Host nations fret as tournament draws near

Joint hosts of the European Championship Austria and Switzerland started to show serious signs of stage fright before the opening match in Basel this weekend.

The stadiums are all spick and span, fan zones have beenerected on almost each available open urban space and the organisation is ticking like a clock.

But if the tournament looks in rude health as the opening match between Switzerland and Czech Republic looms nearer, the two host teams are appearing to be in an opposite state.

Austrian coach Josef Hickersberger berated his team’s lack of discipline and said his team deserved to suffer.

The Swiss, meanwhile, continued to fret about an injuries crisis which has forced the withdrawal of three squad members and left another in doubt for the opener.