Socrates

Determined Portugal Sink Turkey Portugal 2-0 Turkey A wonder-goal from Pepe, and a late strike from Raul Meireles, separated the two sides in the second match of Euro 2008... Portugal deserved their win, although they were made to fight for it by a Turkish side eager to mark their return to a major tournament with a fine performance. However, the team from the East were all too often nervy in defence and rarely troubled stand-in goalkeeper Ricardo, meaning that it was up to the Andrades, who were themselves struggling to test the stopper at times, to find the winner. This they did, midway through the second half. However, it wasn't always easy before that. First Half There was little restraint shown early on, not least in terms of the tackles. Kazim Kazim Richards picked up a booking five minutes in after tugging back Simao on the counter - a sign of things to come, perhaps, as Portugal came forward. Simao managed a cross seven minutes in, but the ball was cleared - albeit at cost. Servet, who got in the way of Cristiano Ronaldo's shot before bundling it away, came out of the incident mildly injured. If anything that spurred his side on, for they enjoyed a few minutes of possession, and a rather lame penalty claim from Tuncay. But the first team to have the ball in the net was Portugal. 16 minutes in, Simao's well-curved corner met the head of Pepe, who fired it past Volkan Demirel. However, the Real Madrid man was just offside. Portugal seemed to have the best of it after that, and although Nihat had a chance or two at their end, the red-and-greens came close through Deco and continued whipping in the crosses from the left. Cristiano Ronaldo had been quiet, but his fine strike 37 minutes in sailed through a forest of bodies, seemingly goalward, before Volkan Demirel pulled off a spectacular save to hit the ball off the post. Moutinho then came close just before the break with a surging run into the box, but Gokhan Zan, seemingly doing the work of two defenders, launched a wonderful saving tackle as he pulled the trigger, keeping it 0-0 at the break. Second Half Five minutes after the break Portugal hit the post again. Gokhan Zan, who was otherwise solid, played a dreadful backpass that could only find Nuno Gomes. The striker, in what might uncharitably be called the curse of a Portuguese forward, could only rattle the woodwork. Zan left the pitch in some distress soon afterwards for Emre Asik, and Portugal seemed to be emboldened. Cristiano Ronaldo cut in from the flank and shot low under Volkan, but the 'keeper got down well to save, and Joao Moutinho came close soon afterwards after good work from a short free-kick. It seemed that a goal was in the offing, and it came on the hour mark. Pepe made it, and this time it was no simple header from a corner. Coming forward from the defence, he sprayed the ball out to Ronaldo, who in turn timed the pass back to the Madrid centre-back. Playing the one-two with Nuno Gomes, the defender fired a great effort, albeit a deflected one, past Volkan to mark his first international goal in style. To their credit Turkey kept plugging away, Emre Asik missing the target from a corner, but overall Ricardo had little to do as Portugal packed the defence. There was one massive chance for the Crescent-Stars, though, Semih heading the ball in the direction of the onrushing Tuncay, but the latter just narrowly failed to connect with the goal at his mercy. He and his side were punished on the counter soon afterwards as Ronaldo strode down the wing, played a through ball to Moutinho, who in turn spun on it acrobatically before playing it to Meireles at the far post for a simple finish. One international goal for the midfielder, two for his side on the night, three points, and now Portugal top the group. Turkey must quickly regroup.

