Czech Mozart Rosicky not joining chorus
Tomas Rosicky will not be singing the national anthem at Euro 2012 because the last time he belted it out before a match his team lost, the Czech captain said on Monday.
The tricky midfielder who orchestrates the Czech attack is key to the team's chances of rebounding against Greece on Tuesday after they were overwhelmed 4-1 by Russia in their Euro 2012 Group A opener.
Just do not ask the man they call "Little Mozart" for his trickery on the pitch to showcase his musical talents before the game.
"I haven't sung it for a very long time," Rosicky said. "I sing it in my mind. I am superstitious and every time I sung it in the past, we lost."
Rosicky, whose pinpoint passing and ability to run at defenders makes him a constant threat, was also part of the Euro 2004 team who lost to Greece in the semi-finals but he said there was no feeling of revenge.
His team are instead looking forward to fixing the errors against Russia in which players lost possession and left to many gaping holes for Russia to exploit.
"Our mental state is very good," Rosicky said. "We have a chance to correct the errors we made.
"I still feel bad about that Greece loss in 2004 but this game is not about revenge," he added. "Both teams have changed a lot."
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Rosicky came through the Russia game without aggravating an injury that kept him out of the final two warm-up matches, giving the Czechs no injury worries before they face Greece.
Coach Michal Bilek is likely to make changes to his line-up but Rosicky said it was just important for supporters to get behind the team after some of them booed the team during the Russia game.
"I wish they would support us during the whole match," he said. "The team is really worth it."