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Kyriakos Papadopoulos (C) and team mates exercise during a Greece training session ahead of the UEFA EURO 2012 Group A match against Poland at National Stadium on June 7, 2012 in Warsaw, Poland.
Eight years on, and Euro 2004 remains a mystery to everyone who watched it. Greece, 80-1 outsiders before the tournament, took home the trophy after beating hosts Portugal 1-0 with a headed Angelos Charisteas goal in the 57th minute. The Greeks were a revelation throughout the championships, which saw them hold Spain 1-1 and achieve an opening day victory, once again against host nation Portugal.
2012, and at the outset, not much has changed. Once again, they sit as rank outsiders in a group containing the hosts. The method will be almost identical, as they will attempt to squeeze all life out of their opponents in a concrete organisational system, whilst grabbing their goals through meticulously planned set piece routines. Greece will be desperate to lighten the atmosphere in their bankrupt and desolate country.
Manager – Fernando Santos – Fernando Santos is a Portuguese coach whose career has flickered between the leagues of Greece and his homeland. Two stints at AEK Athens, a season at Panathanikos and a three year stint at PAOK were intertwined with efforts at Porto, Sporting and Benfica, as the 57 year old cut his teeth before his appointment as Greek coach in 2010. Santos’ system will remain true to the values set by 2004′s victorious manager Otto Rehhagel. The mantra will surely be; defence, defence, and defence.
Key Man – Kyriakos Papadopoulos – The Bundesliga will provide many of Euro 2012‘s top players this time out, and in Schalke’s towering centre-half Kyriakos Papadopoulos, there is another fine example. The 20 year old has been nothing short of a revelation for both club and country, making no less than forty appearances for the German side since joining them from Olympiakos in 2010, and becoming a genuine regular in German ‘player of the week’ sides this season. Greece will be resting their goal scoring hopes on Georgios Samaras, and bullying centre forward Theofanis Gekas.
Fixtures – Poland, 6th June (Warsaw), Czech Republic, 12th June (Wroclaw), Russia, 16th June (Warsaw)
FIFA World Ranking – 15th (11th at Euro 2012)
Odds - 80-1
Verdict – Well, we’ve been here before with Greece, but there will be no surprise win at Poland/Ukraine. With a rearguard system comprising of hard work and fierce organisation, the Greeks will do well to scrape a result from either Russia or Poland. A showdown with the Czechs should be close of not particularly entertaining, but don’t expect either side to emerge from a nip and tuck Group A. Group knockouts.