Portugal 2 - 0 Turkey Pepe (61') - Ra?l Meireles (90'+3) 1 Ricardo Goalkeeper - 16 Ricardo Carvalho Defender - 4 Bosingwa Defender - 15 Pepe Defender - 2 Ferreira P. Defender - 20 Deco Midfielder - 8 Petit Midfielder - 10 Joao Moutinho Midfielder - 7 Cristiano Ronaldo Striker - 21 Nuno Gomes Striker - 11 Sim?o Striker *22 Rui Patricio Goalkeeper - 14 Jorge Ribeiro Defender - 3 Bruno Alves Defender - 13 Miguel Defender - 5 Fernando Meira Defender - 18 Miguel Veloso Midfielder - 6 Ra?l Meireles Midfielder - 23 Helder Postiga Striker - 19 Nani Striker - 17 Quaresma Striker - 9 Hugo Almeida Striker *Scolari L. Manager/Coach 23 Volkan Demirel Goalkeeper - 2 Servet ?etin Defender - 4 G?khan Zan Defender - 5 Emre B. Midfielder - 3 Hakan Balta Defender - 7 Marco Aurelio Midfielder - 22 Altintop H. Midfielder - 18 Kazim Kazim Midfielder - 21 Erding M. Midfielder - 17 Tuncay Sanli Midfielder - 8 Nihat Striker *1 R?şt? Re?ber Goalkeeper - 12 Tolga Zengin Goalkeeper - 13 Emre G?ng?r Defender - 16 Uğur Boral Defender - 20 Sanoglu S. Defender - 15 Asik E. Midfielder - 11 T?mer Metin Midfielder - 14 Arda Turan Midfielder - 19 Ayhan Akman Midfielder - 6 Mehmet Topal Midfielder - 10 G?kdeniz Karadeniz Striker - 23 Semih Şent?rk Striker *Terim F. Manager/Coach 90'+4 And that's it! Opening day victory for Portugal and well deserved too! Some shaky moments, but overall they were the better side, overcoming a fairly strong and determined Turkish outfit with goals from Pepe and Meireles! A good start from Portugal. Thanks for joining us here on Goal.com, stay logged on for the official match report, team reactions, player ratings and more! Final score in Geneva: Portugal 2-0 Turkey! 90'+3 GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLL!!! Fantastic stuff on the break! Ronaldo started things off, darting down the right before feeding in Moutinho, whose 360 spin was sublime, he fed substitute Meireles at the far post and he slotted home! That's his first for his country as well! 2-0! 90'+3 Goal Ra?l Meireles 90'+2 Substitution Deco - Fernando Meira 90'+2 Meira is coming on in place of Deco, meanwhile Nani is injured after a rough challenge from Aurelio. 90' OHHHHH BIG CHANCE! Semih headed the ball down for Tuncay who failed to make a connection with the ball in front of goal! 87' Nani registers his first shot since coming on, a low one from the edge of the area saved comfortably by Volkan. You would have almost expected more from the audacious Man United man. 86' Portugal are looking almost comfortable now and they should see the game out for the victory. 83' Simao is being withdrawn for Raul Meireles in a defensive switch as Scolari looks to see the game out. 83' Substitution Sim?o - Ra?l Meireles 82' Ohhh...a corner flew in and substitute Emre Asik should have done better! He missed the target and that could be Turkey's last chance! 79' Turkey are pressing on and putting the Portuguese defence to work but are not getting any reward. 76' Substitution Altintop H. - Semih Şent?rk 75' Hamit Altintop has been withdrawn for Semih Semturk in an offensive switch as Turkey look to pull back an equaliser in the final 15 minutes. 74' Nihat whipped in a free-kick from the left hand side that Ricardo flapped at before Portugal then looked to hit on the break, but Ronaldo could not quite play through Ricardo Carvalho, of all people, who was up with him. 73' A possible handball from Simao has not been given and Sabri has been shown a yellow for his protestations. 73' Yellow Card Sanoglu S. 71' Turkey are still giving it a go, attempting to peg Portugal back into their own half and launch their attacks, but the Portugese are defending well and moving the ball out with speed. 68' Nuno Gomes is being withdrawn for Nani, meaning Ronaldo will go up front - and also take the captain's armband - his club team-mate Nani will take up the wing position and no doubt provide a showpiece given the opportunity. 67' Substitution Nuno Gomes - Nani 65' OHHH NUNO GOMES HITS THE BAR! Third time the Portugese have been denied by the woodwork tonight! Deco played a cross-field ball to Ronaldo, who attempted a quick cut inside and shot. The shot was blocked, but he retrieved possession, crossing it in for Nuno Gomes, who rose brilliantly only to see his header kept out by the crossbar. 61' OHHH GOOOOOOOOLLLL!!! GOL GOL GOL! Pepe has done it! He's already had one disallowed, and this was a quite wonderful goal from the centre-back! He came darting out of the defence before passing the ball out to Ronaldo. Ronaldo gave it back to him and he surged forward, exchanging a great give-and-go with Nuno Gomes and proceeded to put it past Volkan! There was a deflection but it looked to be going in regardless; great goal, his first for Portugal! 61' Goal Pepe 59' OH! It was taken short, passed across the edge of the area, eventually ending up at the feet of Joao Moutinho, whose powerful effort whistled just over the bar. 58' Hamit has conceded a foul against Ronaldo for what was a fairly light shove out wide on the left. 56' RONALDOOOOOOOOO... SAVED! The Portugese did well cutting in from the left to fashion enough space for a shot. He went for placement over power, but Volkan was wise to it, getting down well to make a low save. 55' Gokhan Zan has been injured in the colission with Simao and has had to come off for Emre Asik. 55' Substitution G?khan Zan Asik E. 54' Portugal's possession game came to an end when Deco's slack pass allowed Turkey a counterattack which they couldn't quite capitalise on, thanks to Bosingwa's lightning pace that saw him get back to close down Tuncay. 51' Simao is in a bad way following the challenge, as is Gokhan Zan, but he should be able to play on. 51' Yellow Card G?khan Zan 50' OHHHH PORTUGAL HIST THE POST AGAIN! Gokhan Zan made a complete hash of a back pass but the advantage was played, with Nuno Gomes slamming a shot into the post and Turkey narrowly escaped going behind there! 49' Turkey are pressing forward well and Nihat took the ball well, threatening to shoot only to overplay it and eventually attempt to win a penalty, but Herbert Fandel was not buying it. 45' Substitution Erding M. Sanoglu S. 46 And we're back! No changes from Portugal, but Mevlut has been withdrawn for Turkey and Sabri his replacement. Whether it's a tactical or enforced switch isn't quite clear. 45'+1 And that's half time! Fatih Terim will probably be the happier of the two managers but Portugal have been the better team. Turkey have had some outstanding performers, though, but are lacking a little quality in the final third. Action has increased steadily as the match progressed and we can only hope for even more in the second half! Stay with us on Goal.com to see if Turkey can emulate the Czechs and nick a victory on the break or whether Portugal will seize the initiative. Second half coverage begins in approximately 15 minutes. Half time in Geneva: Portugal 0-0 Turkey! 42' Nothing doing. Turkey keep Pepe well-marked this time and see out the danger. It looks like we're going into half time with scores level, but Portugal have been the better side. 41' OHHH! Portugal go close! Joao Moutinho made a good run inside the area and was bearing down on goal, but Gokhan Zan made a great saving tackle! Corner! 40' Huyyy! Pepe again a threat from a corner, not making as good a connection aerially this time and it went out for another corner. Simao whipped in yet another ball for Pepe, but he couldn't connect with it. 38' Turkey looked to catch Portugal out, Hamit Altintop had an effort but it whistled wide of goal. 37' OHHHH WHAT AN EFFORT AND A GREAT SAVE! OFF THE POST! Ronaldo hammered it right in the channel and it flew through the sea of bodies, bounced but was tipped onto the post by Volkan! Close call! 36' Zan has been penalised for a handball as he slid in on Moutinho, missed the man and the ball, but stopped the ball from passing him with his hand. It's in a wide area out left, will Ronaldo be shooting? 35' It was a decent delivery from Simao, but Hamit Altintop rose well to head it up in the air before Volkan came and claimed. 34' Deco does well on the right to jink past a couple of Turks before drawing a foul. A good delivery whipped in here could spell danger... 31' Ronaldo's cross fell to the feet of Nuno Gomes, but Gokhan Zan was across to clear the danger. 30' Pepe drilled a pass low and forward, Ronaldo dashed through the middle and dribbled his way through a few players before scraping a shot disappointingly wide of the near post. 28' It's Simao and it loops perhaps a foot over the bar. A decent effort, but lacking in power and Volkan may have saved it even if it had hit the target. 27' Huyyy... Petit's beautiful cross-field ball fell at the feet of Deco. He took it down well but as he cut inside to shoot he was blocked off. He has now just won a free-kick a few yards outside the area to the left of goal. Ronaldo, Simao and Petit are over it... 24' Portugal are beginning to settle into something more of a rhythm now, but Turkey certainly aren't afraid to give Scolari's men a game as they continue to push up at every opportunity. They are, though, lacking the precision in passing of their opponents. 21' Portugal raced away on the counterattack after Deco looped a cross-field ball to Simao on the left, but the winger lost his nerve and did not play the ball early. Turkey survive a scare! 20' It's Niiihaaaaaaaattt and it's low and into the wall, going out for a corner. It could be seen as a poor take from the Turk, but the Portuguese wall was not air-tight and the ball could have and almost did squeeze through. 19' Bosingwa has conceded a fairly needlree free-kick for having a hold of Mevlut. A bit of a soft award in retrospect but Turkey could cause Portugal a problem here! 16' GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLL---NO!!! Pepe headed home from a short corner whipped in by Simao, but was offside at the time of the delivery! Good call by the official! Still 0-0! 13' Turkey are having more of the possession now, forcing Portugal into some disciplined defending. Tuncay has just gone down in the area as he and Bosingwa went for the same ball. The Middlesbrough man went down very easily, and though there was a huge shout from the Turkish contingent in the stadium for a penalty it was correctly not even considered. 10' Tuncay has won a free-kick from Pepe out on the left hand side, and the Turks will be hoping to whip in a dangerous delivery to cause Portugal's defence some problems, but Nihat's cross, though in the right area, was claimed by Ricardo. 7' A short corner eventually saw Simaro whip the ball into the box but Turkey scrambled it away, with Servet putting his body in the line of fire as Cristiano Ronaldo looked to dink the ball home. The Turk defender is in a bit of pain now and receiving treatment, though he should be able to continue. 5' Ronaldo registers his first shot and it's well over the bar. Bosingwa played it into his feet on the right hand side, he cut inside, shimmying across the edge of the area before flailing his left foot at the ball and watching his shot go way over and wide. 5' Yellow Card Kazim Kazim 4' It's been an energetic start from both sides but Turkey have barely made it out of their half. Kazim Richards has been booked for pulling back Simao as the Atletico star attempted to dart into the box. 2' And we're off! Portugal kick-off and look to keep the ball, to the disdain of the very vocal Turkish support here in Geneva. Servet came across to the right flank to dispossess Ronaldo, but Portugal are still pressing. 0' Welcome to Goal.com's live coverage of Euro 2008. We're in Geneva as Portugal face off against Turkey in Group A. Co-hosts Switzerland were edged by Czech Republic earloer this evening, so neither side will want to draw here, as they will be keen to keep pace with the Czechs. Cristiano Ronaldo will no doubt be the focus of much attention but Fatih Terim's Turks are a hard-working and talented unit capable of causing an update. Stay with us on Goal.com for live, minute-by-minute updates of all the action to see how it unfolds! Kick-off is in four minutes...

