By Timothy Collings
PORTO, June 26 - Czech Republic coach Karel
Brueckner confirmed on Saturday that he would make wholesale
changes to his side for Sunday's Euro 2004 quarter-final against
Denmark.
Shortly before the squad trained at the Dragao Stadium on
Saturday, the 64-year-old master of enigmatic answers said he
would field a team "with many changes" from the one that beat
Germany 2-1 in their final Group D clash.
He also said that Marek Heinz, who scored with a superb
curling free kick in that game, would play, though Heinz later
explained that meant he would appear as a substitute.
In effect, Brueckner was only confirming that he would
switch back to his top team. The side that faced Germany showed
nine changes from the one that started against the Netherlands.
As usual, however, Brueckner stressed the importance of team
spirit and the value of all his squad members.
Asked how he compared his current team, which reeled off
three successive group victories, with the side that lost the
Euro 96 final to Germany, he evaded the question.
"I have never compared the 1996 team to any other team and
cannot do it with this team," he said. "I am sorry but I am
unable to answer that question."
Asked if he felt the departures from the tournament of
traditional powers as Spain, Italy, Germany, England and France
and the survival of Greece, Portugal, the Czechs and Denmark
indicated a shift in power, Brueckner was similarly inscrutable.
"I have think about this for a long time," he said. "Maybe
there is a kind of shift, but I don't know. It is a difficult
question."
He said he was proud to be in the quarter-finals, adding
that the theoretical part of his preparations was almost over.
"Now it is just a question of seeing if we can put our
planning into practice with some success," he said.