Meira eyes start against Swiss

Portugal defender Fernando Meira is ready to make his first start of Euro 2008 if called upon when the Group A winners conclude their pool campaign against co-hosts Switzerland tomorrow night.

Luiz Felipe Scolari’s team have already booked their place in the quarter-finals with victories over Turkey and Czech Republic in their first two matches in Geneva.

The Swiss, in contrast, have lost to both the Czechs and the Turks and know they will finish bottom of the group so will have little more than pride at stake against the Portuguese at St Jakob-Park.

The co-hosts will be keen, however, to get their first points on the board and also provide a positive send-off for coach Kobi Kuhn, who will leave his post after seven years at the helm and be replaced by Ottmar Hitzfeld.

But Portugal will spare no thought for the deflated Swiss squad’s wishes, according to Meira.

“We’re not under-motivated, we don’t see things that way,” he said when asked whether Portugal would take their foot off the gas with a last-eight berth already assured.

“Every game Portugal play we play to win regardless of the opponent. Furthermore, we want to get better and Portugal want to stay in the habit of winning.”

Portugal face the possibility of a quarter-final clash with Germany, who cannot catch Croatia at the Group B summit and therefore look favourites to finish second in that pool.

Meira is not letting such a prospect play on his mind too much at the moment, though.

“If we have a good day and we play how we know we can then we can beat any team,” he said. “For now we just have to worry about beating Switzerland.”

Scolari stuck with the same starting XI for the first two matches but could tinker with his line-up against the Swiss to give key players a rest.

Meira, for one, would relish a starting role tomorrow.

“I think that every player should be ready to play,” said the Stuttgart man, who won his 50th cap when he came off the bench against the Czechs on Wednesday.

“I’m here to represent my country and do everything in my power. We’re all ready to accept the decisions of the coach.”

Goalkeeper Ricardo echoed Meira’s sentiments regarding a possible rotation policy, although the Real Betis player is likely to be one of those retained with Portugal’s other two stoppers – Nuno Espirito Santo and Rui Patricio – both uncapped.

“We are fully supportive of the coach’s decisions,” said the 32-year-old.

Like Switzerland, Portugal know they will lose their coach at the end of the European Championships with Scolari heading to Chelsea on July 1 to succeed Avram Grant.

And Ricardo is determined the players will do everything they can to ensure the 59-year-old Brazilian goes out on a high.

“We are sad and happy at the same time,” he said.

“Portugal never had such good consecutive results. We will do everything we can to make his farewell the best possible.”