Czechs Edge Swiss In Cagey Opener Switzerland 0 Czech Republic 1 The Czech Republic opened Euro 2008 with a 1-0 win against co-hosts Switzerland in Basel. A goal from substitute Sverkos was enough to seal the win although a spirited Swiss side had chances to equalise, despite losing Alexander Frei to injury in the first half. A bright and pacy opening to the game was the perfect start to the tournament. An industrious Swiss side were looking determined and keen to get off to a good start, no doubt helped by a good atmosphere inside the stadium. Spurred on by the home support, the Swiss certainly had their chances with Behrami and Frei both trying their luck with good shots. However, Petr Cech, who earlier in the week had voiced his concerns about the tournament ball moving in the air, certainly had his hands full but saved well on a number of occasions. Whilst the Swiss were enjoying slightly more of the possession, the Czechs did appear to have a little more quality on the ball. However, when it came to chances they struggled to create much with Koller and Sionko being well marshalled by the Swiss defence. Although their first half performance would have heartened Swiss coach Kobi Kuhn, their hopes suffered a huge blow just before half time when Alexander Frei, the Swiss all time record goalscorer and the one player who had looked most likely for the co-hosts, hobbled off with injury. Yet far from looking dejected the Swiss emerged for the second half with renewed vigour. Hakan Yakin, replaced the injured Frei, and helped energise the crowd. Within minutes of the restart full back Magnin had tested Petr Cech from range again, before a Yakin free kick whistled narrowly over. The more positive Swiss approach prompted the Czechs to make a change of their own with the ineffective Koller being replaced by Sverkos. The change almost paid dividends immediately with Sionko only inches away from connecting with a great free kick by Jankulovski. However the Swiss were looking far more dangerous with Yakin up front than Frei and the striker almost put them ahead after 65 minutes when he headed just wide from a Lichsteiner cross. Yet just as the home side were enjoying their best sustained spell of the game the Czechs took the lead. Switzerland failed to clear their lines properly and after the ball was headed back into the box, substitute Sverkos was on hand to finish well past Benaglio for his first international goal. The goal prompted the Swiss into action and they should have equalised with ten minutes to go. A shot from Barnetta was well saved by Cech but the ball fell to substitute Volanthen who slammed his shot against the bar and the Czechs survived. The Swiss dominated possession for the final ten minutes of the game but despite some good approach work failed to trouble keeper Cech sufficiently. An opening defeat leaves them with something of a mountain to climb whilst the Czechs will be in good shape with games against Portugal and Turkey to come. GOAL: 1-0 Czech Republic (Sverkos 70) Switzerland: Benaglio, Lichtsteiner (Volanthen, 75), Muller, Senderos, Magnin, Behrami (Derdiyok, 84), Inler, Gelson, Barnetta, Frei (Yakin, 46), Streller. Czech Republic: Cech, Jankulovski, Rozehnal, Ujfalusi, Grygera, Plasil, Polak, Galasek, Jarolim (Kovac, 87), Sionko (Vicek, 82), Koller (Sverkos, 55).

