Greece national football team
Encyclopedia
The Greece national football team represents Greece
in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece
. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus
and their head coach is Fernando Santos. Greece spent most of their history in relative obscurity, having participated only twice in the final tournaments of the FIFA World Cup
and the UEFA European Championship
, in 1994
and 1980 respectively, until UEFA Euro 2004, when Greece became European champions in only their second participation in the tournament. The Greeks, dismissed as rank outsiders before the tournament with bookmaker
s giving odds of between 80–1 to 150–1 for them to win, defeated some of the favourites in the competition including defending champions France
and hosts Portugal
, who Greece beat in both the opening game of the tournament and again in the final
. Even with their success as a football team, Greece has been highly criticized for the age of their players.
Since that victory Greece have occupied a place in the top 30 of the FIFA World Rankings
for all but 2 months, and reached a high of 8th from April to June 2008.
in Italy
, after qualifying
top of a group that included the Soviet Union
and Hungary
, both world football powers back then. In the final tournament, Greece was drawn into group A with West Germany, the Netherlands
, and Czechoslovakia
. In their first game, Greece held the Dutch until the only goal of the game was scored by Kist, in the 65th minute. Three days later Greece played against Czechoslovakia in Rome
, after holding the Czechoslovakians 1–1 at the end the first half, Greece eventually lost 3–1. In their last game, Greece earned a 0–0 draw against eventual winners West Germany, concluding what was considered a decent overall performance in the team's maiden presence in a final phase of any football competition.
in the USA
, marked the first time they had made it to the FIFA World Cup
finals. Greece finished first and undefeated in their qualifying group
, surpassing Russia
in the final game. In the final tournament Greece were drawn into group D with Nigeria
, Bulgaria
, and Argentina
. After the successful qualifying campaign, expectations back in Greece were high as no one could imagine the oncoming astounding failure. Most notable reason for this complete failure was the fact that legendary coach Alketas Panagoulias opted to take a squad full of those players – though most of them aging and out of form – that helped the team in the qualifying instead of new emerging talents seeing it as a reward for their unprecedented success. Furthermore, they had the disadvantage of being drawn into a "group of death", with runners-up at the 1990 FIFA World Cup
Argentina, later semifinalists Bulgaria, and Nigeria, one of the strongest African teams. It is worth mentioning that all players of the squad, including the 3 goalkeepers, took part in those 3 games, something very rare. In their first game against Argentina, Greece lost 4–0. Four days later Greece suffered another 4–0 blow from Bulgaria and in their final game lost to Nigeria 2–0. In the end, Greece were eliminated in the first round by losing all three games, scoring no goals and conceding 10, thus making one of the worst records in World Cup history.
and Scotland
. In their 1998 World Cup qualifying tournament
the team finished only one point shy of second-placed Croatia
as, despite a plethora of missed chances, it was halted to a 0–0 draw by the eventual Group winners, the Danish
national football team. In their Euro 2000 qualifying group, Greece finished again in third place, two points behind second-placed Slovenia
in a highly disappointing campaign that saw the team lose at home to Latvia
and led to the sacking of then national coach Kostas Polychroniou. In the 2002 World Cup qualifying
Greece finished a disappointing fourth in their group behind England
, Germany
and Finland
making them change their coach Vasilis Daniil in the process and replace him with Otto Rehhagel
. Highlights of the campaign were the humiliating 5–1 defeat in Finland and the 2–2 draw that followed in England, both the first two games of the soon to become legendary German coach at the reins of the Greek national team.
and away to Ukraine
both times with a 2–0 scoreline. Astonishingly, the team went on to win their remaining six games, including a highly decisive 1–0 away win over Spain in their second matchup, securing first place in the group and an appearance in the European Championship
finals for the first time in 24 years. Expectations before the tournament were low with memories of a bitter 1994 FIFA World Cup
experience still fresh in the minds of many, where Greece lost all three group stage matches, conceding ten goals and scoring none.
, Greece achieved a surprise 2–1 victory, receiving the nickname "pirate ship" used by Greek sportscasters in reference to the floating ship used in the tournament's opening ceremony. Greece won with a 25-yard strike from Giorgos Karagounis
and a penalty from Angelos Basinas
. Four days later, Greece stunned Spain in front of a largely Spanish crowd with a 1–1 draw after being down 1–0 at half time. Greece fell behind from a defensive lapse, which allowed Fernando Morientes
to score. However, a sublime diagonal pass from playmaker Vasilios Tsiartas allowed Angelos Charisteas
to score an equaliser in the second half, giving Greece hope of qualifying. In the last group game, Greece fell behind 2–0 to Russia
(who were already eliminated) within the first ten minutes of the game but managed to pull one back through Zisis Vryzas
and thus progressed to the next round, at the expense of Spain, on goals scored. Dmitri Kirichenko had the chance to eliminate Greece in the final minutes of this game, but his stretched effort squeezed just wide.
. At 65 minutes, Greece took the lead. Angelos Basinas played a perfect pass to captain Theodoros Zagorakis
, who flicked the ball high in the air, passed veteran French defender Bixente Lizarazu
, and sent a perfect cross to Angelos Charisteas
for the header and goal. Greece held on to win, despite a late French onslaught on goal with close efforts from Thierry Henry
, thus knocking France out of Euro 2004 and becoming the first team ever to defeat both the hosts and defending champions in the same tournament.
, who were the only team to defeat all of their opponents to that point. The Czech record included a convincing 3–2 win over the Netherlands
, a 2–1 win over Germany
, and a 3–0 win over Denmark
in the quarterfinals. At this stage in the tournament, the Czechs were favourites to take the trophy. The game began nervously for Greece, as the Czech Republic applied much pressure. Tomáš Rosický
hit the crossbar in the opening minutes, and Jan Koller
had several efforts saved by Antonis Nikopolidis. The Czechs chances were dealt a blow when influential midfielder Pavel Nedvěd
left the pitch injured in the first half. After 90 minutes the game ended 0–0, despite the Czechs having most of the game's missed chances. In the last minute of the first half of extra time, a close range silver goal header from Traianos Dellas
from a Vassilios Tsiartas corner ended the Czech campaign, putting Greece into the final of Euro 2004 and sending their fans into raptures.
For the first time in history (a recurring theme in this tournament), the final was a repeat of the opening game, with Greece and hosts Portugal facing off in a rematch. In the 57th minute, Charisteas gave Greece the lead with a header from a corner by Angelos Basinas
. Portugal had much of the possession, but the Greek defence was solid and dealt with most attacks. Cristiano Ronaldo
had a good chance to equalise in the dying moments, but could not apply a finish. Greece held on to win 1–0, winning the tournament, an achievement considered by many to be one of the greater, if not the greatest, football upset in history. Captain Zagorakis was named the man of the tournament, having led Greece and made the most tackles in the entire tournament.
from 35th in June 2004 to 14th in July 2004. This is one of the largest upward moves in a single month in the top echelon of the rankings. The triumph of Greece at Euro 2004 is the biggest sporting achievement in the country's history for a team sport, along with the successes of the Greece national basketball team
in the European Championships
of 1987
, 2005
and 2006 FIBA World Championship
. The team has appeared on stamps and received medals from the President of Greece
, the Archbishop of Athens
, and an ecstatic ovation from the country's population which came out to see the team with the trophy from the Athens airport to the Panathinaiko Stadium
where the Greek political and religious leadership was awaiting them. The Euro 2004 winners were selected as "World Team of the Year" at the 2005 Laureus World Sports Award for Team of the Year
.
in Germany
. Greece were drawn into Group A along with 2002 World Cup champions
Brazil
, 2004 Asian champions
Japan
, and 2003 North America champions
Mexico
. Greece lost 3–0 to Brazil and 1–0 to Japan and draw 0–0 with Mexico in a tournament that was seen mostly as a time for experimentation as players like Efstathios Tavlaridis
, Loukas Vyntra
, Mihalis Sifakis, Ioannis Amanatidis, and Theofanis Gekas
either received their first ever calls or earned their maiden caps in the national squad.
. The team was drawn into Group 2 along with Ukraine
, Turkey
, Denmark
, Albania
, Georgia
and Kazakhstan
.
In their first qualifier, Greece could not handle the game with Albania and lost 2–1. Afterward their matches were followed by draws (home and away respectively) with Turkey and Ukraine, before defeating Kazakhstan 3–1 at home. It was thought that the team was back on course as the 2–1 win over Denmark, with Zagorakis scoring his first ever goal in over 100 caps. This was followed by wins against Georgia and Albania and a respectable away draw with Turkey. However, despite dominating the game, Greece lost at home to Ukraine 1–0 having two goals disallowed. Three months later, Greece barely escaped embarrassment as they scraped to a 2–1 away win against Kazakhstan
in the dying seconds. Greece was defeated 1–0 by Denmark in Copenhagen
as chances for a qualification through a playoff looked dismal after a 1–0 win of Turkey
in Kiev
against the already qualified Ukrainian side. In their last game, Greece defeated Georgia finishing 4th, four points behind first-placed Ukraine and two behind Turkey. Throughout the match, the 30,000 fans in the Karaiskakis Stadium
chanted the name of Otto Rehhagel
in their utmost support and he said afterwards "Even if 10 years pass, part of my heart will be Greek". There was a dissatisfaction with the selection of the team by Otto Rehhagel throughout qualification campaign from some journalists as they argued that he was sticking to exactly the same Euro 2004 squad even though some players didn't even have a club and was overlooking others most notably Ieroklis Stoltidis
of Olympiacos and Akis Zikos
of Monaco
.
