Swiss look ahead to Turkey “final”
The Swiss team returned to training after their 1-0 defeat against the Czech Republic during the Euro 2008 opening match.
Coach Köbi Kuhn brushed aside pessimism about the team’s chances in the tournament, telling media on Sunday: “I want to reassure everyone that the players’ morale has not been crushed.”
He added that the team would be ready for Wednesday’s match against Turkey.
Midfielder Gelson Fernandes said he believed that Switzerland performed well against the Czech team.
“We didn’t score any points, that’s clear, but according to my calculations we have not yet been eliminated and we must therefore continue to work.”
Patrick Müller added that the team was disappointed, as they had hoped to begin with a win.
No looking back
“We must remain calm despite the defeat and continue to believe in this team. The injury of Alexander Frei obviously doesn’t help matters but others are there to replace him and score goals,” he said.
The captain was fouled shortly before half time and left the field in tears. He was replaced at the start of the second half by Hakan Yakin. A torn knee ligament will keep Frei out of action for up to seven weeks but he will be treated at the training camp in order to remain close to his team mates.
Kuhn said: “Alex is a leader and I am happy that he has decided to stay among us because, despite being injured, he is important to the team.”
The coach must now find a winning formula for the Turkey encounter. He is believed to be considering Eren Derdiyok as a replacement for Frei.
He said it was bad news that Frei was out, but their hopes for the remainder of the tournament depended on the outcome of the match against Turkey.
“We are not looking back. We have a final against Turkey on Wednesday that we absolutely must win,” Kuhn concluded.
Pictures of a distraught Frei being led off the field dominated the front pages of Swiss Sunday newspapers, many of which remained optimistic about the team’s chances.
The tabloid Blick said Switzerland’s encounter with Turkey would be a chance to “do battle” and the Sonntag urged the Swiss to “hold their heads high”.
But Le Matin Dimanche said “Switzerland deserved better”, adding that the 40,000 spectators at the St Jacob’s Park stadium were “dazed” by the result.
Celebrations
An estimated 100,000 fans thronged Basel’s streets after the match.
Although no major criminal incidents were reported in any Swiss cities, five fans were arrested in a Zurich fan zone for violent behaviour and 12 people were taken into custody for vandalism and confronting Basel police.
Around 200 people were treated by first-aid workers in Basel, 15 of whom were taken to hospital for checks.
In Geneva, tens of thousands of Portuguese supporters celebrated in the streets, at times stopping traffic. In Zurich and Fribourg police had to be called to break up crowds of Portuguese fans who were blocking roads.
Benedikt Weibel, the Swiss cabinet representative for Euro 2008, greeted media with a smile on Sunday and said all the logistics had run smoothly so far but some details could still be improved.
Switzerland will play Turkey, who lost 2-0 against Portugal in their first match, in Basel’s St Jacob’s Park stadium. Mathematically a defeat for the Swiss would not end their tournament but in practice the hosts need at least a draw.
swissinfo
Switzerland is co-hosting the Euro 2008 football tournament with Austria from June 7-29.
The two countries were chosen to host the third-biggest sporting event in the world – and the biggest in Swiss history – on December 12, 2002.
The 31 games will be played in four cities in Switzerland (Basel, Bern, Geneva and Zurich) and four cities in Austria (Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Salzburg and Vienna). The final will be held in Vienna on June 29. Switzerland will play their three group matches in Basel.
The finals will be broadcast in 170 countries and are expected to be watched by about eight billion cumulative TV viewers.
BBC News Online blogger Paul Fletcher for Euro 2008:
“The Swiss balloon is in grave danger of deflating before it has been properly blown up – and that would be a terrible shame for the tournament.”
The Guardian:
“Switzerland were by far the more energetic, attacking side in the first half-hour, and while the finish or the final ball rarely matched their workrate, Petr Cech was glad to see an Alexander Frei shot roll wide in the third minute … Kuhn’s team gave a decent account of themselves and did not let anyone down.”
The Sunday Times:
“The Swiss have the Alps, the Czech Republic have Jan Koller, and Euro 2008 had an opening game that, while it did not quite touch those sorts of heights, provided some lively moments, and a new name to note in a tournament full of well-known stars.”
The Irish Times:
“What the defeat, and more importantly Frei’s injury, will do to the Swiss remains to be seen, but they already face an uphill struggle to qualify from a group that also includes Turkey and Portugal, one of the favourites for the title.”
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