EURO at an end for Swiss icon Frei
Saturday, June 7, 2008
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Switzerland will be without Alexander Frei for the rest of the finals after the captain tore interior ligaments in his left knee in their 1-0 defeat by the Czech Republic.
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'A disaster'
The 28-year-old limped off the St. Jakob-Park pitch in tears 42 minutes into Saturday's Group A opener, following a challenge with Zdeněk Grygera, and an MRI scan has now revealed the extent of the problem. "The injury is a shock, no doubt about it," said Switzerland coach Köbi Kuhn. "To lose our skipper is a disaster." Meanwhile, Jürgen Klopp, Frei's club coach at BV Borussia Dortmund, predicted that he will be out of action for six to seven weeks.
'Very difficult'
The most prolific scorer in Switzerland's history with 35 goals from 59 internationals, the Dortmund striker has been beset by complications stemming from an operation for a hip problem this season. He made just 13 Bundesliga outings, scoring six times. Switzerland played well in Frei's absence against Czechs but defender Johan Djourou spoke for many when he said: "We will take a lot of confidence from the way we played, especially in the first half, but if we lose Alex it will be very difficult to get back into the tournament." Switzerland meet Turkey in their next Group A game in Basel on Wednesday.