Euro 2008 Preview: Portugal-Turkey What: European Championships, Group A Who: Portugal vs Turkey When: Saturday 7 June 2008, 20:45 CET Where: St. Jakob-Park, Basel Referee: Herbert Fandel (GER) Euro 2008's second match features 2004's losing finalists and a side that failed to reach the last tournament. It's an intriguing clash as Portugal take on Turkey in Basel... Bad Memories Portugal come into this game with their last European Championship game, of course, having ended in tragedy. A last-gasp defeat to the Greeks in front of a partisan crowd in Lisbon put paid to any illusions of gaining their first ever piece of silverware, and some might ask if their best chance ever has gone. It's a fair question - there's nothing like home advantage, after all, and there's a lingering feeling that the squad, now bereft of the likes of Pauleta and Figo, lacks a certain something. But at the same time there are grounds for optimism. After a rocky qualification path there is less pressure on the side than previously, and, of course, the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Ricardo Carvalho and Quaresma are beginning to hit stride. Still, defensive worries continue to dominate, and victory is thus far from assured. Something To Prove Thankfully for the Portuguese, the same applies to the Crescent-Stars. The Turks seem to have regressed since their glory days of reaching the semi-final of the 2002 World Cup, especially given that they have missed out on both major tournaments since then. Even reaching this one was no sure thing: it took a late surge past Norway for the Turkish side to squeeze through alongside hated rivals Greece to the final tournament. Yet here they are, and with a large Turkish contingent living in Switzerland, it's something of a home from home for Fatih Terim's men. That's a positive, for just like Portugal this is a side that tends to play better when surrounded by domestic comforts. And they also seem to look the part up front. Nihat and Erding enter the tournament in massively high confidence; at the back, though, it may be tougher to keep things tight. FORM GUIDE Portugal 31 May 08 - Georgia ( H ) - WON 2-0 (Friendly) 26 Mar 08 - Greece (N) - LOST 2-1 (Friendly) 06 Feb 08 - Italy (N) - LOST 3-1 (Friendly) 21 Nov 07 - Finland ( H ) - DREW 0-0 (ECQ) 17 Nov 07 - Armenia ( H ) - WON 1-0 (ECQ) Turkey 29 May 08 - Finland (N) - WON 2-0 (Friendly) 25 May 08 - Uruguay (N) - LOST 3-2 (Friendly) 20 May 08 - Slovakia (N) - WON 1-0 (Friendly) 26 Mar 08 - Belarus (A) - DREW 2-2 (Friendly) 06 Feb 08 - Sweden ( H ) - DREW 0-0 (Friendly) 21 Nov 07 - BiH ( H ) - WON 1-0 (ECQ) 17 Nov 07 - Norway (A) - WON 2-1 (ECQ) TEAM NEWS Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo, Simao and Quaresma are likely to provide the inventive force for a lone striker - Nuno Gomes, perhaps - while Bosingwa has recovered to play right-back. Predicted Line-Up: Ricardo; Bosingwa, Pepe, Carvalho, Caneira; Veloso, Petit; Cristiano Ronaldo, Simao, Quaresma; Nuno Gomes. Turkey Hamit Altintop is doubtful after his mucle injury but could yet make the side. Coach Terim will most likely stick with a 4-4-2, with either Senturk or on-form Erdinc partnering Nihat up front. Aurelio is likely to be the lynchpin of the midfield. Predicted Line-Up: Recber; Gokhan Zan, Asik, Cetin, Balta; Altintop, Aurelio, Emre, Arda; Nihat, Senturk. PLAYERS TO WATCH Portugal - Cristiano Ronaldo: His last trip to a European Championship ended in heartbreak, but so much has changed since then. The Manchester United man has just enjoyed the year of his life as he helped his side to both the Champions League and Premier League titles, scooping the top scorer award along the way. Rumours of his impending move to Real Madrid continue to circulate, but he's stated that all he's worried about right now is Portugal. Turkey - Nihat Kahveci: The Villarreal man may not have enjoyed quite as productive a season as Ronaldo, but in his own way he's back in the big time. The ex-Real Sociedad man cut a mean partnership up front with Giuseppe Rossi for Villarreal and proved himself deadly in front of goal, not least on the counter. With Hakan Sukur having stepped back from the national squad, Nihat can stake a claim to being the next Turkish striking legend. PREDICTION These two sides conceded more goals than any other qualifying team except Poland, and at the other end they averaged around two per game. As such this could be one of Euro 2008's more open ties, but it's worth remembering that both teams tend to do better at home than on their travels. It's going to be very, very close, but Portugal might just squeeze it. Portugal 2-1 Turkey

