Gjanni Alioski and Murat Yakin exchange warm greeting before match
The North Macedonia winger greeted Switzerland coach Murat Yakin near the dressing rooms; Alioski remained on the bench and Switzerland led 1–0.
Shortly before kickoff on September 26, 2026, a warm exchange took place between North Macedonia winger Gjanni Alioski and Switzerland head coach Murat Yakin near the players' dressing rooms.
The brief encounter was friendly and clearly cordial: Alioski — who spent formative years of his career in Switzerland — greeted Yakin and exchanged a few words with the Swiss coach before both went out to the pitch.
Alioski's role and the match situation
Alioski did not start the game and remained on the bench for North Macedonia. Switzerland opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, taking a 1–0 lead after a goal by Remo Freuler.
The meeting underlined Alioski's ties to Swiss football, where he is well known and where much of his professional development took place. His presence in the squad continues to bring a familiar face to opponents and colleagues from the Swiss league.
Though he was not in the starting lineup, Alioski's reputation and positive attitude were visible in the pre-match moments and reinforced by the warm exchange with Yakin.
Photo: press material from the event
