Czech Republic

By Sonia Oxley

SEEFELD, Austria, June 12 (Reuters) - Czech Republic have suffered from two previous European Championship rule changes and will be practising penalties this week to ensure it does not happen again.

They face Turkey on Sunday and because the teams are equal on points, goal difference and goals scored, a draw in normal time would mean activating the new rule of a penalty shootout to decide which of them earns a Euro 2008 quarter-final spot.

Having lost the Euro 96 final to Germany on the then newly introduced 'golden goal' rule, and fallen at the Euro 2004 semi-final stage against Greece to a new 'silver goal', the Czechs could be forgiven for disliking change.

Coach Karel Brueckner remained philosophical about the possibility of being cursed by yet another new rule.

"It is a coincidence," he told a news conference on Thursday at the team's training base in the Austrian mountains. "You can't do anything about it.

"We will be working on them (penalties) in training but ... first we need to work on the first part of the game ... and try to win in normal time."

Portugal have already qualified for the last eight from Group A after beating the Czechs 3-1 on Wednesday, while the other group member Switzerland cannot make it through.

Brueckner knows if the Czechs do not get past Turkey on Sunday, he will have coached them for the last time because he will retire at the end of the Championship, but he refused to get sentimental.

"I have no feelings," he said. "It could be my last match in charge, but there is another alternative."

(Editing by Ken Ferris)