© EuroFootball.com
When the Turkish national team finished the 2002 World Cup in third place, jealous Greek glances from the other shore of the Aegean Sea followed the Turks. However, thanks to the good work of Greece's national team coach, Otto Rehhagel, Greece qualified for the European Championship for the first time since 1980. It is very likely that the Greeks can follow in the footsteps of the Turks.
"We are going to Portugal not to relax, but to work hard and surprise the spectators a little" - says Greece's team center-back Ioannis Goumas.
The players of the Greek national team cannot boast of experience in such high-ranking competitions, but united in their determination and full of desire to win, they can achieve much more.
"We are in a very friendly atmosphere and my team players have learned how to play in a useful way in the team - we are all for one and one for all" - says Greece's national team coach Rehhagel.
After losing two consecutive games in the qualifying stage of the European Championship, the coach told his players that they needed to get rid of the almost stuck label of losers. They successfully achieved this task - they won all remaining six games and qualified for the European Championship.
Qualifying for the European Championship is an important phenomenon in Greek football. However, coach Otto Rehhagel takes the future very seriously.
"We need to invest more money in order to develop new talents. We have to lay very strong foundations so that we have something to be proud of in the future" - says Rehhagel. - "And now we have a great chance to fulfill our dreams" - added the coach.
The Greeks will start the European Championship with a match against the host, one of the favorites, the Portuguese national team.
