6 hours to D-Day: Switzerland – Czech Republic (live commentary at 6.30 pm)

The day has arrived – Switzerland’s greatest test in recent history. Following the disappointing knockout at Euro 2004 and the failed penalty shoot-out against the Ukraine in the 4th round of World Cup 2006, Kuhn’s last tournament as Swiss coach can either turn into a debacle or a surprising feat, well beyond the imagination of any Swiss fan.

The opening ceremony will last approximately 13 minutes and will feature a show by 800 Swiss and Austrian athletes and dancers. There will be no official speeches and the Swiss Politicians will not take part (thus Pascal Couchepin and Samuel Schmid will have the opportunity of watching the show from an enviable position). 3 hours before the game starts videos of the qualifiers, alpine music and DJ’s will give the spectators something to enjoy. According to the Swiss Weather Forecast Agency it shouldn’t rain in Basel (Alex Frei will regret this since he said he would have rather had rain).

There will be between 8,000 and 10,000 Czech fans in Basel today. Geneva could “become the 2nd Portuguese City” even though there will be around 20,000 Turks in Calvin’s city to rival with Cristiano Ronaldo’s fans.
According to the most recent statistics 1200 buses packed with fans have crossed the Swiss Borders (including the fans of the dreaded Group C) and 900 extra flights will land in the airports of the four Swiss cities (other than the official ones that had been expected).
For some last-minute party-goers there is still an opportunity at grabbing a warm Swiss bed accompanied by a delicious Swiss breakfast, according to Benedikt Weibel, the Swiss Federal Delegate for Euro 2008, not all hotels are full yet and that everything is ready for the great event.
According to Samuel Schmid, head of the Ministry of Sports, believes Switzerland can defeat the Czechs: “It’s a great opportunity for Switzerland to show itself to the entire world”.

However, the party has already started. Several concerts were hosted in the fanzones of Geneva, Zurich, Basel and Bern. If one were to walk the streets of the Swiss towns the most common flags among the thousands hanging from the windows would be either Swiss, Portuguese or Italian.
In the Geneva fanzone a huge air balloon rises over the famous Water Fountain while Classical Music concerts defied Rock in Bern and Zurich.

French magazine l’Equipe has stated that Switzerland is living the same situation as France in the World Cup ‘98. At the time France won the tournament following an excellent semi-final spot at Euro 96. Following Switzerland’s fourth round at the last World Cup, the French journalists believe Switzerland has enough to go far.

Among the many anecdotes that will grow like mushrooms throughout these three unforgettable weeks one has made me smile. A Swiss conductor made an announcement on a Bern train and ended the whole thing by saying: “And at 6.00, go Switzerland!”. The stern professional seriousness of Swiss public employees might be wavering during these football-focused weeks.

Public transport might be the best way around Swiss cities this period since Basel and Geneva have alerted citizens and tourists alike that there could be a possibility of heavy traffic (and after having lived two years in Calvin’s city, trust me, traffic in Geneva can become very annoying).

This is Part 1 of a set of rambled news from all over Switzerland, further updates right before the game and there will be live commentary of the game here on Switzerland Euro 2008 Blog.

Stay Tuned!