Monday 2 June 2008
Dark horses still finding their feet
by Vassiliki Papantonopoulou from Athens

Greece’s goalless draw against Armenia on Sunday caused some fans
concern but Otto Rehhagel was less worried about a team who have
"always been outsiders".

Scoring run
The reigning European champions looked listless as they failed to find
a way past Armenia in Offenbach am Main, and coach Rehhagel was
clearly unhappy with their form in front of goal. It was the first
time in 15 games that the national team had failed to score, having
lost 1-0 to the Korean Republic at London’s Craven Cottage, and it was
their first scoreless draw since they played Mexico in the FIFA
Confederations Cup in Frankfurt on 22 June 2005.

Tired legs
However, Rehhagel had calmed down by the time he met the Greek press
afterwards, saying: "It was a preparation encounter and the players
were obviously tired from training. That’s normal for all teams a week
before a competition starts. Perhaps I could have used an extra
forward at the expense of a defensive player, but it was vital not to
lose. The most important thing for us is to have the team fine-tuned
when our finals matches begin on 10 June."

No reputation
The unexpected triumph at UEFA EURO 2004?¢ has left Greece with
a reputation to live up to, yet Rehhagel insists there is no undue
pressure on the holders. "We are not the EURO 2008?¢ favourites
– we never were," said the German coach. "We are placed somewhere
between sixth and tenth in the European rankings. Greece have always
been outsiders, but I am OK with that."

Pressure off
Giorgos Karagounis struggled through the Armenia game despite a sore
knee, but the 31-year-old playmaker is sure he will be injury free by
the time Greece face Sweden in their opening Group D game in
Salzburg. "We know that we are not in the spotlight right now, but
that doesn’t bother us," he said. "We are the European champions but
we also know that no team in the history of the competition has won it
twice in a row."

‘Nine days’
Meanwhile, 26-year-old Eintracht Frankfurt forward Giannis Amanatidis
is hoping that Greece can find their true form in the days leading up
to their opening encounter of the finals. He said of the Armenia game:
"We were a bit tired, but I won’t use that as an excuse. We have room
for improvement. We have to rest and improve our tactics, especially
when we are in possession of the ball."