SPORTS

Czechs all fit and raring to go

By Timothy Collings in Sintra
June 11, 2004 20:11 IST

The Czech Republic have a clean bill of health and are raring to go for their Euro 2004 Group D opener against Latvia, assistant coach Miroslav Beranek said on Friday.

The Czechs, one of the most-fancied outsiders in the tournament, had been concerned by a number of niggling injuries but all the players are now fit.

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"We have no problems at all and all 23 players are ready to start on Tuesday," Beranek said after the squad trained at Sintra's municipal sports stadium. "They are all fit."

The Czech squad arrived on Thursday and trained for 90 minutes without incident on Friday before returning to their nearby golf resort hotel.

"Latvia are a surprise team, but they have some good offensive strengths and we must be careful -- they are a dangerous team," Beranek said. "I hope they can take points off the other teams for us."

He admitted he was more concerned about the games against the Netherlands and Germany.

"I think the Netherlands has better individual players but Germany have a strong and well organised team," he said.

Beranek was asked if he believed the tournament represented a last chance for a generation of players including forward Pavel Nedved to realise their great potential.

"No, I don't think so," he said. "I think most of the players will continue in the national team and the squad will go on from here to keep making progress."

The Czech Republic, runners-up at the 1996 European Championship in England, play Latvia at the Aveiro Municipal stadium on Tuesday.

They meet the Dutch in Aveiro on Saturday and finish their group fixtures against Germany in Lisbon the following Wednesday.

Timothy Collings in Sintra
Source: REUTERS
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