Euro 2008: Swiss Bank Already Knows the Winner

March 6th, 2008 | by: Daryl |

Czech Repubic will win Euro 2008, Milan Baros celebrates Turns out we don’t even need to stage Euro 2008, because the Czech Republic are going to win. And they’re going to beat Italy in the final. On penalties. That’s according to Swiss bank UBS anyway. A team of their best mathematical boffins used statistical data like past performance, home advantage and FIFA world rankings (apparently Swiss banking boffins are the only people on the planet that take the FIFA world rankings seriously) to calculate what will happen this summer.

But before you dismiss this, remember that the same boffins correctly predicted that Italy would win the World Cup in 2006, so Czech fans have reason to be optimistic. UBS calculate that the Czechs have a 51% chance of lifting the trophy on June 29th, 2008.

Among other UBS’s other predictions: Switzerland will make the semi-finals after beating Germany in the quarters, but then lose to the Czech Republic in the semis. Italy will beat the Netherlands in the other semi-final. Co-hosts Austria will go out in the group stage, as will Portugal. Not sure about that very last one.

We’ll be checking back in with these predictions at the end of the tournament, and we’ll see just how smart the UBS boffins really are.

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AJ

If memory serves me correct, didn’t they also say that Czech would win Euro 04? As for them predicting Italy’s 06 triumph, as much as I hate to say this, do not mistaken fate for coincidence.
billy

France will fail, Portugal will advance and Germany will win. It it’s not rocket science!

World cups and Euro finals are alway’s between Germany, Brazil and and Italy. Lets be honest and not politically correct.
John

The Czech Republic sounds like such a boring winner!
Eric

The Scots had the chance to make it to the euro. They have only themselves to blame for not being in it. When will the scots start playing quality football for a sustained amount of time and stop blaming other countries for their own misfortunes.
Just my observation. Oh and I doubt Italy or Germany will make it to the finals. Italy doesn’t do well in the eurocup and Germany hasn’t won a game in the euro in forever.
Bob

What the hell does Scotland have to do with this post anyway? I can see the Czech’s and Italy making it to the finals. Anyone but France or Greece is fine by me. I pick Germany and France not to make it out of the group stage, that will be the two upsets of this tournament. I pick Russia and Croatia to surprise a lot of people.
Group A
Czech Rep
Switzerland

Group B
Croatia
Poland

Group C
Italy
Netherlands

Group D
Spain
Russia
HK

Thsi’s completely shitt!!!!!!!!!
Czech’s had laboured to qualify for euro’ss
Here, czech’s r gonna win euro 2008??? dis’s absurd.
Honestly, feel Winner will b from ITA, GER , FRA nd mmaybe
HOL.
Eric

Group A
portugal
Czech republic
Group B
Germany
Poland
Group C
France
Netherlands
Group D
Spain
Greece
I think France or Netherlands are going to take it.
Bob

I wouldn’t put money on either of those teams winning it Eric. France has a hard time finding the net these days and the Netherlands are not even half the team they use to be. Let’s be honest Group C is a hard one to pick but I definitely don’t think Italy are going to fail to get out of the group this euro. It will either be France or the Netherlands going home after round 1. Greece will not get out of the group stage, you cannot bet against a Russian team with Hiddink at the controls.