Ex-Swiss striker Stephane Chapuisat and Austria's Andreas Herzog led the two teams including Arsenal's Swiss defender Johann Djourou, ex-internationals Jerzy Dudek of Poland, Dane Michael Laudrup and Portugal's Paulo Sousa onto the artificial pitch on the 3,454 metre Jungfraujoch.

"The location is an outstanding representation of both host countries with the stunning Alpine backdrop," said Austrian FA chief Friedrich Stickler.

The symbolic ten minute game in the rarified atmosphere kicked off a series of events that are meant to drum up the only thing that appears to be missing in preparations: local enthusiasm.

"It would be a mistake for anyone to expect to see unbridled euphoria at this point for a tournament that takes place next year," the tournament director for Switzerland, Christian Mutschler, explained.

"But the enormous demand for tickets in the first phase of sales showed us quite clearly that there is a lot of interest out there," he added on UEFA's website, promising "excitement at the right time."

The initial batch of 346,000 tickets was allocated by lottery to fans worldwide in April after sales were hugely oversubscribed, led by Swiss applicants buoyed by the home side's international revival in recent years.

Countdown clocks, the first visual sign of Euro 2008's arrival, were inaugurated in six of the eight host cities on Thursday, 366 days before the opening match in Basel on June 7, 2008.

Seventeen Swiss towns and cities have agreed to host arenas with live match broadcasts on giant screens for several thousand ticketless fans each, sponsors announced.

Apart from a squabble between UEFA and Swiss regions over players' taxes, stadiums, transport, and financial backing all appear to be slotting into place.

Venues in the Swiss city of Zurich and Klagenfurt in Austria are behind their original schedule but are due to be opened for the new season in September, while the other stadia are already in use except for a few upgrades.

Meanwhile, transport plans agreed recently grant 36 hours free rail, bus and ferry travel in Austria and Switzerland for ticket holders during each match next year.

Security plans are due to be finalised after the match draw in December, once the Swiss and Austrians know where the fans from the 14 other nations will be heading.