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UEFA EURO 2008: Kuhn knows Portugal will be tough

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Switzerland coach Kobi Kuhn said on Saturday that a revamped Portuguese team could actually make things harder for the UEFA EURO 2008 co-hosts on Sunday even though Portugal had already reached the last eight.

Kuhn's already-eliminated team face Group A winners Portugal at St Jakob Park in his final match before retirement but he does not expect an easy ride even with nothing to play for.

"Even if they do decide to rest some players, I don't think it's fair to talk about it being Portugal's B-team," the 64-year-old Kuhn told a media conference.

"They still have plenty of household names to call upon and it might even be harder for us if we are facing a team of players who are fresher and eager to convince the coach they should be involved in the later stages of the tournament."

Kuhn, who will be replaced by former Bayern Munich coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, said his team were fully prepared to battle.

"The feeling 24 hours before the match is exactly the same as for other games, with all the same pre-match tensions. I have another 90, maybe 95, minutes to coach the team and I am not thinking about my retirement at the moment.

"The players have been properly focused throughout the tournament. They have been relaxed when they needed to be and fully attentive when required," he added. "It's true that we needed a bit of time to work through the disappointment of going out but they are all ready again now."

Switzerland lost the tournament's opening match 1-0 to Czech Republic and were then eliminated after a 2-1 loss to Turkey.

Kuhn has rarely given away his selection plans and said he had no intention of changing the habit of a coaching lifetime.

Asked if he would give a final run-out to reserve goalkeeper Pascal Zuberbuhler, who is also set to retire from internationals after Sunday's match, the coach remained coy.

"It's very possible," he said before taking a long pause. "It's very possible because he is eligible to play just like all the other players in the squad." notas_de_prensa_archivo