for spicy dishes, even if he otherwise avoids ingredients such as Tabasco or chili. «For example, I made pasta with pistachio pesto – a dish that Embolo particularly likes. However, he eats it with chili flakes. Oil and chili are a must for him at almost every meal.”
Omnivore Kobel
In the Quick Fire, Baraldo Sano answers a few questions briefly and concisely for 20 minutes. Silvan Widmer would be the best chef in the Yakin team. When asked who would eat everything that was served to him, the Italian named goalie Gregor Kobel.
3 kilos of risotto the day before the game
In the run-up to the games, footballers need to consume a lot of carbohydrates for optimal performance. Precisely because all Swiss preliminary round games at this World Cup take place at lunchtime and pasta for breakfast is not easy for all players, dinner the day before a game has a special value.
“We traditionally serve risotto with Parmigiano the evening before the game,” explains Baraldo Sano. Risotto is gluten-free and Parmigiano is practically lactose-free. “It’s perfect for the players. They eat large quantities of it, around three kilos in total.”
That’s why there’s often pizza after the game
Carbohydrate intake is also very important for the players after the games. It can also be a pizza, as the Nati chef states: “If the dough is well made, fermented well, the tomatoes are of high quality and you use lactose-free mozzarella, then pizza is a good product.” As a professional athlete, you simply shouldn’t overdo it with additional ingredients on your pizza.
What is your favorite reward after a great effort?
“After the game you can’t wait two hours for dinner to be served. The players need carbohydrates again immediately after the game.” A little bit of fast food as a reward isn’t a bad thing either. “The players work hard and have a very disciplined diet every day. “They need to be able to switch off mentally after the game,” explains the national team chef.
Easy care Yakin
When asked about the Murat Yakin collaboration, Baraldo Sano really raves. “Of all the coaches I have experienced, he is the best coach,” emphasizes the 53-year-old. Yakin conveys calm and is also very friendly as a person. “That’s not a given,” says the chef, who has been working in the sports business for many years and has cooked for football teams as well as tennis athletes and skiers in his career.
The national team coach doesn’t need any extra culinary specialties either, says Baraldo Sano. Sometimes he has a few extra sauces or a little more condiments on the table, but basically he eats the same as all the other staff members and players.
Florian Gnägi (flo) has been working in the sports department for 20 minutes since 2021. His greatest expertise is in the areas of football and tennis.
