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According to former Liverpool's French manager Gerard Houllier, the Czechs, who had the best record of any of the qualifiers for Euro 2000, have reached their peak and won't qualify for the knockout stage. That's a bold accusation to level against the 1996 runner-up. Although beaten in a friendly by the Republic of Ireland during their warm-up campaign, the Czechs invariably perform best, like the Dutch, when the competition really matters. Liverpool's Patrik Berger will be suspended for the first two games, which could hurt his team, but there are signs that the Czechs will come to the finals equipped to give a good account of themselves. Back in early March, with a virtual second-string team comprising home-based players only, the Czechs beat Mexico to win the invitation Carlsberg Cup in Hong Kong, illustrating the strength in depth at Jozef Chovanec's disposal. Some of them will be in his Euro 2000 squad, although the coach looks certain to stick with a majority of the side who won all 10 qualifiers. The Czechs have a rich pedigree in the European Championships, having won the title in 1976 and reached the final on two other occasions. To get through this time, they have the unenviable task of putting paid either to Holland or France. A tall order. CNNSI.com's Gabriele Marcotti: The Czech Republic could be the one to exploit France's problems. Okay, so Chovanec's team steamrollered its way to Euro 2000 by beating up on footballing minnows and its qualifying record needs to be taken with a tub of salt. But this is a cohesive, tactically sound team with genuine talent in midfield (Berger, Pavel Nedved). Reaching the final in Euro 96 provided a huge boost of confidence, and the strike force of Jan Koller and Vratislav Lokvenc (assuming Chovanec plays them together) could well be the tallest in history. No, height doesn't equal talent, but it means they'll be awkward to defend and they will be able to bully their way into creating space for Nedved's runs. Before you write them off remember: nobody gave them a chance in 1996 either...
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Czech Republic
