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Bruckner To Miss Czech Friendlies

The Czech football federation announced at a press conference yesterday that veteran manager Karel Brucker won’t be present at his side’s upcoming games against Greece and Poland due to illness.

A “high temperature with a suspicion of an inflammation of the lungs” is keeping the 68-year old at bay, according to Vlastimil Kostal, head of the football federation.

The Czech Republic play two games in quick succession this week, Greece on Tuesday and Poland on Wednesday as part of an international tournament in the run up to their Euro 2008 campaign.

The Czech Republic are drawn in Group A alongside Portugal, Switzerland and Turkey and kick off on June 7th against Switzerland.

Popularity: 54% [?]

Serkan Won’t Play For Germany, Prefers Turkey

Serkan Çalık has decided his national future lies with Turkey. Despite having been born in Germany and having played for Germany at U21 level, Serkan has declared his future lies with Turkey.

Last summer Serkan moves from Rot-Weiss Essen, signing for Galatasaray. His ambition now is “to play for Turkey at senior level”. While he’s enjoyed some time on the pitch with the U21, he has told the Germany FA that his future lies away from his birth nation.

While the news might disappoint German fans of Serkan, the Turkish FA should be happy. Turning 22 in March, the striker has scored twice in the Turkish league this season in eleven games, while also featuring in Galatasaray’s UEFA Cup run, scoring once so far and helping Galatasaray to the last 32 of the competition.

Popularity: 100% [?]

Magnin Out Of Swiss Squad?

Kobi Kuhn may be looking at a Switzerland squad next summer that doesn’t feature Stuttgart fullback Ludovic Magnin, the defender stretchered off at the weekend against Arminia Bielefeld.

Scans following the game showed Magnin had torn ankle ligaments but the full extent of the injury will only come to the light in the next day or so.

If the damage to his ankle is bad he could be looking at missing the bulk of the remainder of the season, if not the season altogether, effectively ruling him out of the selection process for the one of the host nations. The 28 year old defender made it to Euro 2004 in Portugal and again to the World Cup in Germany in 2006. He’s been capped 47 times and scored 3 goals for Switzerland.

Popularity: 35% [?]

Nedved Coming Out Of Retirement?

91 appearances, 18 goals and it looks like Pavel Nedved is about to come out of international retirement to help the Czech Republic in their quest for Euro 2008 glory next summer.

He’s already retired from the international game twice (first after Euro 2004, then again after the World Cup last year) but true to the spirit that you can’t keep a good man down, Nedved looks to be coming out of international retirement for the third time if Juventus team mate Nicola Legrottaglie is to be believed.

You will see - Nedved, like me, will return to his national team and play in the European Championships next June

Legrottaglie himself has been on some recent form of late and is laying claim to a place in the Italian squad for the summer. Nothing official has been said from Nedved or the Czech camp about his possible return. If he can build on the form that saw him smash a 25 yard winner against Atalanta at the weekend then there’s no reason he couldn’t be in for a final swan song with the Czech Republic, possibly wrapping up his playing career altogether next summer.

Popularity: 25% [?]

Big Phil Scolari To Stay With Portugal?

His name may have been tied once again to the England post according to reports this evening, the Gene Hackman of football - Big Phil Scolari - is on the lookout for a contract extension with Portugal in the hope of guiding them to the World Cup in 2010.

His name has been linked once again with the now vacant English job though with the English FA anxious to appoint a big name and Portugal having qualified for this coming summer’s tournament Scolari has already insisted he’s not interested in replacing Steve McClaren.

If anything I don’t see why the Portuguese FA wouldn’t re-appoint him until 2010. The only other person I would imagine them putting in the job would be Jose Mourinho and at that he’ll be snapped up early in the new year if not before, also quite possibly for the English job.

As is the case with Marco Van Basten, Scolari’s contract expires after the Euro 2008 final but where Van Basten has opted to quit Holland after the Championships, Scolari is very eager to stay on in the Portuguese job claiming that he loves Portugal “even more than Brazil”. Having taken Portugal to the semi final of the World Cup last year, and all the way to the final on home soil in Euro 2004 I don’t see any reason he’ll not be offered a contract extension in the summer.

Popularity: 29% [?]

Patrick Mueller Ruled Out For Switzerland?

Euro 2008 hosts Switzerland will likely count Patrick Mueller out of the running for their squad next summer with the Lyon full back having ruptured his ACL in his right knee. The recovery process alone should take him about six months.

Mueller was involved in a reserve game for Lyon over the weekend but was taken off in the first half, team doctors later revealing a complete rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament. Mueller himself has been quoted as saying “I have written off this competition”, which in all honesty is true given Euro 2008 is not far over six months away.

It will likely mean an end too to Mueller’s involvement with Ligue 1 football in France this season with no announcement made yet from the club as to whether or not they’ll keep him on past this summer, his contract expiring at the end of the season.

Popularity: 24% [?]

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