The European Championship kicks off on Saturday with a classic match-up of experience against youth, with the Czech Republic looking to spoil Switzerland's home opener.

The Czech Republic could start with five players over 30, including record scorer Jan Koller and captain Tomas Ujfalusi. Switzerland is likely to rely on seven players aged 24 or under, including its entire starting midfield.

"We have a very young team, but we were even younger in Germany. We are in good form and I'm very confident," said Switzerland coach Koebi Kuhn, referring to the squad that lost in the second round of the World Cup two years ago.

While Kuhn has faced questions of whether Switzerland is too young to compete in the group that also includes Portugal and Turkey, his Czech counterpart Karel Bruckner was asked Friday whether his squad was too old.

"We have a good, experienced team," Bruckner said. Asked if he was concerned about his team's age, the 68-year-old coach laughed saying, "I don't intend to do anything to overcome this 'disadvantage.'"

But this is the last chance at glory for Bruckner and the group of players he took to the semifinal at Euro 2004. Bruckner, like Kuhn, will retire after the tournament.

The Czech Republic has history and current form on its side. Ranked sixth in the world, the team qualified for the tournament by topping a group that included Germany, conceding only five goals over 12 matches.

With perhaps the world's best goalkeeper in Petr Cech, it will remain difficult for opponents to score against the Czech team, which won the European Championship in 1976 under the guise of Czechoslovakia.

Switzerland, by contrast, has failed to progress beyond the first round in its two previous appearances. It qualified automatically this time as co-host with Austria, but its record in exhibition matches over the past two years has been patchy at best, and recently included a four-match losing streak.

"We're concerned about playing our best football. We'll see if that's enough," said Kuhn, who coached his team to warm-up victories over Slovakia and Liechtenstein last month.

After a camp full of injury and off-field problems, Switzerland has been buoyed by the timely recovery of midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta and long-injured defender Patrick Mueller.

Both were declared fit on Thursday, reviving spirits after a week in which striker Marco Streller angrily announced he would retire after the tournament, and Kuhn's wife was hospitalized after suffering an epileptic attack.

Barnetta's return could be crucial. The 23-year-old Bayer Leverkusen player has emerged as the creative spark for Switzerland in the past year, scoring both goals in a 2-1 friendly win over the Netherlands in Geneva last August.

He injured ligaments in his left ankle on May 20 and missed Switzerland's last two warm-up matches, but rejoined his teammates in training on Wednesday and said a day later he was "ready" to play.

The Czech Republic hasn't been as lucky, and is without its midfield dynamo Tomas Rosicky for the duration of Euro 2008. The captain was ruled out following surgery on his left knee tendon last month.

"For them it's a big blow. He was their creative player in the midfield. They have other players with other qualities, but Tomas is one of the best in the world at doing what he does," said Switzerland defender Philippe Senderos, who plays alongside Rosicky at Arsenal.

Bruckner has yet to say how he will compensate for Rosicky's loss. He tested a five-man midfield with a lone striker in two warm-up victories last week over Lithuania and Scotland.

But the formation would be a departure from the attacking style that won wide admiration four years ago, when the Czech team upset Germany and the Netherlands in the group stage before losing to Greece in the semifinals.

Bruckner said he expected Switzerland to be a "tough opponent," and cited the threat posed by Barnetta and Alexander Frei, who last week scored his 35th goal for Switzerland to set the national record.

For goals, the Czech team will probably rely on its record holder, the 35-year-old Koller, who has 54 goals in 87 international matches. Bruckner also has seven players who have tasted success in Basel, winning the under-21 European Championship there in 2002.

"It will be more pressure for Switzerland because when you play at home ... everyone expects you to play well and to go far. Psychologically it's not easy to cope with all this pressure," said Cech. Especially, he could have added, for such a young squad as Switzerland's.