Greece Preview

Euro 2004 and Olympic Games promise a big year

ATHENS (Reuters) -- While all eyes are focusing on the Olympic Games in Athens in August, Greece's long, hot sporting summer will start in June when they face the hosts Portugal in the European Championship opener.

Surprise qualifiers Greece will be looking to get a very special year off to a good start and avoid handing out the kind of gifts they gave the opposition the last time they graced the international stage in 1994.

Then, their most memorable moment en route to a pointless, goalless tournament wooden spoon at the World Cup finals in the United States was to be on the receiving end of Diego Maradona's last World Cup goal.

They face an uphill task after being drawn in Group A with the hosts, Russia, and Spain, who will be itching for revenge for being sent into the play-offs after finishing second to Greece in qualifying.

But this time they come into the tournament with a series of impressive results that have been extended in recent friendlies including a 1-1 draw against Portugal in Aveiro last year.

The new success is down to a fearless blend of young and old heads, according to Greece's Stelios Giannakopoulos whose match-winning goal away to Spain cleared their path to the top of qualifying Group Six.

"We have experienced players who have played against the best in foreign leagues and can look them in the eye without fear now," he said.

"Even our younger players have played many times in the Champions League," added the midfielder, who moved to England's Bolton Wanderers last year.

FOREIGN TALENT

It was this mix of foreign-based talent and youngsters with European exposure that powered Greece to six consecutive wins and pushed them past rivals Spain and Ukraine.

There was little sign of what was to come on a cold night in Kiev in October 2002 however when Ukraine beat the Greeks 2-0. Greece had already lost by the same scoreline at home to Spain and appeared to be embarking on another fruitless qualifying quest.

But a brace from striker Demis Nikolaidis got them off the mark with a 2-0 home win over Armenia in March last year.

Then in Belfast three days later, the youngsters had their turn as Werder Bremen's 23-year-old Angelos Haristeas put two goals past Northern Ireland in another 2-0 win.

After two clean sheets, the defence with the twin pillars of Leicester City's Nikos Dabizas who switched in mid-season from Newcastle, and Roma's Traianos Dellas were beginning to shine.

The pair, who rarely started for their clubs during qualifying, withstood tremendous pressure on a famous night for Greek football in Zaragoza's Romareda Stadium when Greece beat Spain 1-0 on June 7.

Giannakopoulos was the hero as he unleashed a searing first-half drive from 20 metres past Spain's Iker Casillas to seal the victory.

A late goal from Haristeas against Ukraine four days later in a 1-0 win in Athens put them on top of the group for the first time.

With two ties remaining against group minnows Armenia and Northern Ireland, the Greeks had only to hold their nerve to earn the automatic qualifying berth.

German coach Otto Rehhagel's team chiselled out two more 1-0 victories, away in Yerevan and then at home in Athens, to see them over the line.

In the process Panathinaikos goalkeeper Antonis Nikopolidis extended his marathon shut-out to 540 minutes without conceding, a national record.

With their place secured on the back of a six-match winning streak, Rehhagel was confident there would be no repeat of the Greek tragedy in America.

"We won't be going there just to take part, we'll be looking to do something," he promised.

There is no doubt that Greek soccer has improved since 1994. This season, as an indication, there were three Greek teams in the Champions League: Olympiakos, Panathinaikos and AEK Athens, but all went out in the group stage although Panathinaikos dropped into the UEFA Cup.

Things have improved for the Greeks, but Euro 2004 is likely to prove they still have some way to go.

Rehhagel hopes his Trojan horse will bring success

ATHENS (Reuters) -- Veteran German coach Otto Rehhagel plans to use his well-tested "Trojan Horse" tactics -- tight defence and surprise counter attacks -- to give Greece the edge during the European Championship next month.

Greece used the same tactics to qualify top of their group for their second European Championship following their previous appearance in 1980, and were unbeaten in 15 consecutive games until a 4-0 defeat by the Netherlands last month.

Rehhagel will deploy the same plan against Portugal in the championship opener, and Spain and Russia, because he believes the solid defending and quick breaks can give Greece a rare taste of international success.

Since his team qualified, Rehhagel has become an honorary Greek, singing the country's national anthem on television.

So deploying the ancient Greek tactic of wheeling into battle a seemingly harmless wooden horse actually loaded with warriors is no surprise.