On 25 May 2006, less than a month before the opening of the 2006 World Cup
in Germany
, Greece lost 1–0 to Australia in a friendly match in front of 95,103 people at the MCG
.
and Austria
and was drawn with Turkey
, Norway
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
, Hungary
, Moldova
and Malta
being the only group which did not have a team represented in the World Cup 2006.
Greece began their Euro 2008 campaign with victories over Moldova, Norway and Bosnia-Herzegovina. As a result, Greece climbed eighteen places in two months to 13th place in the October FIFA World Rankings
. On 24 March 2007 Greece lost their fourth game 4–1 against Turkey in Athens
. Nevertheless the team went on to win away to Malta, with the only goal coming in the 66th minute from an Basinas
penalty, Hungary and Moldova at home and drew 2–2 away to Norway despite having hit the goalpost three times in this match. The draw in Oslo
was followed by a 3–2 home win against Bosnia-Herzegovina and a 1–0 away win to Turkey, securing its presence to the Euro 2008 finals at their old rival's home ground. In the last two matches, Greece smashed Malta 5–0 in Athens and defeated Hungary with an away 2–1 win, finishing first in their group with a total of 31 points, the most points gained among any group. In the draw for the final tournament, Greece was seeded first as the defending European Champion. In addition to this, Greece climbed to the 11th place in the FIFA World Rankings
, the highest ever for them, thus they are seeded first for the draw of the European qualification zone for the World Cup 2010
, also for the first time.
The draw for the Euro 2008 finals was held on December 2 in Switzerland
, Greece were drawn in Group D along with Sweden
, Spain
, and Russia
. In preparation for the tournament, Greece defeated Portugal
2–1 on 26 March 2008, in a repeat of the Euro 2004 opening and final match; as a result, Greece moved up to a record 8th position in the FIFA world ranking.
In the tournament finals, however, the Greek team lost all three games and scored only one goal. Greece underperformed in the opening match against Sweden
and lost 2–0. They tried to recover in the match against Russia
, but lost 1–0. Having already been eliminated, the Greek team tried their chances against already qualified Spain
, but also lost 2–1, becoming the first defending champion not to earn a single point in the next European Championship.
—who produced 10 goals in as many games—Greece took second place to Switzerland in Group 2 of UEFA qualification, thus advancing to a home-and-away playoff round, where they faced Ukraine
. After a scoreless draw at home in the first match, the second leg in Donetsk
saw Greece triumph with a 1–0 win, sending the Greeks to the 2010 FIFA World Cup
. At the 2010 World Cup draw in Cape Town
, South Africa
on 4 December 2009, Greece found itself grouped with two familiar opponents from its first World Cup appearance in 1994. Argentina
and Nigeria
were yet again drawn into group stage play alongside Greece, this time into Group B
with South Korea
replacing Greece's third 1994 opponent, Bulgaria.
In its World Cup opener, Greece lost 2–0 to South Korea after a dismal performance characterized by excessive long-ball attacks and a lack of offensive creativity. In its second fixture against Nigeria, Greece won 2–1 coming from behind after conceding an early goal. Dimitris Salpigidis
scored Greece's first ever goal in the World Cup finals in the 44th minute of the first half to tie the match at 1–1. Vasilis Torosidis
scored the game-winning goal in the 71st minute after a goalkeeper error, securing the first points and first victory for Greece in tournament history. In the third match against heavily favored Argentina, Greece needed a combination of results to advance to the next round. As expected, in what would be his final game as Greece's national team head coach, Otto Rehhagel
conjured up a very defensive-minded strategy, leaving Georgios Samaras
with nearly all offensive responsibilities as the lone striker. The strategy nearly paid off in the second half with the score still knotted 0–0 when Samaras beat the last Argentine defender on a quick long-ball counterattack and curled a rushed shot just wide of the far post. The Greeks held the Argentines scoreless until the 77th minute and ultimately lost 2–0, finishing third in Group B.
After the 2010 World Cup, Greece moved from 13th to 12th in the FIFA World Rankings
. Russia, Croatia and France dropped lower than Greece while Uruguay and Chile jumped ahead of the Greeks.
, while stadiums in other cities around the country, especially Thessaloniki
, have occasionally hosted the national team. They played most of their competitive matches at the Karaiskakis Stadium
and the Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium
until the mid-1980s, when the Athens Olympic Stadium
opened and hosted the majority of Greece's home matches, before the stadium was closed for renovation in 2002 for the upcoming 2004 Summer Olympics
, when Greece moved to the Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium for the UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying.
After they were crowned European champions in 2004, the newly reconstructed Karaiskakis Stadium became the new home ground of the Greek national team for the qualifyings of the 2006 FIFA World Cup
and the 2008 UEFA Euro, when some riots took place during a match against Turkey
in the latter competition; the team was forced to play away from Athens for two fixtures and moved to the Pankritio Stadium in Heraklion
, Crete
, before moving back to Athens and the Olympic Stadium for the remaining matches. In the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
, Greece used all these three stadiums for home games, but the Athens Olympic Stadium has been used more recently for official matches and it is considered the current home ground of the team unless a different decision is made.
which has signed a long-term agreement with the Greek Federation until 2012.The Former Suppliers were Le Coq Sportif (2000-2003), Diadora (1992-1998) and Puma (until 1990).
in general simply as Ethniki, which means 'national'. The team is often called Galanolefki (Blue-white) due to its kit colours which are also the colours of the Greek flag
. Both nicknames are used for the country's national teams in other sports as well. During the opening ceremony in the UEFA Euro 2004, which took place before the inaugural game of the tournament between Greece and hosts Portugal
, a replica of a 16th century ship was used referring to the Portuguese expeditions of that time. Greek radio sports journalist Georgios Helakis
commented that "since the Portuguese team appear in such a ship, it's time for us to become pirates and steal the victory". Eventually, Greece beat the hosts and Piratiko (The Pirate Ship) emerged as the new nickname of the team, repeated at every win. Especially after the Greek win in the final
to Portugal, the new nickname was established to commemorate their coronation as European champions
.
on November 11, 2011 and against Romania
on November 15, 2011.
Players' records are accurate as of 15 November 2011 after the match against Romania
.
