When football’s minnows overcome the odds to win, it’s often an uplifting spectacle (unless you’re supporting the side they’ve just beaten) but it’s all the more spectacular when they do it over a series of many matches en route to picking up a trophy.
There is little doubt that Greece’s victory at UEFA Euro 2004 ranks as one of the biggest shocks in international tournament history. Sitting proudly alongside the triumph that Denmark toiled over in 1992 in terms of how surprising it was, the Greeks had to fend off more than their fair share of better teams and critics to get their hands on the trophy.
It has been 12 years since Otto Rehhagel masterminded an unlikely passage to the final at the European Championships, and although the football they played was very defensive and rarely pretty it’s only right to recall the feat they managed to achieve despite nobody giving them the slightest chance.
Read on to find out where the famous final-winning squad is now and what they are up to over a decade after their success which will never be erased from the history books, no matter how much their detractors might wish it.
*This list includes only notable players who featured in the Euro 2004 finals
Goalkeeper
Antonios Nikopolidis: An ever-present throughout their historic run to the final against the Portuguese, Antonios Nikopolidis started and finished every single match that Greece played in in their campaign. A terrific goalkeeper who stood tall against some of the best-attacking talents around, but arguably the silver-haired custodian’s greatest contributions arrived in the final as he denied Cristiano Ronaldo, Maniche and Luis Figo goal-scoring chances.
In total, he swept 25 pieces of silverware in his glittering career but his ‘04 heroics certainly stand out on the global stage. These days, the 44-year-old is the coach of his country’s U21 side after having wet his feet with Olympiakos a number of years ago following retirement.
Defenders
Takis Fyssas: Heading into Euro 2004, Takis Fyssas was gearing up for his wedding to then fiance Christina but as the competition wound on and they were still involved, there were concerns in the marriage party that the defender wouldn’t have the time to properly prepare . It turned out to be worth it in the end, of course and his career since retiring has been relatively successful as he has enjoyed a number of roles behind the scenes. For six years, he was technical director of the Greek national side and was most recently director of football at Panathinaikos. The retired 42-year-old was linked with former club Hearts in 2016.
Giourkas Seitaridis: Their preferred right back played in every match and managed to avoid getting substituted which was quite an impressive achievement in itself. His performances earned him a move away to Porto after the finals drew to a close after he impressed with some stand-out defending. The way he shut down Thierry Henry in the quarter-final as they ground out a 1-0 win was particularly eye-catching. Not really involved in football these days, he was most recently in the news for his part in carrying the Olympic torch in the month of April for the countdown to Rio 2016.
Traianos Dellas: Management has been the field of choice for Traianos Dellas ever since exiting the playing side of the beautiful game and he’s picked up a few decent positions over the years such as at AEK Athens. As was last heard, Dellas was head of Atromitos in the Greek Superleague which has been his second post to date. Memorably, of course, Dellas was the first and only player to score a silver goal in international football, after converting a header against the Czech Republic in the semi-final and was a phenomenal star in their three-man rearguard.
Michalis Kapsis: The now 42-year-old called time on his professional career in 2012 after having turned out for the likes of Bordeaux, Olympiakos and Ethnikos Piraeus. Forming one-half of Greece’s formidable centre-back pairing, he drew rave reviews from pundits and analysts everywhere in the summer of 2004. He won titles in Greece and Cyprus, but it was his crucial role in ‘04 that will always be the highlight. The trail has gone cold as to his whereabouts in the world of football and Kapsis seems to have slipped away from the sport entirely.
Midfielders
Stylianos Giannakopoulus: These days, Stylianos Giannakopoulos is a television pundit and fireman although he has dabbled in the world of coaching and was the president of the Greek Footballers’ Association a few years back. It’s fair to say he has kept himself busy since departing the professional sphere. Heading into the tournament all those years ago, he was the reigning Greek footballer of the year and before putting away his boots in the late “noughties” he would amass seven league titles in his home country as well as enjoying his time with Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League.