But the road to Portugal has been bumpy for the German.

When the Greek Football Association signed Rehhagel two years ago, most Greeks thought he was just after one last good pay cheque before retiring.

But two years on, Rehhagel, 65, is the toast of the country after steering Greece into the European finals for the first time in 24 years with a record-breaking, six-game winning streak.

His players have shown teamwork and discipline on the pitch and it was a well-worked plan of tight defending and quick breaks that gave the Greeks their biggest boost when they beat Spain away during the qualifiers.

"We will not go to Portugal as character actors," Rehhagel warned, in an effort to dispel Greek fears of yet another debacle at a major international championship after their 1994 World Cup fiasco when they failed to score a goal and were ranked as the worst of the 24 finalists.

"With only a few exceptions I will use the same players that got us to Portugal," the former Kaiserslautern defender and coach said.

STUBBORN NATURE

The German, nicknamed "King Otto" in Greece, was already a hero during the late 1980s when his exciting Werder Bremen underdogs gave giants Bayern Munich a run for their money in the Bundesliga and won two championships, two cups, and a UEFA Cup.

But a disappointing spell at Bayern and a four-year stint at Kaiserslautern -- although he did win another title there -- seemed to spell the end of his coaching days in top-flight football.

Greece, it seemed, would be his last stop.

But Rehhagel, renowned for his stubborn nature, quickly instilled a much-needed sense of discipline among notoriously selfish Greek players.

"These footballers are highly skilled but they still have to work on discipline and teamwork on the pitch," Rehhagel said after losing the first two games of their qualifying round.

His team went on to win six games in a row, including rare away victories in Northern Ireland, Spain and Armenia.

Rehhagel has renegotiated an extension of his lucrative contract to run until the 2006 World Cup, after turning down offers from top German clubs including Bayer Leverkusen.

"The relationship with the FA was very good, so was the work with the players...and my wife wanted to stay here as well."

Giannakopoulos relishes Greece's Euro challenge

ATHENS (Reuters) -- Greek midfielder Stelios Giannakopoulos relishes challenges.

Like scoring from 20 metres in Greece's shock Euro qualification win away against Spain or taking on Europe's big boys next month in Portugal.

After winning the Greek championship for seven consecutive seasons with Olympiakos, and finishing last season as second top scorer, Giannakopoulos decided to try his luck in England instead of resting on his laurels.

He was quickly snapped up by premier league club Bolton Wanderers after his contract with the Greek champions had expired.

Giannakopoulos, known in Bolton by his first name -- which saves fans money as they pay for fewer letters if they want it emblazoned on the back of their replica shirts -- now wants to make his mark in the European Championship.

"It will be a tough championship but we are going to give it our best shot. We are there to play serious football," he said, after his squad won automatic qualification with six consecutive victories in the qualifying group stage.

Unlike Greece's past internationals who played in the 1980 European Championship and the 1994 World Cup, Giannakopoulos will not be satisfied with just putting in an appearance.

"We have experienced players who have played against the best in foreign leagues and can look them in the eye without fear," he said.

After his golden goal against Spain in Zaragoza, he led his team to three more victories against Northern Ireland, Ukraine and Armenia to seal the top spot.

German coach Otto Rehhagel has since given Giannakopoulos, a fast and strong midfielder who enjoys attacking from deep or wide positions, the freedom to move on both flanks.

Competing in a very physical league was never the Greeks' strong point, but Giannakopoulos has so far managed to confirm his coach's trust in him, with a series of steady if not spectacular performances for his side.

"His main attribute remains his ability to make late runs into the penalty area and his flair to shoot accurately from long range," Bolton coach Sam Allardyce said. "He is an attacking midfielder who knows how to score goals."

At 30, Giannakopoulos knows Portugal could well be his last chance to shine on the international stage, and judging from his performance to date, he is ready to seize it.

Haristeas determined to make his mark for Greece

ATHENS (Reuters) -- The last time Greece appeared in the final stages of a major tournament, the 1994 World Cup, they failed to score a goal.

The fact that they are unlikely to be so toothless in Euro 2004 next month is largely down to one man: Angelos Haristeas.

The 23-year-old striker will be looking to put his club woes at Werder Bremen behind him and fire himself into the plans of Europe's top managers when he gets to Portugal. His track record at international level suggests he has the pedigree to do just that.