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squads
UEFA European Championship
squads
FIFA Confederations Cup
squads
|-
!width="20"|#
!width="150"|Name
!width="100"|Career
!width="30"|Caps
!width="30"|Goals
|-
|1
| Theodoros Zagorakis
|1996–2007
|120
|3
|-
|2
| Giorgos Karagounis
|1999–
|114
|8
|-
|3
| Angelos Basinas
|1999-2009
|100
|7
|-
|4
| Stratos Apostolakis
|1986-1998
|96
|5
|-
|5
| Antonis Nikopolidis
|1999-2008
|90
|0
|-
|6
| Kostas Katsouranis
|2003–
|88
|9
|-
|7
| Angelos Charisteas
|2001–
|88
|25
|-
|8
| Dimitris Saravakos
|1982-1994
|78
|22
|-
|9
| Stelios Giannakopoulos
|1997-2009
|77
|12
|-
|10
| Anastassios Mitropoulos
|1978-1994
|77
|8
|-
!width="20"|#
!width="150"|Name
!width="100"|Career
!width="30"|Goals
!width="30"|Caps
|-
|1
| Nikos Anastopoulos
|1977-1988
|29
|73
|-
|2
| Angelos Charisteas
|2001–
|25
|88
|-
|3
| Dimitris Saravakos
|1982-1994
|22
|78
|-
|4
| Mimis Papaioannou
|1963-1980
|21
|61
|-
|5
| Theofanis Gekas
|2005-
|21
|55
|-
|6
| Nikos Machlas
|1993-2002
|18
|61
|-
|7
| Demis Nikolaidis
|1995-2004
|17
|54
|-
|8
| Panagiotis Tsalouchidis
|1987-1995
|16
|76
|-
|9
| Giorgos Sideris
|1958-1970
|14
|28
|-
|10
| Nikos Liberopoulos
|1996–
|13
|74
{|
|width="10"|
|valign="top"|
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|-
!rowspan="1"|Name
!rowspan="1"|Nationality
!rowspan="1"|Years
|-
|align=left|Fernando Santos
|
|align=left|2010–
|-
|align=left|Otto Rehhagel
|
|align=left|2001–2010
|-
|align=left|Vassilis Daniill
|
|align=left|1999–2001
|-
|align=left|Anghel Iordănescu
|
|align=left|1998–1999
|-
|align=left|Kostas Polychroniou
|
|align=left|1994–1998
|-
|align=left|Alketas Panagoulias
|
|align=left|1992–1994
|-
|align=left|Antonis Georgiadis
|
|align=left|1989–1992
|-
|align=left|Alekos Sofianidis
|
|align=left|1988–1989
|-
|align=left|Miltos Papapostolou
|
|align=left|1984–1988
|-
|align=left|Christos Archontidis
|
|align=left|1982–1984
|-
|align=left|Alketas Panagoulias
|
|align=left|1977–1982
|-
|align=left|Lakis Petropoulos
|
|align=left|1976–1977
|-
|align=left|Alketas Panagoulias
|
|align=left|1973–1976
|-
|align=left|Billy Bingham
|
|align=left|1971–1973
|-
|align=left|Lakis Petropoulos
|
|align=left|1969–1971
|-
|align=left|Dan Georgiadis
|
|align=left|1968–1969
|-
|align=left|Panos Markovits
|
|align=left|1966–1968
|-
|}
|width="30"|
|valign="top"|
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|-
!rowspan="1"|Name
!rowspan="1"|Nationality
!rowspan="1"|Years
|-
|align=left|Lakis Petropoulos
|
|align=left|1964–1966
|-
|align=left|Tryfon Tzanetis
|
|align=left|1960–1964
|-
|align=left|Paul Baron
|
|align=left|1959–1960
|-
|align=left|Rino Martini
|
|align=left|1957–1959
|-
|align=left|Kostas Andritsos
|
|align=left|1956–1957
|-
|align=left|Ioannis Chelmis
|
|align=left|1955–1956
|-
|align=left|Antonis Migiakis
|
|align=left|1954–1955
|-
|align=left|Kostas Negrepontis
|
|align=left|1953–1954
|-
|align=left|Antonis Migiakis
|
|align=left|1951–1953
|-
|align=left|Kostas Negrepontis
|
|align=left|1938–1951
|-
|align=left|Kostas Konstantaras
|
|align=left|1935–1938
|-
|align=left|Apostolos Nikolaidis
|
|align=left|1934–1935
|-
|align=left|Kostas Negrepontis
|
|align=left|1933–1934
|-
|align=left|Lefteris Panourgias
|
|align=left|1932–1933
|-
|align=left|Jan Kopsiva
|
|align=left|1930–1932
|-
|align=left|Apostolos Nikolaidis
|
|align=left|1929–1930
|-
|}
|}
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece
Football in Greece
Football is the national sport of Greece.-League system:The first league of professional football in Greece was officially established as the Panhellenic Championship in 1927...
. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
and their head coach is Fernando Santos. Greece spent most of their history in relative obscurity, having participated only twice in the final tournaments of the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
and the UEFA European Championship
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
, in 1994
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
and 1980 respectively, until UEFA Euro 2004, when Greece became European champions in only their second participation in the tournament. The Greeks, dismissed as rank outsiders before the tournament with bookmaker
Bookmaker
A bookmaker, or bookie, is an organization or a person that takes bets on sporting and other events at agreed upon odds.- Range of events :...
s giving odds of between 80–1 to 150–1 for them to win, defeated some of the favourites in the competition including defending champions France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
and hosts Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
, who Greece beat in both the opening game of the tournament and again in the final
UEFA Euro 2004 Final
The final of UEFA Euro 2004 was a football match played on 4 July 2004 at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal to determine the winner of UEFA Euro 2004. The match featured tournament hosts Portugal, who went into the match as favourites, and Greece, playing in only their second European...
. Even with their success as a football team, Greece has been highly criticized for the age of their players.
Since that victory Greece have occupied a place in the top 30 of the FIFA World Rankings
FIFA World Rankings
The FIFA World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Spain. The teams of the member nations of FIFA , football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
for all but 2 months, and reached a high of 8th from April to June 2008.
1980 European Football Championship
Greece, under the guidance of Alketas Panagoulias, made its first appearance in a major tournament at the Euro 19801980 UEFA European Football Championship
The 1980 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in Italy. This was the sixth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. With eight teams competing, the final tournament took place between 11 and 22 June 1980...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, after qualifying
1980 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying
The qualifying round for the 1980 European Football Championship consisted of 31 teams divided into seven groups; three of five teams and four of four teams...
top of a group that included the Soviet Union
USSR national football team
The Soviet Union National Football Team was the national football team of the Soviet Union. It ceased to exist after the break up of the Union...
and Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
, both world football powers back then. In the final tournament, Greece was drawn into group A with West Germany, the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
, and Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia national football team
The Czechoslovakia national football team was the national association football team of Czechoslovakia from 1922 to 1993. At the dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, the team was participating in UEFA qualifying Group 4 for the 1994 World Cup; it completed this campaign under the name...
. In their first game, Greece held the Dutch until the only goal of the game was scored by Kist, in the 65th minute. Three days later Greece played against Czechoslovakia in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, after holding the Czechoslovakians 1–1 at the end the first half, Greece eventually lost 3–1. In their last game, Greece earned a 0–0 draw against eventual winners West Germany, concluding what was considered a decent overall performance in the team's maiden presence in a final phase of any football competition.
World Cup 1994
The team's success in qualifying for the 1994 FIFA World Cup1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
in the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, marked the first time they had made it to the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
finals. Greece finished first and undefeated in their qualifying group
1994 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification....
, surpassing Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
in the final game. In the final tournament Greece were drawn into group D with Nigeria
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria national football team
The FIFA Bulgaria national football team is an association football team fielded by the Bulgarian Football Union, a member association of UEFA. The team's home ground is Vasil Levski in Sofia and Luboslav Penev is in charge manager after replacement of Lothar Matthäus...
, and Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
. After the successful qualifying campaign, expectations back in Greece were high as no one could imagine the oncoming astounding failure. Most notable reason for this complete failure was the fact that legendary coach Alketas Panagoulias opted to take a squad full of those players – though most of them aging and out of form – that helped the team in the qualifying instead of new emerging talents seeing it as a reward for their unprecedented success. Furthermore, they had the disadvantage of being drawn into a "group of death", with runners-up at the 1990 FIFA World Cup
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
Argentina, later semifinalists Bulgaria, and Nigeria, one of the strongest African teams. It is worth mentioning that all players of the squad, including the 3 goalkeepers, took part in those 3 games, something very rare. In their first game against Argentina, Greece lost 4–0. Four days later Greece suffered another 4–0 blow from Bulgaria and in their final game lost to Nigeria 2–0. In the end, Greece were eliminated in the first round by losing all three games, scoring no goals and conceding 10, thus making one of the worst records in World Cup history.
Near misses
Greece failed to qualify for the Euro 1996 finishing third in the group behind RussiaRussia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
and Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
. In their 1998 World Cup qualifying tournament
1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone .A total of 50 UEFA teams entered the competition. The European zone was allocated 15 places in the final tournament...
the team finished only one point shy of second-placed Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
as, despite a plethora of missed chances, it was halted to a 0–0 draw by the eventual Group winners, the Danish
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
national football team. In their Euro 2000 qualifying group, Greece finished again in third place, two points behind second-placed Slovenia
Slovenia national football team
The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
in a highly disappointing campaign that saw the team lose at home to Latvia
Latvia national football team
The Latvian national football team is controlled by the Latvian Football Federation, the governing body for football in Latvia and represents the country in international football competitions, such as the World Cup and the European Championships. So far, they have never qualified for a FIFA World...
and led to the sacking of then national coach Kostas Polychroniou. In the 2002 World Cup qualifying
2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification....
Greece finished a disappointing fourth in their group behind England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
and Finland
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
making them change their coach Vasilis Daniil in the process and replace him with Otto Rehhagel
Otto Rehhagel
Otto Rehhagel is a German football coach and former football player. Along with Helmut Schön, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Udo Lattek and Hennes Weisweiler, he is considered one of the most successful German managers....
. Highlights of the campaign were the humiliating 5–1 defeat in Finland and the 2–2 draw that followed in England, both the first two games of the soon to become legendary German coach at the reins of the Greek national team.
Euro 2004 triumph
Qualification
Greece started the qualification process for the Euro 2004 in poor fashion losing at home to SpainSpain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
and away to Ukraine
Ukraine national football team
The Ukraine national football team is the national football team of Ukraine and is controlled by the Football Federation of Ukraine. After Ukrainian Independence and breakaway from the Soviet Union, they played their first match against Hungary on 29 April 1992...
both times with a 2–0 scoreline. Astonishingly, the team went on to win their remaining six games, including a highly decisive 1–0 away win over Spain in their second matchup, securing first place in the group and an appearance in the European Championship
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
finals for the first time in 24 years. Expectations before the tournament were low with memories of a bitter 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
experience still fresh in the minds of many, where Greece lost all three group stage matches, conceding ten goals and scoring none.
