Greece

Greek surprise

A team photo of Greece during a Euro 2004 qualification soccer game in Athens, 11 October 2003. Greece qualified to the Euro 2004 in Portugal. AFP PHOTO / Alexandros Vlachos

Greece will take part at their third major tournament in Portugal after their somewhat surprising qualification for Euro 2004 when they booked their place ahead of group favourites Spain and the Ukraine.

Out at the finals they take on Spain again in the first round aswell as hosts Portugal and the improving Russia.

While the two Iberians will be favourites to make the knock out stages, Greece may well have another trick or two up its sleeve.

Their ticket to Portugal 2004 was in grave doubt after successive defeats (2-0 at home to Spain) and then in the Ukraine in their first two matches at a time when the Union for Greek clubs and the national government were at loggerheads over financial demands made by club presidents.

However they put this blip behind them to win six straight qualifiers under German coach Otto Rehhagel, including wins in Spain and Northern Ireland to add to their previous qualifications for the 1980 European Championships and the 1994 World Cup.

Their campaign was built on a solid defence that conceded just 4 goals in 8 matches in front of goalkeeper Antonios Nikopolidis and culminated with a nervy 1-0 win over Northern Ireland in Athens courtesy of a converted penalty by Vassilios Tsiartas.

Steel defence

Rehhagel has introduced a defensive system (3-5-2) but the players have grown in confidence under the German coach and "go up against the big nations face to face", according to Tsiartas and the Greeks will not be going to Portugal just to make up the numbers.

Another tactic introduced by Rehhagel is to combine a team sprinkled with both young talent and experienced veterans and which features a number of foreign based players.

His line-up includes Vryzas Zisis (Ita/Perugia), Stylianos Giannakopoulos (Eng/Bolton), Themistoklis Nikolaidis (Spa/Atletico Madrid) and the youngster Angelos Charisteas (Ger/Werder Bremen).

These latter three provide most of the offensive firepower although the Greek attack has shown limitations (8 goals in 8 matches), two less then Spain during qualifying.

This is one area that needs addressing if the Greeks are to continue their adventure into the later rounds of Euro 2004.

Factfile on Greece

Population

10,739,453

Area

131,957 km2

Capital

Athens

Currency

Euro

Federation

The Hellenic Football Federation, founded in 1926

Affiliated to FIFA

1927

Affiliated to UEFA

1954.

Registered players

225,000 (approx)

Colours

Blue shirts, blue shorts, blue socks (changed strip - white shirts, white shorts and white socks)

Top clubs

Olympiakos, Panathinaikos, PAOK Salonika, Panionios Athens, AEK Athens

World Cup appearances

1 (1994)

World Cup honours

Eliminated at first round stage (1994)

European Championship appearances

2 (1980, 2004)

European Championship honours

Eliminated at first round stage (1980)

How they qualified

Finished top of Group 6 with 18 points (6 wins, 0 draws, 2 defeats, 8 goals for, 4 against) ahead of Spain, Ukraine, Armenia and Northern Ireland

Key players

Vassilios Tsiartas, Antonios Nikopolidis, Georgios Karagounis, Stylianos Giannakopoulos, Angelos Charisteas.

Coach

Otto Rehhagel (Ger)