Euro 2008 Preview: Switzerland - Czech Republic What: Euro 2008, group stage Who: Switzerland, Czech Republic When: Saturday June 7 (1800 CET) Where: St. Jakob-Park, Basel Referee: Roberto Rosetti (Italy) And so it begins... The opening fixture of Euro 2008 is not quite the blockbuster everyone would be hoping for by any means, but it could well provide an intriguing clue as to how the tournament unfolds. Will we be in for a dramatic, thrilling Euro 2000, with a clash of the titans in the final being decided by a golden goal, or a slightly less thrilling but nonetheless dramatic Euro 2004 in which Greece managed to pull off one of the greatest upsets in European Championship history, entering as a bottom seed but going on to win the tournament? If Switzerland manage a victory then this could be yet another tournament for the underdog, but the Czechs are hardly giants themselves and are missing the two players who are quite easily their most high profile. Legend Pavel Nedved has of course taken the eventual decision to retire from international football while Tomas Rosicky's never-ending battle with injury is ongoing. They will require yet more work after the Championship when iconic target-man Jan Koller calls time on his international career, but he is sure to give his all in one last push to do his part to get his country its first ever major honour on the international stage. They of course reached the final in Euro 96 and the semi-final in Euro 2004 only to see success elude them - could Euro 2008 be their last chance? They are without doubt perennial underdogs and relish such a position. They have always made their way by disposing of sides beneath them in the pecking order, where more star-studded sides tend to stumble. The real test for them will come in the knock-outs, but first and foremost they must maintain their usual prolificacy in the group stages. Facing hosts is never an easy proposition - particularly in the opening game - and Switzerland are coming into the tournament off the back of a couple of convincing wins in warm-up matches. While it must be noted that Liechtenstein and Slovakia are hardly the stiffest of opposition, winning is a habit and if the Swiss army carry this momentum into their opening game they could spring a surprise on their visitors. This modern incarnation of Switzerland is famous for having been eliminated from the 2006 World Cup without conceding a goal; their woeful penalty shootout against Ukraine proved their undoing after what had been an impressive if not all that entertaining qualification from the group stage. Philippe Senderos is almost like another player entirely for his country, but is no doubt helped by the defensive tactics employed by coach Jakob Kuhn. It is their unit that provides strength - with Inler no doubt set to be a star for them - but their problem may be outstanding individual play to create goals. Valon Behrami may prove a key man in this respect. The outgoing Lazio star has already expressed his enthusiasm leading up to the tournament and will relish the attacking freedom he is allowed on the wing for his country, having been played as a full-back at club level. Gelson Fernandes may also have a fair amount of responsibility to create, and having not enjoyed the most morale-boosting time at Manchester City in recent months, there is a chance he may be found wanting. The key to their attacks will be using the flanks to their full effect. Barnetta, Vonlanthen, Behrami, Degen, Lichtsteiner and Magnin are all able down the flanks as full-backs and wingers, and if they use wide areas to break and try and hit the Czechs where they are somewhat weaker, they may well grab the opening day victory the whole country will be hoping for. FORM GUIDE Switzerland May 30 Switzerland 3-0 Liechtenstein (Friendly) May 24 Switzerland 2-0 Slovakia (Friendly) Mar 26 Switzerland 0-4 Germany (Friendly) Feb 6 England 2-1 Switzerland (Friendly) Nov 20 Switzerland 0-1 Nigeria (Friendly) Oct 17 Switzerland 0-1 United States (Friendly) Czech Republic May 30 Czech Republic 3-1 Scotland (Friendly) May 27 Czech Republic 2-0 Lithuania (Friendly) Mar 26 Denmark 1-1 Czech Republic (Friendly) Feb 6 Poland 2-0 Czech Republic (Friendly) Nov 21 Cyprus 0-2 Czech Republic (European Championship qualifier) Nov 17 Czech Republic 3-1 Slovakia (European Championship qualifier) TEAM NEWS Switzerland Despite having played 4-4-2 in their two recent victories, against tougher opposition the Swiss are likely to revert to 4-5-1, with Alexander Frei the lone striker and fellow front-man Streller withdrawn for attacking midfielder Hakan Yakin. Tranquillo Barnetta has overcome an ankle injury and will be fit to start, though Johan Vonlanthen's impressive performances during his lay-off may make competition for the left-wing slot fairly stiff. Veteran defender Patrick M?ller has looked solid in the warm-up games despite recently suffering a cruciate ligament injury and should prevent Johan Djourou from lining up with Arsenal team-mate Philippe Senderos in defence. Probable XI (4-4-1-1): Benaglio - Lichtsteiner, M?ller, Senderos, Magnin - Behrami, Inler, Fernandes, Barnetta - Yakin - Frei. Czech Republic It is likely that the Czechs will not want to risk too much and will therefore start with a similar system to their hosts. Milan Baros will most likely drop to the bench and come on only if they are pressing for a result, with Sionko having earned his place following a brace against Scotland and Pla?il also likely to start. Full-back Zdněk Pospěch has the flu and will be sitting out the game, with Juventus' Zdeněk Grygera a possible like-for-like replacement, though Ujfalusi could play at right-back allowing Radoslav Kovac to partner David Rozehnal in defence. With the possibilities continuing, Matejovsky's place may also be taken by a more creative player such as Jarolim. Probable XI (4-5-1): Cech - Grygera, Ujfalusi, Rozehnal, Jankulovski - Sionko, Matejovsky, Galasek, Polak, Pla?il - Koller. PLAYERS TO WATCH Switzerland - G?khan Inler The 23-year-old will play a key role protecting the defence in a game where Switzerland, despite being the home nation, will be under some pressure for periods of the game. Has enjoyed a tremendous debut season with Udinese and is likely to carry that form through for his national side in this summer's tournament. For the Czechs, it will be a matter of working around Inler in order to ensure they can break through what is sure to be a packed defence. Czech Republic - Jan Koller The big man is likely to be up front on his own and surrounded by a sea of red shirts for long periods throughout the evening. He will have his work cut out, having to knock down several high balls and attempt to put his aerial prowess to good use when attempting to fashion chances on goal. He has just recently announced he will be retiring from international football after the tournament, and he will no doubt be keen to improve on what is already an incredible goal-scoring ratio for his country. PREDICTION Home support has been known to work its wonders in the past and there is nothing to suggest the same may not happen tomorrow evening. However, the form guide tells a story: the Czechs have been clinical in disposing of all inferior opposition while Switzerland have only managed results against the weakest of opposition. A home win would be quite an achievement - and one that definitely cannot be ruled out - but the Czechs should have enough at their disposal to make it a less than memorable opening day for the home support. Switzerland 1-2 Czech Republic

