Switzerland's players have been paying tribute to coach Ottmar Hitzfeld after he announced his retirement following their exit from the World Cup.

The team were defeated in extra time in their round-of-16 clash against Argentina yesterday, bringing the 65-year-old's 31-year coaching career to an end.

Haris Seferovic told FIFA.com: "He's a wonderful person and we all respect him a great deal. Even when he names me as a substitute, I always remind myself that he knows what he's doing. We owe him so much. He brought about a big change and built the team around us younger players."

Granit Xhaka added: "He put together a really good team that will last for many years to come."

Meanwhile, Josip Drmic simply said: "He's done a great job."

Hitzfeld, who was in the dugout for last night's match despite his brother's death the day before, had been in charge of Switzerland since 2008.