Stephan Lichtsteiner has absolutely no intention of being forced into international retirement after it was reported that his Swiss manager was expected to do just that.

Swiss publication, Blick, contacted the Arsenal defender for a response to the speculation that Vladimir Petkovic would force him out of the national team as they looked to move forward.

“I am definitely going on,” Lichtsteiner told the reporter. “I still have big goals, ambitions and dreams with the national team that I want to realize.

“To represent Switzerland and to give everything together with my teammates for our country is a great honour for me. At the same time, the privilege of being allowed to wear the Swiss cross on the chest means a lot of responsibility. As I am used to, I carry this responsibility with me. 

“The coach decides who he will muster and set up. This applies to me as well as to all other players. I face every competition. At the end of the day, those who can contribute most to the team’s success should always play. It is solely and solely the performance principle.”

According to Swiss reports from various sources,  Lichtsteiner, Johan Djourou and Gelson Fernandes were all expected to follow the forced retirement of Valon Behrami despite the fact none of them expressed any intention to end their international career.

As you can see clearly from the statement above, Lichtsteiner has absolutely no intention of being forced out. That being said, there’s not really much he can do about it if the manager just stops selecting him.

I would not expect him to go quietly, however, if that becomes the case, especially not if he’s playing regularly for Arsenal.