Official Schedule UEFA EURO 2008 Group A Team............Pnts.....Plyd.....W.....D.....L.....GS.....GA Portugal..........6.........3........2......0.....1......5.......3 Turkey............6.........3........2......0.....1......5.......5 Switzerland....3.........3........1......0.....2......3.......3 Czech Rep.......3.........3........1......0.....2......4.......6 7 June 18:00 Basel Switzerland vs Czech Rep. 0 - 1 20:45 Geneva Portugal vs Turkey 2 - 0 11 June 18:00 Geneva Czech Rep. vs Portugal 1 - 3 20:45 Basel Switzerland vs Turkey 1 - 2 15 June 20:45 Basel Switzerland vs Portugal 2 - 0 20:45 Geneva Turkey vs Czech Rep. 3 - 2 Group B Team..........Pnts.....Plyd.....W.....D.....L.....GS.....GA Croatia...........9.........3........3......0.....0......4.......1 Germany........6.........3........2......0.....1......4.......2 Austria...........1.........3........0......1.....2......1.......3 Poland............1.........3........0......1.....2......1.......4 8 June 18:00 Vienna Austria vs Croatia 0 - 1 20:45 Klagenfurt Germany vs Poland 2 - 0 12 June 18:00 Klagenfurt Croatia vs Germany 2 - 1 20:45 Vienna Austria vs Poland 1 - 1 16 June 20:45 Klagenfurt Poland vs Croatia 0 - 1 20:45 Vienna Austria vs Germany 0 - 1 Group C Team............Pnts.....Plyd....W.....D.....L.....GS.....GA Holland...........9.........3........3......0.....0......9.......1 Italy...............4.........3........1......1.....1......3.......4 Romania.........2.........3........0......2.....1......1.......3 France............1.........3........0......1.....2......1.......6 9 June 18:00 Zurich Romania vs France 0 - 0 20:45 Berne Holland vs Italy 3 - 0 13 June 18:00 Zurich Italy vs Romania 1 - 1 20:45 Berne Holland vs France 4 - 1 17 June 20:45 Berne Holland vs Romania 2 - 0 20:45 Zurich France vs Italy 0 - 2 Group D Team............Pnts....Plyd....W.....D.....L.....GS.....GA Spain.............9.........3........3......0.....0......8.......3 Russia............6.........3........2......0.....1......4.......4 Sweden.........3.........3........1......0.....2......3.......4 Greece...........0.........3........0......0.....3......1.......5 10 June 18:00 Innsbruck Spain vs Russia 4 - 1 20:45 Salzburg Greece vs Sweden 0 - 2 14 June 18:00 Innsbruck Sweden vs Spain 1 - 2 20:45 Salzburg Greece vs Russia 0 - 1 18 June 20:45 Salzburg Greece vs Spain 1 - 2 20:45 Innsbruck Russia vs Sweden 2 - 0 Quarter Final Thursday 19 June 20:45 Basel # 1 PORTUGAL vs GERMANY 2 - 3 Friday 20 June 20:45 Vienna # 2 TURKEY vs CROATIA 4 - 2 (Pen.) Saturday 21 June 20:45 Basel # 3 HOLLAND vs RUSSIA 1 - 3 Sunday 22 June 20:45 Vienna # 4 ITALY vs SPAIN 2 - 5 (Pen.) Semifinal Wednesday 25 June 20:45 Basel # 5 - GERMANY vs TURKEY 3 - 2 Thursday 26 June 20:45 Vienna # 6 - RUSSIA vs SPAIN 0 - 3 Final Sunday 29 June 20:45 Vienna GERMANY vs SPAIN 0 - 1 SPAIN EUROPEAN CHAMPION 2008 Thanks to Shaka (Manu)

