Switzerland’s kit man may be one of the unsung heroes of Euro 2024, with trucks full of kit, huge piles of laundry and more than 200 pairs of boots to tend to, and a mistake from him could cost his team just as much as any on the pitch.
Roger Kaspar loves his job, despite its simplicity and the fact that he has to deal with some of the biggest organizational problems in the tournament every day.
Takes care of training equipment, shirts, trousers, shoes and rain jackets and organizes daily laundry for all players, as well as coaches and all team staff.
He also arranges for the printing of custom-made match shirts and transports everything the team needs between the cities his team visits in Germany. It’s a job he takes very seriously.
“It’s about good planning, coordination and communication,” said Caspar. “We need to have everything in the right place at the right moment. There are so many different things you have to think about, and there’s always the risk of forgetting something.”
Caspar uses spreadsheets to keep track of inventory to make sure nothing goes missing, and each player gets two sets of kit for each match, plus warm-up and training kits that vary depending on the weather.
Some players like to swap match jerseys with opposing players, others keep them as souvenirs. Then there are some special requests before matches.
“First of all, it’s about socks. Some players like to cut their socks, some don’t,” said Kaspar.
Cutting off the back of the socks reduces pressure on the leg muscles.
3 trucks
The complex process of organising the kit began months before the start of Euro 2024, with Kasper visiting Germany last December to help the team find a base camp just weeks after Switzerland qualified. He was in regular contact with the hotel management for months to ensure all the team’s needs were met.
When it was finally time to head to Germany, he needed three trucks to transport the clothing and equipment from neighboring Switzerland.
On match days, Kaspar arrives at the stadium separately from the team, about 4 hours before the match, to prepare the dressing room.
But he only gets to watch parts of each game, going in and out of the dressing room in preparation for half-time and the final whistle, which he said is his most challenging period.
“I watch the first half from the bench or from the technical bench next to the bench or behind it. Of course I can’t relax. I’m ready in case any player needs anything,” he said.
Switzerland produced one of their best performances at a major tournament at Euro 2024, coming within seconds of beating hosts Germany in the group stage and knocking out defending champions Italy in the last 16. These are moments Kaspar said he will cherish.