Group Stage
In the opening match against hosts PortugalPortugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
, Greece achieved a surprise 2–1 victory, receiving the nickname "pirate ship" used by Greek sportscasters in reference to the floating ship used in the tournament's opening ceremony. Greece won with a 25-yard strike from Giorgos Karagounis
Giorgos Karagounis
Giorgos Karagounis is a Greek footballer who currently plays for Panathinaikos . He is best remembered for scoring the first goal of UEFA Euro 2004, a very long range effort that helped his team to win the opening game of the tournament, in which the Greeks surprisingly emerged as champions.His...
and a penalty from Angelos Basinas
Angelos Basinas
Angelos Basinas is a Greek international footballer and the former captain of his country's national team. He played as a defensive midfielder for Arles-Avignon in the Ligue 1 until 22 October 2010.-Panathinaikos:...
. Four days later, Greece stunned Spain in front of a largely Spanish crowd with a 1–1 draw after being down 1–0 at half time. Greece fell behind from a defensive lapse, which allowed Fernando Morientes
Fernando Morientes
Fernando Morientes Sánchez is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a striker.His main asset was his aerial and strong goalscoring abilities. He played for a number of clubs throughout his career, including Real Madrid, Monaco, Liverpool, and Valencia...
to score. However, a sublime diagonal pass from playmaker Vasilios Tsiartas allowed Angelos Charisteas
Angelos Charisteas
Angelos Charisteas was born on 9 February 1980 in Strymoniko, Serres, but originates from Mani. He is a Greek football player who currently plays as a striker for Panetolikos F.C....
to score an equaliser in the second half, giving Greece hope of qualifying. In the last group game, Greece fell behind 2–0 to Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
(who were already eliminated) within the first ten minutes of the game but managed to pull one back through Zisis Vryzas
Zisis Vryzas
Zisis Vryzas is a former football player, and had been the vice president of PAOK FC for the past 3 years. He was born 9 November 1973 in Kavala, city of northern Greece, located in the region of Macedonia . He played as a striker for various teams in Greece and abroad, as well as the Greek...
and thus progressed to the next round, at the expense of Spain, on goals scored. Dmitri Kirichenko had the chance to eliminate Greece in the final minutes of this game, but his stretched effort squeezed just wide.
Quarter-final
In the quarterfinals Greece faced off with the undefeated and reigning champions FranceFrance national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
. At 65 minutes, Greece took the lead. Angelos Basinas played a perfect pass to captain Theodoros Zagorakis
Theodoros Zagorakis
-Kavala:Zagorakis was a defensive midfielder who usually operated on the right hand side of midfield. He started his career with Kavala, the club that also produced Zisis Vryzas, with whom he became close friends...
, who flicked the ball high in the air, passed veteran French defender Bixente Lizarazu
Bixente Lizarazu
Bixente Lizarazu is a former football left defender who played most notably for Girondins de Bordeaux and Bayern Munich, as well as the French national team.-Football career:...
, and sent a perfect cross to Angelos Charisteas
Angelos Charisteas
Angelos Charisteas was born on 9 February 1980 in Strymoniko, Serres, but originates from Mani. He is a Greek football player who currently plays as a striker for Panetolikos F.C....
for the header and goal. Greece held on to win, despite a late French onslaught on goal with close efforts from Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
, thus knocking France out of Euro 2004 and becoming the first team ever to defeat both the hosts and defending champions in the same tournament.
Semi-final
Greece reached the semifinals to face the Czech RepublicCzech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
, who were the only team to defeat all of their opponents to that point. The Czech record included a convincing 3–2 win over the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
, a 2–1 win over Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
, and a 3–0 win over Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
in the quarterfinals. At this stage in the tournament, the Czechs were favourites to take the trophy. The game began nervously for Greece, as the Czech Republic applied much pressure. Tomáš Rosický
Tomáš Rosický
Tomáš Rosický is a Czech footballer who plays for Arsenal and captains the Czech national team. He has a brother named Jiří who is also a footballer...
hit the crossbar in the opening minutes, and Jan Koller
Jan Koller
Jan Koller is Czech footballer currently playing in AFK Smetanova Lhota.As an international player he played as a striker for the Czech Republic national team. He is the all-time leading goal scorer for either the Czech Republic or the former Czechoslovakia, with 55 goals in 91 caps...
had several efforts saved by Antonis Nikopolidis. The Czechs chances were dealt a blow when influential midfielder Pavel Nedvěd
Pavel Nedved
Pavel Nedvěd is a retired Czech football midfielder. He is one of the most successful Czech players to emerge from the newly formed Czech Republic, winning numerous accolades with Lazio and Juventus, including the last ever Cup Winners' Cup...
left the pitch injured in the first half. After 90 minutes the game ended 0–0, despite the Czechs having most of the game's missed chances. In the last minute of the first half of extra time, a close range silver goal header from Traianos Dellas
Traianos Dellas
Traianos Dellas is a Greek international footballer currently playing as a centre back for AEK Athens in the Greek Super League...
from a Vassilios Tsiartas corner ended the Czech campaign, putting Greece into the final of Euro 2004 and sending their fans into raptures.
Final
Angelos Basinas
Angelos Basinas is a Greek international footballer and the former captain of his country's national team. He played as a defensive midfielder for Arles-Avignon in the Ligue 1 until 22 October 2010.-Panathinaikos:...
. Portugal had much of the possession, but the Greek defence was solid and dealt with most attacks. Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team...
had a good chance to equalise in the dying moments, but could not apply a finish. Greece held on to win 1–0, winning the tournament, an achievement considered by many to be one of the greater, if not the greatest, football upset in history. Captain Zagorakis was named the man of the tournament, having led Greece and made the most tackles in the entire tournament.
Recognition
Greece's victory shot them up in the FIFA World RankingsFIFA World Rankings
The FIFA World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Spain. The teams of the member nations of FIFA , football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
from 35th in June 2004 to 14th in July 2004. This is one of the largest upward moves in a single month in the top echelon of the rankings. The triumph of Greece at Euro 2004 is the biggest sporting achievement in the country's history for a team sport, along with the successes of the Greece national basketball team
Greece national basketball team
The Greece national basketball team is the representative for Greece in international men's basketball competitions, organized and run by the Hellenic Basketball Federation. Traditionally, Greece is considered among the world's top basketball powers; they were runners-up in the 2006 FIBA World...
in the European Championships
Eurobasket
The EuroBasket, also referred to as the FIBA European Basketball Championship, is the main basketball competition contested biennially by the men's national teams governed by FIBA Europe, the European zone within the International Basketball Federation. The championship was first held in 1935 and...
of 1987
Eurobasket 1987
The EuroBasket 1987 was held in Greece between June 3 and June 14, 1987. Twelve national teams entered the event under the auspices of FIBA Europe, the sport's regional governing body...
, 2005
Eurobasket 2005
The EuroBasket 2005 was held in Serbia and Montenegro between 16 September and 25 September 2005. Greece won the gold medal by defeating Germany, while France won the bronze medal over Spain...
and 2006 FIBA World Championship
2006 FIBA World Championship
The 2006 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Japan from August 19 to September 3, 2006. It was co-organised by the International Basketball Federation , Japan Basketball Association and the 2006 Organizing Committee...
. The team has appeared on stamps and received medals from the President of Greece
Costis Stephanopoulos
Konstantinos Stephanopoulos was the sixth President of the Third Hellenic Republic.Stephanopoulos was born in Patras. After attending the Saint Andrew school of Patras, he studied law at Athens University...
, the Archbishop of Athens
Christodoulos
Christodoulos was Archbishop of Athens and All Greece and as such the primate of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Greece, from 1998 until his death, in 2008.- Early life and career :...
, and an ecstatic ovation from the country's population which came out to see the team with the trophy from the Athens airport to the Panathinaiko Stadium
Panathinaiko Stadium
The Panathinaiko or Panathenaic Stadium , also known as the Kallimarmaro , is an athletic stadium in Athens that hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896...
where the Greek political and religious leadership was awaiting them. The Euro 2004 winners were selected as "World Team of the Year" at the 2005 Laureus World Sports Award for Team of the Year
Laureus World Sports Award for Team of the Year
List of winners and nominees of the Laureus World Sports Awards: Team of the Year. Winning team is bolded and shaded in gray.-List of winners and nominees:-See also:*Sportsman of the Year*Sportswoman of the Year*Breakthrough of the Year...
.
2005 Confederations Cup
As Euro 2004 winners, Greece qualified for the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup2005 FIFA Confederations Cup
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place playoff:-Final:-Awards:-Goal scorers:5 goals Adriano4 goals Luciano Figueroa John Aloisi Michael Ballack...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Greece were drawn into Group A along with 2002 World Cup champions
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
, 2004 Asian champions
2004 AFC Asian Cup
The 2004 AFC Asian Cup football competition is the thirteenth staging of AFC Asian Cup. It was held from July 17 to August 7, 2004 in China. The defending champions Japan defeated China in the final in Beijing....
Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
, and 2003 North America champions
2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup
The 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the seventh edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean ....
Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
. Greece lost 3–0 to Brazil and 1–0 to Japan and draw 0–0 with Mexico in a tournament that was seen mostly as a time for experimentation as players like Efstathios Tavlaridis
Efstathios Tavlaridis
Efstathios Tavlaridis , commonly known as Stathis Tavlaridis, is a Greek football defender currently playing for Greek Super League club Larissa F.C...
, Loukas Vyntra
Loukas Vyntra
Loukas Vyntra is a Czech-Greek football player. He currently plays for Panathinaikos.-Career:...
, Mihalis Sifakis, Ioannis Amanatidis, and Theofanis Gekas
Theofanis Gekas
Theofanis Gekas is a Greek football striker who currently plays for the German club Eintracht Frankfurt. He has been the top goalscorer of the Greek League and the Bundesliga in previous seasons...
either received their first ever calls or earned their maiden caps in the national squad.
2006 FIFA World Cup
After winning the Euro 2004, Greece were considered favourites to top their group, in the 2006 World Cup qualification2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for UEFA teams. A total of 51 teams took part, divided in 8 Groups - five groups of 6 teams each and three groups of 7 teams each - competing for 13 places in the World Cup...
. The team was drawn into Group 2 along with Ukraine
Ukraine national football team
The Ukraine national football team is the national football team of Ukraine and is controlled by the Football Federation of Ukraine. After Ukrainian Independence and breakaway from the Soviet Union, they played their first match against Hungary on 29 April 1992...
, Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
, Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
, Albania
Albania national football team
The Albania national association football team is the national association football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania...
, Georgia
Georgia national football team
The Georgia national football team is the national association football team of Georgia and is controlled by the Georgian Football Federation. The Georgian team's first match took place in 1990, while Georgia was still part of the Soviet Union. The team have attempted to qualify for each major...
and Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan national football team
The Kazakhstan national football team represents Kazakhstan in international men's association football and is directed by Football Federation of Kazakhstan. They split from the Soviet Union national football team after independence in 1991 and joined the Asian Football Confederation's Central and...
.
In their first qualifier, Greece could not handle the game with Albania and lost 2–1. Afterward their matches were followed by draws (home and away respectively) with Turkey and Ukraine, before defeating Kazakhstan 3–1 at home. It was thought that the team was back on course as the 2–1 win over Denmark, with Zagorakis scoring his first ever goal in over 100 caps. This was followed by wins against Georgia and Albania and a respectable away draw with Turkey. However, despite dominating the game, Greece lost at home to Ukraine 1–0 having two goals disallowed. Three months later, Greece barely escaped embarrassment as they scraped to a 2–1 away win against Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan national football team
The Kazakhstan national football team represents Kazakhstan in international men's association football and is directed by Football Federation of Kazakhstan. They split from the Soviet Union national football team after independence in 1991 and joined the Asian Football Confederation's Central and...
in the dying seconds. Greece was defeated 1–0 by Denmark in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
as chances for a qualification through a playoff looked dismal after a 1–0 win of Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
against the already qualified Ukrainian side. In their last game, Greece defeated Georgia finishing 4th, four points behind first-placed Ukraine and two behind Turkey. Throughout the match, the 30,000 fans in the Karaiskakis Stadium
Karaiskakis Stadium
Karaiskakis Stadium is in the Neo Faliro area of Piraeus, Greece. It is the home ground of Olympiacos F.C. and is named after Georgios Karaiskakis , hero of the Greek War of Independence, who was mortally wounded near the area....
chanted the name of Otto Rehhagel
Otto Rehhagel
Otto Rehhagel is a German football coach and former football player. Along with Helmut Schön, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Udo Lattek and Hennes Weisweiler, he is considered one of the most successful German managers....
in their utmost support and he said afterwards "Even if 10 years pass, part of my heart will be Greek". There was a dissatisfaction with the selection of the team by Otto Rehhagel throughout qualification campaign from some journalists as they argued that he was sticking to exactly the same Euro 2004 squad even though some players didn't even have a club and was overlooking others most notably Ieroklis Stoltidis
Ieroklis Stoltidis
Ieroklis Stoltidis , also known as "Iéro", is a retired Greek footballer, who played as a defensive midfielder. He's well known as a passionate, determined anchorman with tremendous mental and physical courage....
of Olympiacos and Akis Zikos
Akis Zikos
Andreas Vassilis "Akis" Zikos is a retired Greek international football player who played as a defensive midfielder...
of Monaco
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...
.
On 25 May 2006, less than a month before the opening of the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Greece lost 1–0 to Australia in a friendly match in front of 95,103 people at the MCG
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
.
Euro 2008
Greece was the highest ranked seed in the 'pots' for qualification to the UEFA Euro 2008 in SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and was drawn with Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
, Norway
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team
The Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team is the national football team of Bosnia and Herzegovina, governed by the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
, Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
, Moldova
Moldova national football team
The Moldova national football team represents Moldova in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Moldova, the governing body for football in Moldova. Moldova's home ground is Zimbru Stadium in Chişinău and their head coach is Gavril Balint...
and Malta
Malta national football team
The Malta national football team is the national football team of Malta and is controlled by the Malta Football Association. Malta played its first international game in February 1957, and began competing for qualification to major tournaments in 1962. The side's first competitive victory came in...
being the only group which did not have a team represented in the World Cup 2006.
Greece began their Euro 2008 campaign with victories over Moldova, Norway and Bosnia-Herzegovina. As a result, Greece climbed eighteen places in two months to 13th place in the October FIFA World Rankings
FIFA World Rankings
The FIFA World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Spain. The teams of the member nations of FIFA , football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
. On 24 March 2007 Greece lost their fourth game 4–1 against Turkey in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. Nevertheless the team went on to win away to Malta, with the only goal coming in the 66th minute from an Basinas
Angelos Basinas
Angelos Basinas is a Greek international footballer and the former captain of his country's national team. He played as a defensive midfielder for Arles-Avignon in the Ligue 1 until 22 October 2010.-Panathinaikos:...
penalty, Hungary and Moldova at home and drew 2–2 away to Norway despite having hit the goalpost three times in this match. The draw in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
was followed by a 3–2 home win against Bosnia-Herzegovina and a 1–0 away win to Turkey, securing its presence to the Euro 2008 finals at their old rival's home ground. In the last two matches, Greece smashed Malta 5–0 in Athens and defeated Hungary with an away 2–1 win, finishing first in their group with a total of 31 points, the most points gained among any group. In the draw for the final tournament, Greece was seeded first as the defending European Champion. In addition to this, Greece climbed to the 11th place in the FIFA World Rankings
FIFA World Rankings
The FIFA World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Spain. The teams of the member nations of FIFA , football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
, the highest ever for them, thus they are seeded first for the draw of the European qualification zone for the World Cup 2010
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of...
, also for the first time.
The draw for the Euro 2008 finals was held on December 2 in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Greece were drawn in Group D along with Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
, Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
, and Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
. In preparation for the tournament, Greece defeated Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
2–1 on 26 March 2008, in a repeat of the Euro 2004 opening and final match; as a result, Greece moved up to a record 8th position in the FIFA world ranking.
In the tournament finals, however, the Greek team lost all three games and scored only one goal. Greece underperformed in the opening match against Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
and lost 2–0. They tried to recover in the match against Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
, but lost 1–0. Having already been eliminated, the Greek team tried their chances against already qualified Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
, but also lost 2–1, becoming the first defending champion not to earn a single point in the next European Championship.
2010 FIFA World Cup
Despite the scoring prowess of Europe's top 2010 World Cup qualifying goal-scorer Theofanis GekasTheofanis Gekas
Theofanis Gekas is a Greek football striker who currently plays for the German club Eintracht Frankfurt. He has been the top goalscorer of the Greek League and the Bundesliga in previous seasons...
—who produced 10 goals in as many games—Greece took second place to Switzerland in Group 2 of UEFA qualification, thus advancing to a home-and-away playoff round, where they faced Ukraine
Ukraine national football team
The Ukraine national football team is the national football team of Ukraine and is controlled by the Football Federation of Ukraine. After Ukrainian Independence and breakaway from the Soviet Union, they played their first match against Hungary on 29 April 1992...
. After a scoreless draw at home in the first match, the second leg in Donetsk
Donetsk
Donetsk , is a large city in eastern Ukraine on the Kalmius river. Administratively, it is a center of Donetsk Oblast, while historically, it is the unofficial capital and largest city of the economic and cultural Donets Basin region...
saw Greece triumph with a 1–0 win, sending the Greeks to the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. At the 2010 World Cup draw in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
on 4 December 2009, Greece found itself grouped with two familiar opponents from its first World Cup appearance in 1994. Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
and Nigeria
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
were yet again drawn into group stage play alongside Greece, this time into Group B
2010 FIFA World Cup Group B
Group B of the 2010 FIFA World Cup began on 12 June and ended on 22 June 2010. The group consisted of Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic and Greece....
with South Korea
Korea Republic national football team
The Korea Republic national football team represents Korea Republic in international football and is controlled by the Korea Football Association. Korea Republic is the most successful Asian football team in the history of the FIFA World Cup having participated in eight World Cup tournaments,...
replacing Greece's third 1994 opponent, Bulgaria.