Juventus have had numerous presidents over the course of their history, some of which have been the owners of the club, others have been honorary presidents, here is a complete list of them: Eugenio Canfari from 1897 to 1898 Enrico Canfari from 1898 to 1901 Carlo Favale from 1901 to 1902 Giacomo Parvopassu from 1903 to 1904 Alfred Dick from 1905 to 1906 Carlo Vittorio Varetti from 1907 to 1910 Attilio Ubertalli from 1911 to 1912 Heinrich Josef "Bino" Hess from 1913 to 1915 Gioacchino Armano, Fernando Nizza e Sandro Zambelli (Comitato di Guerra) from 1915 to 05/04/1916 Corrado Corradini from 05/04/1916 to 17/06/1920 Gino Olivetti from 17/06/1920 to 24/07/1923 Edoardo Agnelli from 24/07/1923 to 14/07/1935 - Enrico Craveri, Giovanni Mazzonis e Andrea Remmert from 15/07/1935 to 04/09/1936 Emilio de la Forest de Divonne from 04/09/1936 to 27/01/1945 Pietro Dusio from 27/01/1945 to 22/07/1947 Giovanni Agnelli (Honorary president) from 22/07/1947 to 18/09/1954 - Enrico Craveri, Nino Cravetto e Marcello Giustiniani from 18/09/1954 to 15/11/1955 Umberto Agnelli from 15/11/1955 to 19/07/1962 Vittore Catella from 27/07/1962 to 13/07/1971 Giampiero Boniperti (Honorary president) from 13/07/1971 to 05/02/1990 Vittorio Caissotti di Chiusano from 12/02/1990 to 31/07/2003 Franzo Grande Stevens (Honorary president) from 12/08/2003 to 29/06/2006 Giovanni Cobolli Gigli from 29/06/2006 to 27/10/2009 Jean-Claude Blanc from 27/10/2009 to 19/05/2010 Andrea Agnelli from 19/05/2010

Chi sar? costui? I 30.000 li raggiungeremo con il server nuovo pi? velocemente (in tutti i sensi).

