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After arriving in Portugal without a win at a major tournament, the resilient and relentless Greeks, with only six goals from six different players, are in the final of the European Nations Championship. They will meet the hosts they had already beaten on the opening day.
One will err badly if the Greeks’ success is referred to as a miracle. They had qualified with eighteen points and finished ahead of Spain. During the competition proper they were in the same group as Spain, and thanks to their victory over Portugal, they finished on equal points with the Spaniards, but with a superior goal difference.
Their German manager admits that he had found an undisciplined side with everyone doing what he liked. Now they act like professional footballers, follow a code of behaviour and a full programme of training, which was planned months ago.
The team is winning and unknown players have been noticed. They have earned great admiration for their approach…though before their semi-final tie they almost spoilt their copybooks as the players demanded 300,000euros each, come what may! Common sense prevailed and having reached the finals they have been assured of a four million euro purse. The sky could be the limit if they win the title.
The Greek tactics? Forget 4-5-1, and replace by team spirit, cohesiveness, German discipline, German work ethic and Greek passion. With their simplicity, teamwork, discipline and the way they disturb the flow of a game, they have beaten the hosts, the holders and the favourites. Their outstanding defensive display is shown by conceding only four goals in I don't know how many matches and only one after half time. The main reason for their defensive record is their tight marking, archaic it may be, but thoroughly effective.
A blessing in disguise
Portugal are well aware of the size of their pay packet which was agreed to months before but also reviewed during these last few hours.
The defeat against Greece may be regarded as a blessing in disguise for Portugal because it unleashed the emotions and qualities of the side as they went on to defeat Russia, Spain, England and Holland in encounters which demonstrated the indomitable strength of will of a team that has kicked off a party across Portugal.
Filipe Luiz Scolari of Brazil and Otto Rehhegel of Germany, two distinguished men in their mid fifties are the new kings of Portugal and Greece for their contribution to the world of football. It may not be a spectacular final, but it will surely be a battle of wits between two great tacticians What they have achieved with two 'limited' sides from rather small countries is a tribute to their supreme knowledge of the game and their own personality.
Forgetting the miseries of life
The EURO 2004 curtain comes down to-night. Three weeks of delightful fare kept millions glued to their small screen and once again 'the beautiful game' made people forget all about the usual miseries of life, as the world almost came to a complete halt. Ask the Maltese taxi drivers how much business they had on match nights!
The organisers went through their ordeal in brilliant style as very few unwarranted incidents were recorded. It is a fact that Portugal provided a lesson on how to control hooligans without unnecessary fuss. It has been a non-stop party for hundreds of thousands of tourists and Portuguese alike. Or to quote an oft repeated cliché...sport unites. Who would have thought that the opening match of the tournament which brought an unexpected victory for Greece would be the final? Greece defeated the hosts, eliminated the holder France and the much-fancied Czech Republic side with the silver goal. These regular successes cannot be regarded as surprises, but a confirmation of a well-drilled, well-disciplined side, with a few individual performers of a very high standard and a collective display which is second to none. They may still give the home side a hard time to-night though Portugal start as favourites and are my choice to lift the title. It should be Figo's moment of glory.
Portugal and Greece en fete
The tournament brought jubilation all across Portugal and Greece. Lisbon and Athens may have been the focal point of celebrations, but not alone.
One anticipates a hard fought final between two teams, replete with brilliant individual stars but where the main strength is the collective play.
It seems that every twenty years, home advantage might be a crucial factor, like it was for France twenty years ago, when they faced Spain, the side that needed an eleven goal margin in their tie against Malta in order to qualify.
The notorious 12-1 victory for the Spaniards still hurts. Justice seemed to have been done when a harmless grounder from the impeccable Michel Platini (the next UEFA President?) beat Luis Arconada, and France went on to win with another goal from Bellone.
The finals were restricted to eight teams with two groups of four, semi-finals and final. France won all their five matches and Platini ended top scorer with eight goals, which included two hat-tricks: one against Belgium and another in the match with Yugoslavia. France had the hard working Fernandes, the elegance of Tigana, the style of Giresse and the mercurial Platini in a brilliant side built by Hidalgo.
