GENEVA – European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso will attend the two opening matches of the European Championship.

He will watch the first half of Switzerland’s game against the Czech Republic in Basel before being flown 230 kilometres to see all of Portugal’s match against Turkey in Geneva, Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger reported Friday.

The Portuguese politician, who holds the top post at the European Union’s executive in Brussels, was invited to the matches by Swiss President Pascal Couchepin.

[AP / Expatica]