Turkey, Switzerland to meet in must-win Euro 2008 game after brawl

Both Switzerland and Turkey have now lost their captains as Turkey's Emre Belozoglu has been ruled out of Wednesday's match against after tearing a hamstring muscle, while Switzerland has lost alex Frei for the duration of the tournament to injuries.           Â

Switzerland met Turkey over two legs in November 2005 to determine which team would advance to the World Cup in Germany. They drew 4-4 on aggregate, but the Swiss advanced on away goals. The tension rose after Swiss fans whistled during the playing of the Turkish national anthem in the first leg, and the incidents erupted into a scuffle after the second leg in ıstanbul when players from both sides ensued in the tunnel leading to the locker rooms.

The Swiss native-led FIFA decided to punish only the Turkish team, who then played the first three home matches on neutral ground with closed doors in the Euro 2008 qualifiers.   Â

In an interview with the AP, Turkey coach fatih terim said last month that he was sorry about what happened, adding the episode was now history and should not affect how Turkey is treated in Basel. "What happens in football, stays in football," Terim said.    Â

Wednesday's match, refereed by Slovakia's Lubos Michel, will be the 15th encounter between Turkey and Switzerland. Turkey won 7 and lost 4 games. Turkey and Switzerland both scored 19 goals in 14 matches played so far.

Both teams lost their opening Euro 2008 matches, Switzerland 1-0 to Czech Republic and Turkey 2-0 against Portugal.

Belozoglu has been ruled out of Wednesday's match against Switzerland after tearing a hamstring muscle, Terim said on Tuesday. "He might also miss our last group game (against Czech Republic on Sunday). That is what our doctors think but we are trying to have him back," he added.

Terim said central defenders Servet Cetin and Gokhan Zan also remained doubtful and that he would not know if they could face the Swiss until Wednesday lunchtime, just hours before their 1845 GMT kickoff at Basel's Saint Jakob Park Stadium.

The Turkey coach compared the loss of Belozoglu to Switzerland's misfortune in losing their own captain and top goal scorer Alexander Frei to a knee ligament injury during their opening match defeat to the Czechs.

 

DOUBLE NATIONALITY

Euro 2008 co-hosts Switzerland head into their encounter against Turkey relying on three players with Turkish passports.

Defensive midfielder Gokhan Inler, playmaker Hakan Yakin and striker Eren Derdiyok all possess joint Swiss-Turkish nationality and are expected to play in a Swiss team that is now looking to knock Turkey out of the tournament.

"The match against Turkey is going to be particularly special because of the fact my family come from there," Yakin told reporters at Switzerland's training camp last week, Reuters reported.

"I've got a lot of Turkish friends who are getting really excited about it, although they'll be supporting Turkey of course... My mother is really tense about having both countries playing against each other but she always says she supports the teams her sons play for."

Yakin, 31, whose elder brother Murat also played for the Swiss national team, is the second most-capped player in the Switzerland squad. Despite making 67 international appearances he has never played against Turkey.

At 19 -- he celebrates his 20th birthday on June 12 -- Derdiyok is the tournament's youngest player but he too is expected to be involved at some stage as a result of Frei's absence.

"I grew up here in Switzerland and playing for Turkey was never even a question for me," said Derdiyok after being surrounded by Turkish journalists at the Swiss training camp last week.

"It should be a fantastic night, though. My family and a lot of my friends are going to be watching in the stands. So I hope they get to see me play.