Dark-horse Czechs ready to roll over Swiss hosts in Euro curtain-raiser

CZECH REPUBLIC captain Tomas Ujfalusi is confident his team’s class of 2008 have enough quality to make a serious impact at this year’s European Championships. The Czechs face hosts Switzerland in the opening match today (kick-off 5pm).

The Czechs have a decent record in recent tournaments, having reached the final in 1996 and the last four in 2004.

But a host of key players, such as retired duo Pavel Nedved and Vladimir Smicer, and injured current skipper Tomas Rosicky, are not in the squad for this year’s competition and many believe the 23-man group will fail to shine.

But ahead of the tournament curtain-raiser against co-hosts Switzerland in Basle on Saturday, Ujfalusi believes the current breed of Czech stars can make their country proud.

The Czechs are considered dark horses and are expected to be battling it out with the Swiss and Greece for second place in Group A, behind pool favourites Portugal.

Meanwhile Koebi Kuhn’s Swiss squad are one of the youngest at these finals but include several players who have already experienced two major tournaments.

“Our players have developed and ripened since the 2006 World Cup,” captain Alex Frei said.

“I believe in the quality of the team and I know it is hungry for success. We want to write history and now have the chance to do so,” he said.

The Swiss Football Association has prepared a contingency plan in the unlikely event Kuhn is forced to quit the team. The 64-year-old has been visiting his wife in hospital daily since she suffered a serious epileptic fit last Monday.

Likely team-ups:

SWITZERLAND: Benaglio, Djourou, Degen, Senderos, Magnin, Behrami, Fernandes, Gokhan, Barnetta, Frei, Streller.

CZECH REPUBLIC: Cech, Grygera, Rozehnal, Kovac, Jankulovski, Matejovsky, Plasil, Polak, Jarolim, Baros, Koller.