In its World Cup opener, Greece lost 2–0 to South Korea after a dismal performance characterized by excessive long-ball attacks and a lack of offensive creativity. In its second fixture against Nigeria, Greece won 2–1 coming from behind after conceding an early goal. Dimitris Salpigidis
Dimitris Salpigidis
Dimitris Salpigidis Dimitris Salpigidis Dimitris Salpigidis (Greek: Δημήτρης Σαλπιγγίδης, (born 18 August 1981, Thessaloniki) is a Greek football striker. He plays for PAOK FC and the Greek national team.-Playing career:...
scored Greece's first ever goal in the World Cup finals in the 44th minute of the first half to tie the match at 1–1. Vasilis Torosidis
Vasilis Torosidis
Vasilios Torosidis is a Greek international footballer. He currently plays for the Greek Super League club Olympiacos F.C. and the Greek national football team.-Skoda Xanthi:...
scored the game-winning goal in the 71st minute after a goalkeeper error, securing the first points and first victory for Greece in tournament history. In the third match against heavily favored Argentina, Greece needed a combination of results to advance to the next round. As expected, in what would be his final game as Greece's national team head coach, Otto Rehhagel
Otto Rehhagel
Otto Rehhagel is a German football coach and former football player. Along with Helmut Schön, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Udo Lattek and Hennes Weisweiler, he is considered one of the most successful German managers....
conjured up a very defensive-minded strategy, leaving Georgios Samaras
Georgios Samaras
Georgios Samaras is a Greek footballer who plays for Scottish Premier League club Celtic and the Greek national football team. He is predominantly a left winger but can also play as a striker....
with nearly all offensive responsibilities as the lone striker. The strategy nearly paid off in the second half with the score still knotted 0–0 when Samaras beat the last Argentine defender on a quick long-ball counterattack and curled a rushed shot just wide of the far post. The Greeks held the Argentines scoreless until the 77th minute and ultimately lost 2–0, finishing third in Group B.
After the 2010 World Cup, Greece moved from 13th to 12th in the FIFA World Rankings
FIFA World Rankings
The FIFA World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Spain. The teams of the member nations of FIFA , football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
. Russia, Croatia and France dropped lower than Greece while Uruguay and Chile jumped ahead of the Greeks.
Group F
Having gone through the qualifying stages of Euro 2012 unbeaten, Greece secured a place in the finals qualifying top of their group on 11th October after going one goal down to Georgia only to score two goals in the last 10 minutes. Because of their surprising 2-0 victory over heavily favored Croatia, and their 2-1 comeback victory over Georgia, Greece jumped three places in the FIFA World Rankings and ranked 8th, which tied their record which they set back in 2008.Stadium
Historically, Greece have used various stadiums as their home ground, but they have spent most of their history playing their home matches in AthensAthens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, while stadiums in other cities around the country, especially Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, have occasionally hosted the national team. They played most of their competitive matches at the Karaiskakis Stadium
Karaiskakis Stadium
Karaiskakis Stadium is in the Neo Faliro area of Piraeus, Greece. It is the home ground of Olympiacos F.C. and is named after Georgios Karaiskakis , hero of the Greek War of Independence, who was mortally wounded near the area....
and the Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium
Apostolos Nikolaidis stadium
Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium is a football stadium in Athens, Greece. The stadium, has been the home of Panathinaikos FC and has played for most of the years of its existence, since its foundation back in 1908....
until the mid-1980s, when the Athens Olympic Stadium
Olympic Stadium (Athens)
The Olympic Stadium "Spiros Louis" , is part of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex. It is named after the first modern Olympic marathon race winner in 1896, Spiros Louis.-History:...
opened and hosted the majority of Greece's home matches, before the stadium was closed for renovation in 2002 for the upcoming 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
, when Greece moved to the Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium for the UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying.
After they were crowned European champions in 2004, the newly reconstructed Karaiskakis Stadium became the new home ground of the Greek national team for the qualifyings of the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for UEFA teams. A total of 51 teams took part, divided in 8 Groups - five groups of 6 teams each and three groups of 7 teams each - competing for 13 places in the World Cup...
and the 2008 UEFA Euro, when some riots took place during a match against Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
in the latter competition; the team was forced to play away from Athens for two fixtures and moved to the Pankritio Stadium in Heraklion
Heraklion
Heraklion, or Heraclion is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete, Greece. It is the 4th largest city in Greece....
, Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, before moving back to Athens and the Olympic Stadium for the remaining matches. In the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of...
, Greece used all these three stadiums for home games, but the Athens Olympic Stadium has been used more recently for official matches and it is considered the current home ground of the team unless a different decision is made.
Colours
Greece's home kit since the Hellenic Football Federation was first established was blue, but after Greece's triumph at Euro 2004 they changed their home kit from blue to white. The team wears either a set of white jerseys, shorts and socks or a set of blue jerseys, shorts and socks. A combination of a blue jersey and white shorts has also been used in some matches. The official shirt supplier is AdidasAdidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
which has signed a long-term agreement with the Greek Federation until 2012.The Former Suppliers were Le Coq Sportif (2000-2003), Diadora (1992-1998) and Puma (until 1990).
Nicknames
Traditionally, Greece is referred to by the media and the GreeksGreeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
in general simply as Ethniki, which means 'national'. The team is often called Galanolefki (Blue-white) due to its kit colours which are also the colours of the Greek flag
Flag of Greece
The flag of Greece , officially recognized by Greece as one of its national symbols, is based on nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white...
. Both nicknames are used for the country's national teams in other sports as well. During the opening ceremony in the UEFA Euro 2004, which took place before the inaugural game of the tournament between Greece and hosts Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
, a replica of a 16th century ship was used referring to the Portuguese expeditions of that time. Greek radio sports journalist Georgios Helakis
Georgios Helakis
Georgios Helakis is a Greek sports journalist, famous for his passionate live radio broadcasting of international football matches, particularly Champions League and 2004 UEFA European Championship...
commented that "since the Portuguese team appear in such a ship, it's time for us to become pirates and steal the victory". Eventually, Greece beat the hosts and Piratiko (The Pirate Ship) emerged as the new nickname of the team, repeated at every win. Especially after the Greek win in the final
UEFA Euro 2004 Final
The final of UEFA Euro 2004 was a football match played on 4 July 2004 at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal to determine the winner of UEFA Euro 2004. The match featured tournament hosts Portugal, who went into the match as favourites, and Greece, playing in only their second European...
to Portugal, the new nickname was established to commemorate their coronation as European champions
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
.
FIFA World Cup
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | D | L | GS | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 1930 FIFA World Cup The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Uruguay from 13 July to 30 July 1930... |
Did not enter | |||||||
| 1934 1934 FIFA World Cup The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934.... to 1990 1990 FIFA World Cup The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated... |
Did not qualify | |||||||
 19941994 FIFA World Cup The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988... |
Round 1 | 24/24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| 1998 1998 FIFA World Cup The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final... to 2006 2006 FIFA World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six... |
Did not qualify | |||||||
 20102010 FIFA World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010... |
Round 1 | 25/32 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Total | 2/20 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 15 |
UEFA European Championship
| UEFA European Championship record UEFA European Football Championship The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current... |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | D* | L | GS | GA |
| 1960 to 1976 | Did not qualify | |||||||
| 1980 |
Group stage | 8th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 1984 to 2000 | Did not qualify | |||||||
| 2004 |
Champions UEFA Euro 2004 Final The final of UEFA Euro 2004 was a football match played on 4 July 2004 at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal to determine the winner of UEFA Euro 2004. The match featured tournament hosts Portugal, who went into the match as favourites, and Greece, playing in only their second European... |
1st | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4 |
  2008 |
Group Stage | 16th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
  2012 |
Qualified | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | Champions | 4/14 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 13 |
- **Gold background colour indicates winner of tournament.
FIFA Confederations Cup
| Year | Round | GP | W | D | L | GS | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 1992 King Fahd Cup -Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Goalscorers:2 goals Gabriel Batistuta Bruce Murray1 goal Alberto Acosta Ricardo Altamirano... to 2003 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003. France retained the title they had won in 2001, but the tournament was overshadowed by the death of Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé, who died of heart failure in his side's... |
Did not qualify | ||||||
| 2005 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup -Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place playoff:-Final:-Awards:-Goal scorers:5 goals Adriano4 goals Luciano Figueroa John Aloisi Michael Ballack... |
Round 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 2009 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009 as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match was played at Ellis Park... |
Did not qualify | ||||||
| Total | 1/8 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
Current squad
Squad called up for the friendly matches against RussiaRussia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
on November 11, 2011 and against Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
on November 15, 2011.
