Swiss study for Turkish test

By Andrew Haslam in Jongny

Switzerland coach Pierre-André Schürmann acknowledges that the hosts face a tough test against Turkey in their UEFA European Under-19 Championship semi-final at Fribourg's St Léonard stadium on Wednesday night.

First place
Having seen his side clinch first place in Group A with a goalless draw against Ukraine on Sunday night, Schürmann turned his attention to the Turkish team, but confessed his knowledge of the Group B runners-up was perhaps a little lacking.

Work ahead
"We know nothing about Turkey at the moment," Schürmann said minutes after his side had confirmed their progress. "We have had no time, although we have followed all potential opponents. Someone was at their game [against Germany] and now we have some time to prepare and study the video. We have a lot of work ahead of us."

Thorough preparations
Schürmann believes his side's meticulous preparation will pay off once again, saying: "Over the past two and a half years, we have never changed our way of working. We wear the colours and the shirt of Switzerland and it is important we remember that. We have got to the semi-finals that way and now we have to continue with the same mentality."

Turkish threat
Despite confidence in his players and his methods, the Swiss coach is allowing no room for complacency, adding: "At this level all opponents are difficult and Turkey have technical, dynamic players. We study our opponents, but we always concentrate on ourselves; it doesn't matter much who we are playing. We respect opponents, but in the end it is down to who performs better on the night."

Swiss success
Turkey coach Gündüz Tekin Onay, in contrast, was fully aware of the specific qualities of his team's opponents. "I have seen a lot of the Swiss team," he told uefa.com. "I have followed them particularly closely as they were my pre-tournament favourites. We played this Swiss team at Under-17 level and, although we did quite well against them in a number of friendlies, I said that they would become European champions one day – and they did that in the European Under-17 Championship in 2002.

'Interesting football'
"This Swiss side is growing all the time, and I think they are strong, not just in a physical sense, but they play a form of team football that I find very interesting," the Turkey coach continued. "I have watched this side evolve, and I have seen nothing to make me change the view that they are the favourites for this tournament."

Qualifying achievement
In contrast to the high expectation among Swiss supporters, Onay believes that simply qualifying for these finals was an achievement for his players. "I think that the simple fact that we reached these finals is already a great success for us; we have no pretensions," he said. "I don't think that we have shown our real form or played the football we are capable of yet, but we have got better since the first game."

'Take our chance'
Onay, who said a number of his players had minor injuries that were being dealt with by medical staff, is without midfield player Zafer Sakar through suspension, but is urging his players to seize the day. "Since we won this event at Under-18 level in 1992 and reached the final again a year later, we have not made the semi-finals so I am happy we have managed to do so again and we will go out there and give our best. We have a chance, and we must try to make the most of it."