But, in a system which was sinking deeper under pressure, their best was never going to be enough, no matter how hard they tried.

BBC: Death on the Wards revisited

Farm payments have shifted away from subsidies for production - but there is pressure for deeper reforms.

BBC: EU quiz - or, how big is your deficit?

The pressure forced the Czechs onto their heels, deeper into their own end until they could barely get out.

WSJ: Euro 2012: Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal Show Czech Republic the Exit