Pavel Srnicek has accused Euro 2000 officials of conspiring against the tournament's unfashionable countries - and claims that Ronald de Boer took a dive to win Holland's penalty in the Czech Republic's heartbreaking opening defeat.

The Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper, who kept the Czechs in the game during a torrid first half, was distraught when Italian referee Pierluigi Collina pointed to the spot two minutes from time.

De Boer was having his shirt pulled by Jiri Nemec but was barely in the same postcode as the ball when he hit the ground.

Srnicek, beaten from the spot by Frank de Boer, said: 'The Czechs and the Turks are not supposed to be at these championships. It's as if they only want the supposedly stronger teams, like Holland and France.

'There is a definite feeling against the smaller countries. We played Holland off the park and deserved at least a point. Every nation has seen what happened.

'The same thing happened with Turkey in their game against Italy, they lost to a penalty.

'That has happened to us now and it was the same when we played Germany before the championships - another Italian referee gave them a penalty and we lost.

'The player dived, definitely. The ball was not even near him.

'But I am glad that everyone has seen that the Dutch had to do that to win.'

Ronald de Boer immediately pleaded his innocence, insisting: 'It was a penalty and, even before then, there was another incident when we should have had a penalty.

'But we were very lucky, yes, and it was a narrow escape.'

Twin brother Frank, who dispatched the penalty with power if not any great style, revealed: 'There was a time when I could not even look at penalties being taken. I would turn my back.

'But, when I looked at the board and saw 88 minutes, I just thought: "This is it, my responsibility".'

While the Czechs wallow in their conspiracy theory, the Dutch will spend the next few days examining themselves closely - and wondering how they allowed their first-half total control to be so easily disrupted by one tactical switch.

As Pavel Nedved moved further forward out of a five-man midfield, Holland coach Frank Rijkaard's attacking formation seemed incapable of coping.

Goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar said: 'We didn't find a way to react. We have to get the video out now and explain how that happened. But at least we won.

'This was maybe a good match for us because, before now, there has been a lot of pressure and expectation.

'All the magazines, newspapers and journals say we should win. Everything in Holland is painted orange, everyone is expecting . . . they want to have a party.

'But now we're finished with our friendlies and into a tournament. The difference is that now you feel tension in your whole body.

'The pressure comes from inside, not outside. In the dressing room, there was a feeling that we just wanted to get started. We will learn from this game. We must improve, we know that.'

For all of the problems exposed by the Czechs, Holland on song remain an outstanding team, capable of attacking from all angles.

Rangers midfielder Giovanni van Bronckhorst, playing out of position at left back illustrated the commitment to flair over practicality, though his sense of adventure was not matched by Michael Reiziger on the opposite flank, a pity because, with Dennis Bergkamp pulling Czech left back Petr Gabriel all over the pitch, untold damage could have been inflicted in the open spaces left behind.

Van Bronckhorst said: 'We were very fortunate, we know that, but it was a penalty because his shirt was pulled.

'We've had some problems with penalties in the past, so we were just glad when Frank scored.

'I think we learned that, for a time, we can control a game quite well and keep the ball from the opposition. We just gave that away in the second half and we didn't find a way to get back.

'The pressure is on us because we're the home nation and everyone expects us to become European champions. But look at how tough the group is.

'The first half of the first game is the most important and getting the three points was what mattered.

'Having said that, the supporters here demand that we play in a certain way. They expect good football and at least we gave them that in the first half.

'We're very close to being at 100 per cent, we just have to play ourselves into the tournament.

'We have a few days before we play the Danes, who were not at full strength when they lost to France, and then the French play us - hopefully to decide the group.

'I think we have the same chances as France of being champions but maybe the home support gives us a slight advantage, so we want to win the group and keep all our games in Holland.'