Angelos Basinas: Deployed as a holding midfielder for the most part, Angelos Basinas was a central part of Rehhagel’s plan for their brow-raising run to the final and started five matches along the way, including the last, euphoric game. He would go on to record over 100 caps for his country and is held in high regard by those lucky enough to have seen him play. Although no longer active, he has kept in touch with football since putting away his jersey whether it has been his involvement in youth soccer academy camps or his diploma studies to become a coach.
Kostas Katsouranis: A Greek legend in the truest sense of the word, this clever box-to-box midfielder might not have scored at the Euro finals, but he brought plenty of flair, pace and excitement to the fold with the way he moved the ball in a proactive and fluid motion. He appeared in every match and was fully deserving of his medal at the end of it all. Having retired in late 2015, it will be interesting to see where the former national team captain goes next in a career which has already seen him represent some top Greek clubs as well as sewing seeds at Benfica where he won the League Cup.
Theodoros Zagorakis: He might not be a footballer anymore, but he does still play ball on the European stage...because Theodoros Zagorakis is actually a politician for the European People’s Party and has reimagined himself in the years following on from his retirement. Arguably the country’s most effective player in the final, he was their anchor and he actually emerged with UEFA’s Best Player of the Tournament award at the end of it all because he was simply their stand-out star who carried himself with authority and intelligence despite not scoring in Portugal.
Strikers
Angelos Charisteas: Perhaps the most iconic image of Greece’s only major triumph was that of Angelos Charisteas celebrating, arms outstretched after converting past Ricardo in the 57th minute in the Estadio do Sport on July 4. It was the most important goal ever scored by Ethniki ever since their formation in 1906 and has managed to etch itself into the history books as perhaps the greatest manifestation of underdog spirit on the Euro stage. He won his fair share of honours as his career continued post that goal and since retiring he has tried his hand at taking up roles away from the limelight, and was recently technical director at Aris Thessaloniki, his first club.
Zisis Vryzas: Best remembered for his goal against Russia in their group stage defeat, Zisis Vryzas featured in every match bar their narrow win over the French due to suspension. He played for teams such as Perugia, Fiorentina, Celta Vigo and Torino and was recently technical director at Veria FC.
Notable substitutes
Giorgos Karagounis: Although he took no part in the final, he was involved in four of their matches and is probably their best known and most widely admired player. A former captain of the team, he went on to record beyond a century of caps and was a hugely influential figure for years. Last we heard, he was a technical with his national team after having been a part of Claudio Ranieri’s coaching staff back in 2014.
Stelios Venetidis: Coming on as a substitute for Fyssas against Spain, he also started their match against Russia before getting rested until the final where he was introduced for the final quarter hour against Portugal for Giannakopolous. His contributions as a left wing-back are not always as widely applauded as some of his team-mates but Venetidis did play a role in how brilliantly they fared as he laid on an assist against the Spaniards in the group stage. According to Veria FC’s official club website, Venetidis is presently an assistant manager at the Greek Superleague outfit.
Dimitrios Papadopoulos: At 22 years of age, Dimitrios Papadopoulos was the youngest member of the squad and featured just twice – once as a starting player and the other time as a late substitute in the final. Nowadays he’s 34 years old and still active, plying his trade with Atromitos FC in the Superleague. He has managed to keep his international career alive in recent years as he was recalled back in 2013. His time at the top of football might be coming to an end soon, but he's enjoyed a good run until now.
Vassilios Tsiartas: Used on the left of midfield as an impact sub throughout, Vassilios Tsiartas has spoken about their burning desire to seize their chance all those years ago when he said the following in an interview in a 2016 interview: “We told each other that this was the only opportunity that we would get to write history. We knew we would never be able to recreate what had happened. We vowed then to give everything to make sure we did not need to.”
Demis Nikolaidis: Widely viewed as one of the finest footballers to ever represent Greece, his legacy is sure to be remembered in a truly positive light as the years roll by. Sadly, injury forced him to retire after the Euros, part of the reason why he was used sparingly throughout as a replacement from the dugout. He went on to become president of AEK Athens.
