Turkey trio to take exam before Czech clash

Source: Agencies  |   2008-6-15  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

THREE of Turkey's players will take time out from preparations for today's crucial Euro 2008 Group A match against Czech Republic to sit the national university entrance exam, a team spokesman said yesterday.

Striker Semih Senturk, scorer of the equalizer in Turkey's 2-1 win over Switzerland, central defender Servet Cetin and leftback Ugur Boral will take the three-hour, multiple choice exam at the team hotel in Nyon this morning.

The trio, who are in their mid-20s and plan to take sports degrees, will be supervised by two officials from Ankara and will take the test at the same time as hundreds of thousands of other would-be students back home.

The Turks and the Czechs could face a penalty shootout to qualify for a quarterfinal clash against Croatia although both sides are determined to avoid relying on the lottery of spot kicks.

Under a new system introduced by UEFA at these finals, if the pair draw their Group A match at the Stade de Geneve there will be a shootout after 90 minutes to decide who qualifies as runner-up behind Portugal.

The new regulation states that if two teams playing each other in the final round of group matches draw their game and are level on points, goal difference and goals scored, then their finishing position will be decided by spot kicks.

"We will try everything to make sure the match doesn't go to penalties," Turkey goalkeeper Volkan Demirel said on Friday.

The Czech Republic has been in three shootouts at major championships, winning every one and scoring all 20 spot kicks. Turkey has never been in a shootout at a major tournament.