Chiellini On Calciopoli: I Received No Pressure From Moggi Giorgio Chiellini has given evidence in the case against former Juventus director Luciano Moggi and the GEA World Agency, and says he never received any pressure to be a client of the company. Chiellini is one of many key witnesses in a trial of six men, including Moggi, accused of conspiring to control transfers by intimidating players into signing for the GEA sports management firm. "I never suffered pressure to be represented by Gea,? testified Chiellini. ?The fact that my agent is Davide Lippi [son of Marcello] proves that I made the right choice." Earlier this month former Juventus striker Fabrizio Miccoli claimed that Moggi had marginalised him at the club because he did not take the transfer guru?s son, Alessandro, as his agent. Other key witnesses who have been called to give evidence in this trial, include England manager Fabio Capello, who was boss of Juve from 2004 to 2006, as well as his now right-hand man Franco Baldini.

Juve To Snub Calciopoli & Sew On Third Star? According to reports in Italy, Juventus could be set to snub the legality of Calciopoli by sewing a third star on their shirts when they win their next Scudetto. The Bianconeri have won 29 Scudetti on the field during their history, but they had two championships revoked following their alleged role in the Calciopoli scandal in 2006. At present the Italian league only recognises Juve to have won 27 Scudetti, however managing director Jean-Claude Blanc earlier this week offered scant regard to this. "The number of Scudetti won by Juve is 29,? Blanc told La7. ?And soon we will have a third star on our shirts." It has since been revealed that there is nothing in the Calcio rulebook that prevents Juve from legally sewing a third star on their shirts when they next win the Scudetto. Each star is used to represent 10 Scudetti, and one more championship would take the Bianconeri on to 30 without taking into account the two that have been stripped. "A team may put however many stars on their jersey, there is no regulation defining the issue and the League does not impose this argument," explained Fabio Santoro, Deputy Secretary of the Lega Calcio. "We say that it is an ethical issue. If Juventus wanted to put the third star when they win their next championship it would be their choice, and certainly would not be a violation of the rules. ?The only thing that should be remembered, however, is that with regard to the roll of honours officially recognised by the Lega Calcio the Bianconeri have won 27 and not 29.? Juventus fans have always maintained that Calciopoli was just a conspiracy, and the club may use this opportunity to show how they do not recognise the legality of the penalties imposed following the scandal.

Lippi: I Know Nothing About Calciopoli Former Juventus coach Marcello Lippi says that he knows nothing about the Old Lady's alleged role in the Calciopoli crisis. The Bianconeri were relegated to Serie B, and had their two Scudetti from 2005 and 2006 revoked following their supposed role in the scandal. Bianconeri fans and other figures have always maintained that Calciopoli was just a conspiracy involving Inter President Massimo Moratti, as well as former Telecom Italia President Tronchetti Provera and ex FIGC President Guido Rossi. Now, former Juventus boss Marcello Lippi says that he knows nothing about what the Bianconeri supposedly did during the years 2004 and 2006. ?It would make me happy if Moggi would call me and explain what truly happened in the last two years, because I don?t know," stated the legendary boss, who led Juve to every major honour in the club game during his two spells in charge. Lippi?s comments are interestingly timed as Moggi and 15 other people were called before court yesterday, in what has become known as Calciopoli II. The individuals were there to answer charges that they broke article one of the Italian code for sporting justice. Article one seeks to guarantee correctness and loyalty in the world of sport, and it relates to accusations that Moggi had illegally supplied some referees and club directors with mobile phone SIM cards. If found guilty by the court, Juventus could risk a heavy fine.

Cobolli Gigli: Juve Already Paid For Calciopoli Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli denied the possibility that his club could be punished severely again due to what many are already calling 'Calciopoli II'. On Thursday it was announced that the most that the Bianconeri could suffer due to their implications in 'Calciopoli II' is a fine, since they cannot be punished again for the same crime according to law. This was confirmed by Cobolli Gigli, who now wants to concentrate solely on the sporting side of the Old Lady. "I have the highest respect for the investigation office and for the federal justice members, but we are convinced that we have already paid a high price," declared the Juve president. "It's not the time to keep on paying, but instead that of concentrating on the sport," he added. "If it will be necessary, we shall defend ourselves in the right moment and the right places," concluded Cobolli Gigli.

Juve To Escape 'Calciopoli II' With Fine Juventus are facing the possibility of a fine after 16 people, including former Juve director Luciano Moggi, were brought before trial in what has been dubbed Calciopoli II. It was revealed shortly before World Cup 2006 that Moggi had supplied referees and club officials with SIM cards for mobile telephones. Moggi and 15 others, including Juve and Messina personnel and several referees, are being prosecuted by magistrate Stefano Palazzi on suspicion of breaking article one of the Italian code for sporting justice. The article in question pertains to the codes of correctness and loyalty within organised sport in Italy. The Italian press report that the Bianconeri will only receive a fine, having already been heavily punished in the original Calciopoli scandal when they were infamously relegated to Serie B and stripped of two Scudetto titles. Messina are unlikely to escape as lightly, however, as their president Pietro Franza has been charged with objective and direct responsibility. ?I have clarified everything,? rebutted Franza. ?I am calm and remain at the disposition of sporting justice.?

E' vero, l'ho inserita il giorno dopo perch? la trovo spassosissima.

Tranquillizzati, il risultato ? gi? stato omologato.

Ne ho appena aggiunta una bellissima ... Chiello e Ibra.