Soccer - Euro 2008 Will Determine Swiss Coach Kuhn's Legacy Sports

Euro 2008 Will Determine Swiss Coach Kuhn's Legacy

Thu May 8, 4:07 PM EDT

Geneva, Switzerland--Switzerland is about to find out who is the real Koebi Kuhn.

Is he the wise elder sage who brings out the most in a young squad, or the coach who stayed too long?

After seven years in charge, the 64-year-old Kuhn is going into his last tournament as coach of the Swiss national team. He's retiring after the European Championship, which Switzerland is co-hosting with Austria and will be replaced by Bayern Munich coach Ottmar Hitzfeld.

Kuhn is hoping to spring a few surprises on home soil — or, better yet, end up with a victory in the final in neighboring Austria.

But Kuhn, who did well at the World Cup two years ago with a team that included nine players under the age of 24, takes a similarly youthful team to Euro 2008, but with a dearth of confidence after four straight losses.

The losing streak, which critics have blamed on Kuhn's conservative tactics, has all but erased talk of emulating Greece's stunning title run four years ago.

"Should the goal be to participate rather than win?" Kuhn said after his team's 4-0 loss to Germany on March 26. "No, it cannot be that. Obviously, we want to progress as far as possible."

But clearly some of the spirit has been lost from a Swiss team that won an electrifying two-leg playoff over Turkey to qualify for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, and then beat eventual runner-up France to win its first-round group.

Perhaps the defining Cup moment was the loss to Ukraine on penalties in the second round. While Switzerland kept its perfect defensive record intact — becoming the only team ever to be eliminated from the World Cup without conceding a goal — Kuhn was criticized for the defensive tactics and for taking off striker Alexander Frei late in extra time.

Shortly after the World Cup, Kuhn said he would step down after Euro 2008, which runs from June 7-29.

Without the difficulties of qualifying, Kuhn has had to rely on friendlies to prepare his team. Switzerland fared well last year, drawing against Argentina and beating the Netherlands at home. But it has dropped successive matches to the United States, Nigeria, England and Germany, leading some to question whether Kuhn should have stayed as coach at all.

"I am the right coach," said Kuhn, who has led Switzerland since 2001.

Switzerland opens the 16-team tournament on June 7 against the Czech Republic. It will also meet Turkey and Portugal in the first round.

While Kuhn has come under fire, injuries have played a part in Switzerland's struggles. But that hasn't stopped Swiss fans from demanding at least a spot in the quarterfinals.

Still, many are left to wonder which Swiss team will show up to play a given game. Will it be the one that scored four goals in two matches against Turkey in 2006? Or the one that could hardly put two passes together against the Germans in March?

After the Germany match, Kuhn said he would use the same tactics again given a second chance. He defended using Tranquillo Barnetta tucked behind the strikers rather than on the left wing, and fielding the ineffective 19-year-old Eren Derdiyok in attack.

"There were individual mistakes that cannot happen at this level," Kuhn said. "If you look at the result, you can criticize everything. I see no reason to reflect on the time before the match and accusations that my lineup was wrong."

The Associated Press