Players' records are accurate as of 15 November 2011 after the match against Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
.
|-----
! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
|----- bgcolor="#DFEDFD"
|-----
! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
|----- bgcolor="#DFEDFD"
|----
! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
|----- bgcolor="#DFEDFD"
Recent callups
The following players have not been called up for the upcoming matches but have been called up for the team in the last 12 months.|-----
! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
|----- bgcolor="#DFEDFD"
|-----
! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
|----- bgcolor="#DFEDFD"
|-----
! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
|----- bgcolor="#DFEDFD"
Past squads
FIFA World CupFIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
squads
- 1994 FIFA World Cup squad
- 2010 FIFA World Cup squad
UEFA European Championship
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
squads
- UEFA Euro 1980 squad
- UEFA Euro 2004 squad
- UEFA Euro 2008 squad
FIFA Confederations Cup
FIFA Confederations Cup
The FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...
squads
- 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup squad
Most Appearances
{| class="wikitable" cellpadding="3" style="font-size:90%; text-align: center;"|-
!width="20"|#
!width="150"|Name
!width="100"|Career
!width="30"|Caps
!width="30"|Goals
|-
|1
|
Theodoros Zagorakis
-Kavala:Zagorakis was a defensive midfielder who usually operated on the right hand side of midfield. He started his career with Kavala, the club that also produced Zisis Vryzas, with whom he became close friends...
|1996–2007
|120
|3
|-
|2
|
Giorgos Karagounis
Giorgos Karagounis is a Greek footballer who currently plays for Panathinaikos . He is best remembered for scoring the first goal of UEFA Euro 2004, a very long range effort that helped his team to win the opening game of the tournament, in which the Greeks surprisingly emerged as champions.His...
|1999–
|114
|8
|-
|3
|
Angelos Basinas
Angelos Basinas is a Greek international footballer and the former captain of his country's national team. He played as a defensive midfielder for Arles-Avignon in the Ligue 1 until 22 October 2010.-Panathinaikos:...
|1999-2009
|100
|7
|-
|4
|
Stratos Apostolakis
Efstratios "Stratos" Apostolakis , nicknamed The Turbo, was a Greek footballer.The former Defender was no stranger to controversy as a player, his switch from Olympiacos to Panathinaikos in 1990 led to the cancellation of the Greek Super Cup as the authorities feared riots.As a footballer though...
|1986-1998
|96
|5
|-
|5
|
|1999-2008
|90
|0
|-
|6
|
Kostas Katsouranis
Konstantinos "Kostas" Katsouranis is a Greek footballer who currently plays for Panathinaikos FC and the Greek national team as a defensive midfielder.-Panachaiki:...
|2003–
|88
|9
|-
|7
|
Angelos Charisteas
Angelos Charisteas was born on 9 February 1980 in Strymoniko, Serres, but originates from Mani. He is a Greek football player who currently plays as a striker for Panetolikos F.C....
|2001–
|88
|25
|-
|8
|
Dimitris Saravakos
Dimitrios "Dimitris" Saravakos , nicknamed O Μικρός is a Greek former football player, considered to be one of the best Greek football players of all time. He started his career in Panionios and later he moved on to Panathinaikos FC, where Saravakos gained fame and matured as a footballer,...
|1982-1994
|78
|22
|-
|9
|
Stelios Giannakopoulos
Stylianos "Stelios" Giannakopoulos , popularly known as Stelios, is a retired Greek footballer who is currently president of the Greek Professional Footballers Association...
|1997-2009
|77
|12
|-
|10
|
|1978-1994
|77
|8
Most goals
{| class="wikitable" cellpadding="3" style="font-size:90%; text-align: center;"|-
!width="20"|#
!width="150"|Name
!width="100"|Career
!width="30"|Goals
!width="30"|Caps
|-
|1
|
Nikos Anastopoulos
Nikos Anastopoulos is a Greek former football player, one of the most prolific strikers in the Greek league during the late 1970s and the 1980s. With 29 goals he is the all time highest scorer for the Greek national football team. Since retiring as a player he has become a football manager...
|1977-1988
|29
|73
|-
|2
|
Angelos Charisteas
Angelos Charisteas was born on 9 February 1980 in Strymoniko, Serres, but originates from Mani. He is a Greek football player who currently plays as a striker for Panetolikos F.C....
|2001–
|25
|88
|-
|3
|
Dimitris Saravakos
Dimitrios "Dimitris" Saravakos , nicknamed O Μικρός is a Greek former football player, considered to be one of the best Greek football players of all time. He started his career in Panionios and later he moved on to Panathinaikos FC, where Saravakos gained fame and matured as a footballer,...
|1982-1994
|22
|78
|-
|4
|
Mimis Papaioannou
Dimitris "Mimis" Papaioannou was one of the star football players of AEK Athens FC. He was born in 1942 and began his career at Nea Genea in the town of Nea Nikomedia , Imathia Prefecture. He joined AEK in time for the 1963 season for the paltry sum of 140,000 drachmas...
|1963-1980
|21
|61
|-
|5
|
Theofanis Gekas
Theofanis Gekas is a Greek football striker who currently plays for the German club Eintracht Frankfurt. He has been the top goalscorer of the Greek League and the Bundesliga in previous seasons...
|2005-
|21
|55
|-
|6
|
Nikos Machlas
Nikolaos Machlas is a Greek retired footballer and now chairman of OFI Crete. He finished his career as a striker for Cypriot team APOEL.-Club career:...
|1993-2002
|18
|61
|-
|7
|
Demis Nikolaidis
Themistoklis "Demis" Nikolaidis was the forty second president of AEK Athens F.C., and is considered one of the finest footballers Greece has ever produced. In his early childhood and teenage years he lived in the city of Alexandroupoli, in the north-east part of Greece...
|1995-2004
|17
|54
|-
|8
|
Panagiotis Tsalouchidis
Panagiotis Tsalouchidis is a Greek former footballer who played professionally from 1983 to 1999 for Veria, Olympiacos and PAOK, making 500 league appearances in Greek football. Tsalouchidis also represented Greece at international level, earning 75 caps between 1987 and 1995, and representing his...
|1987-1995
|16
|76
|-
|9
|
Giorgos Sideris
Giorgos Sideris is a retired Greek football striker and is considered one of the greatest forwards in Olympiacos and Greek soccer history. An inside-right forward that no-one or nothing could stand in his way . Very quick with the ball on his feet and a player that had the instinct and charisma to...
|1958-1970
|14
|28
|-
|10
|
|1996–
|13
|74
Managers
All the managers in team's history.{|
|width="10"|
|valign="top"|
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|-
!rowspan="1"|Name
!rowspan="1"|Nationality
!rowspan="1"|Years
|-
|align=left|Fernando Santos
|
|align=left|2010–
|-
|align=left|Otto Rehhagel
Otto Rehhagel
Otto Rehhagel is a German football coach and former football player. Along with Helmut Schön, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Udo Lattek and Hennes Weisweiler, he is considered one of the most successful German managers....
|
|align=left|2001–2010
|-
|align=left|Vassilis Daniill
|
|align=left|1999–2001
|-
|align=left|Anghel Iordănescu
Anghel Iordanescu
Anghel Iordănescu is a Major General and former Romanian football striker, currently a politician. In 2007 Iordănescu retired from football, and the following February, after his predecessor resigned, he became a member of the Romanian Senate, sitting on the Social Democratic Party benches.-Career...
|
|align=left|1998–1999
|-
|align=left|Kostas Polychroniou
|
|align=left|1994–1998
|-
|align=left|Alketas Panagoulias
|
|align=left|1992–1994
|-
|align=left|Antonis Georgiadis
|
|align=left|1989–1992
|-
|align=left|Alekos Sofianidis
Alekos Sofianidis
Alekos Sofianidis was a former Turkish-Greek football player and manager. Sofianidis was a left back. He is known as Aleko Sofyanidis in Turkey.-Playing career:...
|
|align=left|1988–1989
|-
|align=left|Miltos Papapostolou
|
|align=left|1984–1988
|-
|align=left|Christos Archontidis
|
|align=left|1982–1984
|-
|align=left|Alketas Panagoulias
|
|align=left|1977–1982
|-
|align=left|Lakis Petropoulos
|
|align=left|1976–1977
|-
|align=left|Alketas Panagoulias
|
|align=left|1973–1976
|-
|align=left|Billy Bingham
Billy Bingham
William Laurence "Billy" Bingham, MBE is a former international footballer and football manager. He is currently a scout for English Football League Championship side Burnley....
