Taddei targets semi-final run

Switzerland have never finished higher than fifth in the UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship - but coach Claudio Taddei will not settle for that when they host the tournament, starting on Tuesday. "We want to reach the semi-finals," he told uefa.com.

'Good defence'
Taddei took over the U19 reins from Béatrice von Siebenthal in 2004, having previously been her assistant, and in his first full campaign led Switzerland to an impressive fifth place in Hungary last summer, defeating England to qualify for next month's FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. That squad remains largely intact, and Taddei knows good organisation will be key if they are to negotiate a tough group including holders Russia, France and the Netherlands. "We are tactically strong and have a very good defence," Taddei said, before pointing out the Swiss weakness. "We don't have enough attacking potential and no really strong personality in that department."

Praise for captain
Yet there is plenty of ability further back. Goalkeeper Stenia Michel is a fine shot-stopper with an ever-positive attitude. Defender Caroline Abbé holds the team together and, leading by example, is very hard to beat. In midfield, Simone Zahno is more than just the captain - not unlike the skipper of the men's national side. Taddei said: "She is the Johann Vogel of the U19s. She can vary the play well and rarely loses possession."

Home support
Another boon for Switzerland is home advantage. Taddei hopes his squad will receive fine support as they play their group games in Winterthur, Schaffhausen and Wil. "We have had around 1,000 spectators for previous matches and it would be great if we could reach that figure again, or even top it. Everyone who comes to see women's games leaves happy. There has been remarkable progress made in recent years."

Denmark tipped
The first winners of this tournament, when it was an U18 event in 1998, were Denmark, and Taddei is tipping them to end their long wait for a second title. "They are the best in all respects, technically and physically, and would be my pick," the former FC St. Gallen player said. "Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands are also capable of being the best. You don't qualify for a tournament like this through luck - there are no weak teams."