Magnin ready for 'career highlight'

UEFA EURO 2008™ co-hosts Switzerland take on Brazil tonight in a Basel friendly looking to improve on last month's rare defeat by Austria. The 2-1 loss in Innsbruck, in which the Swiss conceded their first goals in eight games, was a setback but will not affect preparations for the finals, according to defender Ludovic Magnin who spoke exclusively to uefa.com.

Inherited talent
Magnin had just turned ten when Switzerland beat Brazil 1-0 in 1989, thanks to a Kubilay Türkyilmaz penalty. This evening, some 40,000 fans will pour into a sold-out St. Jakob-Park hoping for another shock result against Ronaldinho and company. For Magnin, the occasion of his 38th cap should be "a career highlight" in a journey that started a long time ago.

Rapid rise
"I was basically born with a ball at my feet," he said. "My dad played with a club for ages and even my mum can kick a ball. At the age of six I joined a football academy and after scoring my first goal, ran ten laps of the pitch celebrating." By 1997, Magnin had signed for second division FC Yverdon-Sports, earning a first-team spot during the promotion-winning 1999/00 campaign. Almost two seasons at FC Lugano followed before he moved on again in 2002, this time to Germany and Werder Bremen.

League leaders
While Bremen secured a Bundesliga/German Cup double in 2004, it was not a wholly memorable experience for the 27-year-old Magnin, who broke his cheekbone and suffered other injuries. In the summer of 2005, after 45 league appearances, he left for VfB Stuttgart where he quickly turned into a key player. "We are currently leading the league, it's amazing."

Portugal, then Germany
Despite some mixed form, Magnin was invited by Switzerland coach Jakob Kuhn to be part of the UEFA EURO 2004™ squad in Portugal and, on the left side of defence or in midfield, took a major role in the campaign. Two years later the qualified primary school teacher was a vital cog in the defence that was the only one that left the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals still unbreached. "It was very special how the Swiss fans supported us in Germany," Magnin noted. "That gave us an enormous boost."

High hopes
The World Cup was highly successful for Switzerland as they reached the last 16 before bowing out to Ukraine on penalties after 120 minutes failed to yield a goal. Now Magnin's sights are fixed on UEFA EURO 2008™: "Playing in your home tournament must be the aim for any Swiss footballer. This means working hard to make the 23-man squad. We hope to remain undefeated like we did in Germany and to get as far as possible. It's our goal to win the tournament - some people may laugh at that but you have to have a dream."

Fans hold key
The local support will be a key factor, he explained: "All those Switzerland flags and banners, the chanting and the noise can give you a tremendous lift. Even when you are completely exhausted, you keep on running. It's incredible what willpower can get you through."