Czech players have refused to shave

Czech players are refusing to shave during Euro 2012 in the hope that it will bring them luck, a source close to the team told AFP on Friday, as Michal Bilek's men gear up for a must-win match against Poland.

The team of 11 increasingly hairy Czechs beat Greece 2-1 on Tuesday, keeping their hopes of advancing to the quarter-finals alive, despite a not-so-lucky 4-1 defeat to Russia in their opening match.

The Czechs play their final Group A clash on Saturday against co-hosts Poland in Wroclaw, southwest Poland.

Reserve goalkeepers, Jaroslav Drobny and Jan Lastuvka came up with the idea of eschewing razors in the run-up to the competition.

"It's meant to cement morale on the team," the source said.

While players unanimously supported the idea to down razors, the idea has apparently met with stiff opposition -- from their wives and girlfriends