Today the country which is famous for their navigators, have a Brazilian at the helm and a Brazilian non-stop midfielder. Filipe Scolari wanted Deco much to the disgust of a few senior plays in the ranks. Anderson Luis de Souza-Deco became a Portuguese citizen in March 2003. He may have played his last match for Porto when they won the Champions League with a 3-0 victory over Monaco five weeks ago, as Mourinho wants him at Stamford Bridge. But Portugal is not just Deco, or the selected Porto players like Nuno Valente, Paolo Ferriera, Ricardo Carvalho, Manniche and Francesco Costinha.
The writer who goes for style, class and elegance must single out Nuno Ricardo Oliviero Ribiero, a Benfica product appropriately nicknamed Maniche in honour of Benfica's former Danish forward Michel Manniche. He scored a dream goal against Holland undoubtedly the goal of the tournament and has had brilliant performances throughout. He is my 'player of the tournament.'
Then there is Figo. Like the four Real Madrid players who captained their respective countries, Figo was hardly impressive and consistent and was rightly substituted on a number of times. But against The Netherlands he showed why he had cost the Madrilenoes 65million euros a few years back. When Scolari took him off in the match with England, Figo's pride was hurt and there was a lot of talk about the player's anger till people read a story about him praying to Our Lady of Fatima as the penalty-kicks were taken. Many, including yours truly do not believe all that they read, but whoever wrote the piece earned interesting headlines!!
Filipe Luiz Scolari is not one who is afraid to take decisions, That plus his man-management makes him also good at psychological welfare. He also gets his players extremely fit and to play to a pattern that suits his best players.
He will be considered as the world's best manager if Portugal win the European championship, having already won the Mundial with Brazil, the Libertatores Cup with Gremio and Palmieras and shaken a few hard headed administrators and players who did not like his decisions. Deco's case is a clear example and like his tactics and substitutions he has proved that he knows all the tricks.
It is Coronation Night, to-night and Figo will be there, hoping for the elusive crown, while his Real Madrid colleagues Beckham, Zidane and Raul are still contemplating why England, France and Spain were ever so ordinary and greatly disappointing.
Beckham's England lacked flair, possession, and quality players. France after an encouraging build up to the tournament looked as diabolical as they were in Japan and South Korea. The Spaniards were equally pathetic. Fatigue could well be one of their main excuses but the truth is that many millionaire-footballers flopped and their transfer value was heavily devaluated. Their actual contribution to the side on the field of play did not match their rewarding commercial slots off the arenas. They seemed to have forgotten the duties to the game which made them celebrities.
On the other hand, players like Wayne Rooney, Van Nistelrooy, Milan Baros, Ricardo Carvalho, Deco and other have certainly become costlier than they were three weeks ago.
Three foreign coaches
Greece was the second of three sides with a foreigner at the helm. Otto Rehhagel may not be on par with Eriksson as far as contract goes but his achievements with a 'limited' side are far superior. Scolari's two selections eliminated England twice.
Functionalism is the name of to-day’s game as we will certainly witness to-night. The game is predominantly determined by errors.
EURO 2004 presented four proud captains from Real Madrid, namely Zidane (France), Figo (Portugal), Beckham (England) and Raul (Spain). They had just concluded a disastrous Liga campaign and the third placing hardly befits the big money they all earn. It was a disaster for President Florentino Perez whose re-election is in doubt. Real lost 30 million euros as they had to cancel exhibition matches in Los Angeles, New York, Shangai, Beijing, Tokyo and Kobe because they have to play in the preliminaries of the Champions League.
They were all big flops and they confirmed their poor form, lack of fitness and freshness. Quiroz was a failure, but these superstars have also to accept their full share of blame for the pathetic performances of the teams they led on the luscious Portuguese surfaces. One should do well to consider the problem of fatigue. They had played far too many matches. Raul played in 62 matches, Zidane 59, Beckham 57. The same can be said of many other world class players who were off-form. But then Figo played no less than 68 matches so far and he was simply brilliant in the last outing when Portugal beat Holland and never stopped running. Perhaps Scolari's decision to substitute him in previous matches had had a great effect on the Portuguese skipper. Scolari took him off. Eriksson, Santini and Saez did not have the courage to do so.
Enjoy the spectacle.
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