Hundreds of wave-flagging Greeks poured on to the streets of the capital last month to celebrate the country’s qualification to the Euro 2004 soccer championship after a wait lasting a generation.
Greece booked a place in Portugal after battling past visitors Northern Ireland on October 11 in Athens, courtesy of a Vassilis Tsiartas spot kick. Thus the team completed a six-match winning streak, which landed them on top of Group 6 with 18 points ahead of favourites Spain on 17 points who settled for a playoff berth. It will be Greece’s first appearance in the European Championship since 1980 and their first appearance on the international stage after their disastrous participation in the 1994 World Cup .
“It is a special moment in my career,” said a delighted Otto Rehaggel who, after the final whistle, joined his players on their lap of honour around the pitch before an ecstatic home crowd. The German coach has received most of the credit for moulding a rather motley bunch into the team, which engineered a famous victory over Group 6 favourites Spain earlier this year. His contribution to the team’s success is beyond doubt and judging from the regular chants of his name during the Northern Ireland match he also enjoys wide popularity.
Rehaggel, 65, arrived in Greece in 2001 to replace Vassilis Daniil soon after the national squad’s umpteenth failure to qualify for the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.
No stranger to high stakes competition, Rehaggel is regarded as one of the most successful coaches in German football winning the Bundesliga twice with Verder Brehmen and once with Kaiserslautern. He has also steered German giants Bayern Munich to a Uefa Cup trophy.
Feels like ‘team spirit’
As the first non-Greek to coach the national side, the personal choice of Greek Soccer Federation head Vassilis Gagatsis was seen as a gamble. Fortunately for Greece it paid off and Gagatsis was the first official Rehaggel rushed to hug after the final whistle against Ireland. “I’d like to thank Mr Gagagtsis for our sound cooperation,” Rehaggel said after the match.
Working with a delicate balance of domestic league players and players from leagues abroad, Rehaggel has said that key to the success is the “team spirit that has been forged over the last two years.” Corroborating him, influential AEK midfielder Tsiartas noted: “The coach has instilled a new attitude in the players and football officials,” said.
Poor track record
That new attitude will, no doubt, come in handy if Greece are to improve on their poor record in international competition. Despite a few spirited performances in the opening phase of the competition in 1980, Greece has consistently failed to make an impact on the international stage.
Their first ever appearance in the 1994 World Cup in the US was mired in controversy and is recounted as one of the national squad’s most humiliating displays. Greece lost all three matches, conceded ten goals and scored none. Incidentally, veteran coach Alketas Panagoulias led the team on both occasions.
Rehaggel and his players know that just making it to Portugal won’t be enough. “We don’t want to go to Portugal just to represent Greece; we want to achieve something there,” said the German, who is also known as ‘King Otto’ in his homeland.
Bolton Wanderers midfielder Stelios Yannakopolous echoed his coach’s sentiments. “It’s not enough to say we’re going to Portugal and that’s the end of it, he said. “We have to make an impact,” Yannakopoulos added.
Not an easy road to success
The road to success hasn’t been an easy ride for the amiable coach and his men. Rehaggel endured a disastrous debut at the helm with a 5-1 drubbing in Finland. The media wasted no time in questioning his commitment to the team accusing him of showing more concern for his retirement rather than Greece’s ambitions. The players didn’t have it any easier written off as indifferent to their national duties. But still in the process of assessing his team’s strengths, ‘King Otto’ had yet to have his say.
Having already lost hope of qualifying for the 2002 World Cup, the national squad showed the first signs of recovery after holding group rivals England to a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford in a crucial match for Sven Goran Erikson’s men who needed at least a point to qualify. Greece almost spoiled the party leading the match until David Beckham curled a trademark free-kick past goalkeeper Andonis Nikopolidis a minute from time.
However, Greek joy at bringing a world football power to its knees was short lived. After losing their two opening qualifying matches for Euro 2004 at home to Spain and away to the Ukraine, the local media were quick to pounce, putting Rehaggel’s position in doubt and all but writing off Greece’s chances.
An atmosphere of doubt soon gave way to hope after a string of successive home and away wins saw Greece leapfrog past group rivals Spain and the Ukraine. After easing past Armenia in October 2002, Greece never looked back. A sceptical football public was finally coming round to the idea that maybe, this time, the national team was ‘getting it right’.
Confirmation of the unthinkable came after Greece audaciously snatched three points from Spain in June thanks to a Yannakopoulos shot. It soon became apparent that Greece were on course to finish top of the group. “I fancied Spain to win the group, but Greece did the business,” said Northern Ireland coach Sammy Macilroy. “We have a lot of players with experience from abroad which has helped the team play more confidently,” said Tsiartas. With the momentum gained from their remarkable run, Greece may also do the business in Portugal.
