Live from Euro 2004
Greece goes wild after stunning victory
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| Greek fans cheer on their team, 01 July 2004 at Dragao stadium in Porto, during the Euro 2004 semi-final football match between Greece and Czech Republic at the European Nations championship in Portugal. |
Hundreds of thousands of people thronged Greek cities in wild celebrations after the Greek football team surprisingly qualified for the Euro 2004 final on Thursday.
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| Greek defender Traianos Dellas (C) celebrates with his teammate, 01 July 2004 at the Dragao stadium in Porto, at the end of the Euro 2004 semi final match between Greece and Czech Republic at the European Nations championship in Portugal. Greece won the match 1 to 0 after the extra time. AFP PHOTO JAVIER SORIANO |
Complete strangers fell into each other's arms, car horns reverberated on the streets and fireworks crossed the Athens sky as Greece exceeded their wildest expectations, beating the Czech Republic 1-0 in the semi-final.
"Athens will burn tonight," said Costas Poulios, 32, one of millions of Greeks huddled around their television screens to watch the thrilling match which was won with a goal in extra time from Traianos Dellas.
Host nation Portugal await in the final.
"There's no sleep until the final is over on Sunday," added the fan before jumping into his car to head to Athens central Omonoia square, the city's traditional place of celebration. Tens of thousands of Athenians assembled there less than an hour after the match was over.
As many as 100,000 assembled in the Salonica, Greece's second-biggest town, revealed local police.
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| Greek supporters celebtate, 01 July 2004 after watching their team win the European Nations championship semi-final football match between Greece and the Czech Republic at the Do Dragao stadium in Porto. Greece won 1-0. AFP PHOTO ADRIAN DENNIS |
Once the goal went in, champagne bottles were tossed into the air and some ecstatic fans kissed the asphalt. Street sellers flogging Greek flags to the celebrating crowds ran out of merchandise in a matter of minutes.
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| Greece's German head coach Otto Rehhagel celebrates, 01 july 2004 at the Dragao stadium in Porto, at the end of the Euro 2004 semi final match between Greece and Czech at the European Nations championship in Portugal. Greece won the match 1 to 0 after the extra time. AFP PHOTO ADRIAN DENNIS |
"I just can't believe it. Huge crowds poured out on the streets as soon as the final whistle blew," said engineer Costas Rantzos, 34 from the northern city of Drama which was immediately awash with celebrations, just like any other city and village throughout the nation.
And optimism was sky-high for the final, a rematch of the opening match of the tournament in which the Greeks surprised Portugal with a 2-1 victory.
"We won against them once, so why shouldn't we do it again?" Rantzos said.
Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis publicly said: "Our team, the team of all Greeks, today made the dream come true. It proved that when there is faith, methodical work and collective effort, everything is possible."
In a first for Greece, municipalities across the country had put up giant screens in central squares, some of them even on beaches, so people could watch the match in Oporto.
The game threw all schedules into disarray. Some cinemas simply dumped Hollywood blockbusters and showed the football instead.
And a village in southern Greece even postponed for a day the traditional festival of celebration for its patron-saint.