Haristeas has made an explosive impact in the two years since making his international debut in a 3-3 friendly draw against Russia in Iraklion, Crete, in February 2001.

It might not have been the most glamorous setting for the youngster to make a name for himself but by the time he came off after 67 minutes, Greece had found a new cutting edge.

Haristeas took only two minutes to make his mark, springing the offside trap with his pace to thunder a low shot into the bottom corner.

Half-an-hour later he proved it was no fluke, surprising goalkeeper Ruslan Nigmatullin with a rocket of a shot from some distance.

A month later Greece played Germany in a World Cup qualifier in Athens. Rudi Voeller's team were too strong for Greece, winning 4-2, but the coltish attacker scored after 21 minutes to make it three goals in two outings.

His next international strike came in October 2001 against England as Greece came within seconds of condemning them to the World Cup play-offs in a stirring 2-2 draw at Old Trafford. Haristeas cut inside to unleash a trademark low drive past Nigel Martyn to put Greece 1-0 ahead.

The goals kept coming for Greece with a brace against Northern Ireland in a 2-0 win in Belfast in April 2003 and the winning goal against Ukraine in a 1-0 victory in Athens two months later.

Greece coach Otto Rehhagel needed no further convincing and encouraged his former club Werder Bremen to sign Haristeas from Aris Salonika for $3.0 million, beating off reported interest from Parma and Lens.

After a promising start the tall frontman, drafted in to replace Bayern-bound Claudio Pizarro in the number 10 shirt, drifted out of contention while Werder soared to the Bundesliga title.

Despite scoring nine goals from his first 20 starts the Greek forward, nicknamed "Harry," lost his place to Brazilian top scorer Ailton and threatened to leave.

"If I don't get regular first-team football I will have to look for a new club in the summer," the striker warned Werder in January.

Coach Thomas Schaaf responded by telling him to regain fitness and form before worrying about his place and said the forward would not leave the club before his contract expired in 2006.

The player responded by netting in a 2-0 win against 1860 Munich on March 7 after coming off the bench and is looking forward to his first major finals experience, hoping that a good performance there could secure his place in the Werder starting line-up or at least get him a good transfer this summer.

"It's a dream to be going to Euro 2004 and we are capable of making an impact," Haristeas said after sealing qualification for Portugal. No-one would be surprised if he made more impact than most.

Papadopoulos has long, hot summer ahead

ATHENS (Reuters) -- What a difference a year makes.

This time last year Dimitris Papadopoulos was looking for a team. Twelve months on and he is Greece's hottest player and one to watch during next month's European Championship in Portugal.

The Panathinaikos striker, who joined the Athens club last season, has already won the domestic championship and cup and is the league's second best scorer, despite a two-month injury break.

That is not all. He still has a long, hot summer ahead with his Euro 2004 duty followed by the Athens Olympics in August.

The club's top scorer this season with 17 goals left English first-division club Burnley in 2003 after failing to make any impact and gain a starting spot.

He was quietly snapped up by Panathinaikos for less than 350,000 euros, half the amount Burnley paid to buy him from Greek club Akratitos.

Panathinaikos fans, eager to see their team lift a championship trophy after seven seasons, were not impressed at the time of the deal.

But Papadopoulos proved to be the league's most consistent striker, forcing Greece coach Otto Rehhagel to recall him into the national side.

He has also become the fans' darling. On his first appearance back in the Greece team for about a year, Papadopoulos scored against Bulgaria in February, strengthening his grip on a place for the Euro tournament.

With some of Greece's top scorers, including Atletico Madrid's Demis Nikolaidis and Fiorentina's Zizis Vryzas, in their early 30s and past their prime, Papadopoulos is being hailed as their successor.

Strong, fast and highly skilled, the 22-year-old Papadopoulos also quickly dislodged Nigerian-born Poland international Emmanuel Olisadebe in his club's starting line-up as the goals kept coming.

With a Euro spot beckoning, the Kazakhstan-born striker shifted up a gear and enjoyed a storming end of season with nine goals in 10 league matches.

"He should play for us like he played in the Champions League this year," Rehhagel said back in February.

Papadopoulos will be the only man in Rehhagel's disciplined side to travel to Portugal without having featured in a single European qualifier.

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