|
|align=left|1971–1973
|-
|align=left|Lakis Petropoulos
|
|align=left|1969–1971
|-
|align=left|Dan Georgiadis
|
|align=left|1968–1969
|-
|align=left|Panos Markovits
|
|align=left|1966–1968
|-
|}
|width="30"|
|valign="top"|
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|-
!rowspan="1"|Name
!rowspan="1"|Nationality
!rowspan="1"|Years
|-
|align=left|Lakis Petropoulos
|
|align=left|1964–1966
|-
|align=left|Tryfon Tzanetis
Tryfon Tzanetis
Tryfon Tzanetis was a Greek football player and coach. Born in 1918 in Izmir, he was a best known as a forward for AEK Athens FC during the 1930s and 1940s, partnering Kleanthis Maropoulos in AEK's front line...
|
|align=left|1960–1964
|-
|align=left|Paul Baron
|
|align=left|1959–1960
|-
|align=left|Rino Martini
|
|align=left|1957–1959
|-
|align=left|Kostas Andritsos
Kostas Andritsos
Kostas Andritsos is a Greek film director and writer.Films directed include AERA! AERA! AERA! .- External links :...
|
|align=left|1956–1957
|-
|align=left|Ioannis Chelmis
|
|align=left|1955–1956
|-
|align=left|Antonis Migiakis
|
|align=left|1954–1955
|-
|align=left|Kostas Negrepontis
Kostas Negrepontis
Konstantinos Negrepontis was a Greek football forward of the 1920s and 1930s. Born in Constantinople in 1897, he started his football career in Turkey, playing for the Pera-based Pera Club. He also played in France and Fenerbahçe S.K. for a time before eventually settling in Greece to play for...
|
|align=left|1953–1954
|-
|align=left|Antonis Migiakis
|
|align=left|1951–1953
|-
|align=left|Kostas Negrepontis
Kostas Negrepontis
Konstantinos Negrepontis was a Greek football forward of the 1920s and 1930s. Born in Constantinople in 1897, he started his football career in Turkey, playing for the Pera-based Pera Club. He also played in France and Fenerbahçe S.K. for a time before eventually settling in Greece to play for...
|
|align=left|1938–1951
|-
|align=left|Kostas Konstantaras
|
|align=left|1935–1938
|-
|align=left|Apostolos Nikolaidis
Apostolos Nikolaidis
Apostolos Nikolaidis was a Greek athlete, football manager and businessman. He was a leading board member and president of Panathinaikos.- Biography :...
|
|align=left|1934–1935
|-
|align=left|Kostas Negrepontis
Kostas Negrepontis
Konstantinos Negrepontis was a Greek football forward of the 1920s and 1930s. Born in Constantinople in 1897, he started his football career in Turkey, playing for the Pera-based Pera Club. He also played in France and Fenerbahçe S.K. for a time before eventually settling in Greece to play for...
|
|align=left|1933–1934
|-
|align=left|Lefteris Panourgias
|
|align=left|1932–1933
|-
|align=left|Jan Kopsiva
|
|align=left|1930–1932
|-
|align=left|Apostolos Nikolaidis
|
|align=left|1929–1930
|-
|}
|}
Competitive results
These are Greece's results in the three major competitions that they have participated in. The results in the main tournaments have been listed directly in the total column.As of October 11, 2011
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; font-size:95%"
|-
! width="225" |Competition
! colspan=7|Total
! colspan=5|Home
! colspan=5|Away
|-
|
|width="30" |Pld
|width="30" |W
|width="30" |D
|width="30" |L
|width="30" |GF
|width="30" |GA
|width="30" |GD
|width="30" |W
|width="30" |D
|width="30" |L
|width="30" |GF
|width="30" |GA
|width="30" |W
|width="30" |D
|width="30" |L
|width="30" |GF
|width="30" |GA
|-bgcolor=#CADCFB
|align="left"|FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
|110
|41
|22
|47
|127
|170
| −43
|26
|10
|15
|72
|54
|15
|12
|32
|55
|116
|-bgcolor=#CADCFB
|align="left"|UEFA EURO
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
|113
|56
|22
|35
|163
|123
| +40
|33
|5
|12
|97
|50
|24
|17
|23
|68
|84
|-bgcolor=#CADCFB
|align="left"|FIFA Confederations Cup
FIFA Confederations Cup
The FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...
|3
|0
|1
|2
|0
|4
| −4
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|0
|1
|2
|0
|4
|-bgcolor=#ffe4c4
|Total
|225
|96
|45
|84
|288
|296
| −8
|59
|15
|27
|167
|103
|37
|30
|57
|121
|193
|}
Total results by opponent
{| class="sortable" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse;"|-
!Against
!
!
!
!
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||13||6||3||4
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||2||0||0||2
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||3||2||1||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||9||3||3||3
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||11||3||5||3
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||1||1||0||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||6||3||1||2
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||1||0||1||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||5||4||1||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||2||0||1||1
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||24||6||6||12
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||1||0||0||1
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||4||3||1||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||1||1||0||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||1||0||0||1
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||6||2||3||1
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||24||15||6||3
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||4||2||2||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||5||0||0||5
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||16||3||4||9
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||8||2||0||6
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||1||0||1||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||9||4||2||3
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||2||2||0||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||11||1||2||8
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||2||1||1||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||3||3||0||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||2||2||0||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||12||7||2||3
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||14||2||3||9
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||7||6||1||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||8||0||3||5
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||1||0||1||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||1||1||0||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||18||8||5||5
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||2||2||0||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||2||1||1||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||16||1||6||9
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||17||9||5||3
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||1||0||0||1
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||3||3||0||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||1||0||1||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||3||0||1||2
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||6||3||2||1
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||1||1||0||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||1||1||0||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||1||0||0||1
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||8||8||0||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||10||7||2||1
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||4||1||2||1
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||5||4||1||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||1||0||1||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||9||0||1||8
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||3||2||0||1
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||5||4||0||1
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||7||3||2||2
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||2||2||0||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||1||0||0||1
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||15||3||2||10
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||13||5||4||4
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||1||1||0||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||32||7||8||17
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||10||1||5||4
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||2||2||0||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||2||1||1||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||2||1||0||1
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||1||1||0||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||3||1||1||1
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||4||3||1||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||12||2||2||8
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||1||0||0||1
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||11||2||0||9
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||6||2||3||1
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||12||2||3||7
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||2||2||0||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||11||3||2||6
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||6||2||2||2
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||1||0||1||0
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||2||1||0||1
|-
|style="text-align: left;"|||22||2||3||17
|-
!Total!!519!!191!!122!!206
|}
FIFA ranking history
Greece's history in the FIFA World RankingsFIFA World Rankings
The FIFA World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Spain. The teams of the member nations of FIFA , football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
. The table shows the position that Greece held in December of each year (and the current position as of 2011), as well as the highest and lowest positions annually.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!width=50|Year
!width=75|Position
!width=50|Highest
!width=50|Lowest
|-
|1993
|34
|32
|36
|-
|1994
|28
|28
|37
|-
|1995
|34
|23
|34
|-
|1996
|35
|30
|45
|-
|1997
|42
|29
|46
|-
|1998
|53
|42
|66
|-
|1999
|34
|30
|46
|-
|2000
|42
|31
|42
|-
|2001
|57
|43
|61
|-
|2002
|48
|46
|59
|-
|2003
|30
|26
|48
|-
|2004
|18
|14
|36
|-
|2005
|16
|12
|20
|-
|2006
|16
|14
|32
|-
|2007
|11
|11
|16
|-
|2008
|20
|8
|20
|-
|2009
|12
|11
|20
|-
|2010
|12
|11
|13
|}
Honours
- European ChampionshipUEFA European Football ChampionshipThe UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
: 1
-
- 2004
Other distinctions
- World Soccer: 1
-
- World Team of the Year 2004
- FIFA Fair Play Award: 1
- FIFA Fair Play Trophy 2005
- Laureus World Sports AwardsLaureus World Sports AwardsThe Laureus World Sports Awards are awarded annually to sportspeople who have been outstanding during the previous year. The Laureus World Sports Awards were established in 1999 by Founding Patrons Daimler and Richemont and is supported by its Global Partners Mercedes-Benz, IWC Schaffhausen and...
: 1
- Laureus World Sports Awards
- Team of the Year 2005Laureus World Sports Award for Team of the YearList of winners and nominees of the Laureus World Sports Awards: Team of the Year. Winning team is bolded and shaded in gray.-List of winners and nominees:-See also:*Sportsman of the Year*Sportswoman of the Year*Breakthrough of the Year...
- World Team of the Year 2004
See also
- Greece national under-21 football team
- Greece national under-19 football teamGreece national under-19 football team-Group 3:- Current squad :Represented Greece in the UEFA under 19 championship July 20- August 1 2011- See also :* Greece Under-19 2007 national team* Greece Under-19 2007 national team- External links :*...
- Greece national under-17 football teamGreece national under-17 football teamThe Greece national under-17 football team is the Under-17 years of age team of the Greece national football team.This team is for Greek players aged 17 or under at the start European Under-17 Football Championship .-History:*European Championship 1985: Runners-up,*European Championship 1991: Third...