A second-half goal from Vaclav Sverkos earned the Czech Republic a 1-0 victory against co-hosts Switzerland in the opening game of Euro 2008 at the St Jakob-Park stadium in Basel. Switzerland enjoyed the better of the chances throughout the game, with captain Alexander Frei going close three times in the first half before leaving the pitch in tears after picking up a knee injury that looks to have ruled him out for the rest of the tournament. They were eventually undone by substitute Sverkos’s strike with 20 minutes of the game remaining, moments after Frei’s replacement Hakan Yakin had put a free header wide from 10 yards at the other end.

Václav Svěrkoš. E’ questo 24enne attaccante del Banik Ostrava, pressoché sconosciuto al grande pubblico se non per qualche comparsata in Bundesliga ai tempi del Borussia Moenchengladbach e dell’Hertha, a segnare il primo gol a Euro 2008. Ed è un gol pesantissimo, perché regala la vittoria alla Repubblica Ceca nella partita inaugurale contro la Svizzera. A Basilea, finisce 1-0 per la nazionale allenata da Brückner. Ed è forse un castigo troppo pesante per gli svizzeri, che almeno un pari l’avrebbero meritato.