HOSTS FRET AS EURO 2008 DRAWS NEAR

HOSTS FRET AS EURO 2008 DRAWS NEAR:
Joint hostage of Euro 2008 Australia and Switzerland started to show serious signs of stage fright yesterday, three days before the openiong match in Basel. The stadiums are all spick and span, fan zones have been erected on almost every available open urban space and the organisation is ticking like the most perfectly regulated Swiss clock.
But if the tournament looks in rude health as the opening match between Switzerland and Czech republic looms nearer, these two teams are appearing increasingly sickly.
Austrian coach Josef Hickersberger could have been auditioning for a part in "Grumpy Old Men" has he publicly berated his team's lack of discipline and said his players deserved to suffer.The Swiss, meanwhile, continued to fret about the injury crisis which has forced the withdrawal of three squad players already and left other key men in doubt for the opener.
If Austria hopes were rising after a 5-1 win over Malta in their last warm-up game on Friday, Hickersberger's extraordinary news conference at their Stegersbach team camp yesterday dashed them again.
Hickersberger reneged on a promise to name his choice of first team goalkeeper saying :"We have delayed the decision beecause the goalkeeper is the least of our problems."
"Yesterday it became cleared to me the team was no longer as concentrated and alert as before."




BAD OMENS:-
The omens were not looking good for switzerland either. Defender Patrick Mueller, nursing a serious knee injury, said he was not sure of being fit to face the Czechs and midfilder Tranquillo Barnetta only returned to the squad yesterday. Swiss coach Koebi Kuhn has already lost three of his original squad choices through late injuries.
Hickersberger was not the only coach in a grumbling mood. Czech boss Karel Brueckner was bemoaning the Euorpean club season which he said had left him with a squad of exhausted players.

refrence-mumbai mirror