Switzerland
Thursday, 05 Jun 2008 00:00
Swiss fans have their sights set on the quarter-finals of Euro 2008
Switzerland, who qualified automatically for Euro 2008 alongside co-hosts Austria, are looking to impress on familiar territory.
Group A fixtures
Switzerland v Czech Republic
Basle, June 7th 17:00 BST
Live on BBC1
Switzerland v Turkey
Basle, June 11th 19:45 BST
Live on BBC2
Switzerland v Portugal
Basle, June 15th 19:45 BST
Live on ITV1
European Championship history
Switzerland will be hoping to end a record of never recording a European Championship win despite reaching the tournament finals twice. A 1-1 draw in the opening match of Euro 96 with hosts England is as good as it has got for the Swiss.
The man in charge
Kobi Kuhn has been at the reins since 2001, when he pledged to rebuild an ageing squad to mount a realistic challenge on home soil in seven years.
The former international, who featured at the World Cup in 1966, has since guided the team to Euro 2004 and the World Cup in Germany two years later, where they lost in the second round to Ukraine on penalties after keeping four straight clean sheets.
He has pledged to retire after this year's finals, marking the end of his revival project.
Team forte
The Swiss midfield is an attractive blend of technique and experience (Hakan Yakin and Ricardo Cabanas) and pure pace and youthful exuberance (Valon Behrami and Johan Vonlanthen).
Achilles heel
Philippe Senderos has often been Arsenal's weak-link when turning out for the Gunners in the Premier League and the Champions League. With the centre-back being Switzerland's best defender, how will his team-mates fare against the very best striking talent Europe has to offer?
Player to watch
Turkish-born Eren Derdiyok has made the step up to the senior Swiss setup with ease after scoring prolifically at under-17 and under-21 levels.
The Basel striker scored an excellently-taken goal at Wembley in Fabio Capello's first game in charge as England manager, and could be set for a big money move if he performs to his ability in the Euros.
Chances of victory
Kuhn has admitted that his target is to reach the quarter-finals for the first time, but the Czech Republic and Portugal stand in his team's way of progressing from the group stages.
His squad certainly does not lack ability, including Manchester City starlet Gelson Fernandes and new Liverpool full-back Philipp Degen.
But unless Swiss fans are to suffer the ignominy of becoming only the second hosts to fail to make the knockout stages, big names Tranquillo Barnetta and Alexander Frei will have to be on the top of their games.
At the 2006 World Cup Switzerland did not concede a single goal; clean-sheets against Portugal and the Czech Republic, followed by a win against Turkey, could see Kuhn's long plan come to fruition.
Squad
Goalkeepers
1 Diego Benaglio
18 Pascal Zuberbühler
21 Eldin Jakupovic
Defenders
2 Johan Djourou
3 Ludovic Magnin
4 Philippe Senderos
5 Stephan Lichtsteiner
13 Stéphane Grichting
17 Christoph Spycher
20 Patrick Müller
23 Philipp Degen
Midfielders
6 Benjamin Huggel
7 Ricardo Cabanas
8 Gökhan Inler
10 Hakan Yakin
14 Daniel Gygax
15 Gelson Fernandes
16 Tranquillo Barnetta
19 Valon Behrami
22 Johan Vonlanthen
Forwards
9 Alexander Frei
11 Marco Streller
12 Eren Derdiyok