Announcing themselves on the world stage
A decade ago, Greece sent shock waves through the football world when they emerged victorious at the EURO 2004 tournament. Thanks to staunchly defensive play and converting the few goal-scoring chances that came their way, the team, which was under the guidance of brilliant German tactician
Otto Rehhagel, made their way past continental heavyweights such as France and Portugal to secure what, is to, date, their only major international trophy.
After a group stage exit at the next EURO tournament, they went on to secure a spot at the 2010 World Cup--their second outing following their debut in 1994--but were sent packing after failing to progress from the group stages. They then followed up that disappointment by a solid run at the EURO 2012 competition, and made it to the quarter-finals before being dispatched by Germany by a score of 4-2, and two years later, will be making their third-ever appearance at a World Cup in just a few weeks from now.
As a result of their overall positive showings at international level, Greece are presently ranked as 10th by FIFA's most recent table and have never dropped outside the top 20 save for just a couple of months after their 2004 victory. In terms of within UEFA, they are placed 12th as of May 26th.
Preparing for their third World Cup outing
Following the departure of Rehhagel in the summer of 2010, Lisbon-born Fernando Santos took over and was at the helm of the squad that reached the aforementioned EURO 2012 quarter-finals. Impressively, his 17 consecutive unbeaten matches set a national team record before being snapped by Romania back in 2011. As for their qualifiers, despite doing well with eight wins, one draw, and one loss, it was not enough to see them earn the top spot in their group.
In fact, although Greece had the strongest defensive record, with just four goals conceded, their attack was a lot less impressive, with just 12 goals and hence were pipped to an automatic berth by debutants Bosnia, who had a vastly superior goal differential thanks to their impressive 30-goal haul over 10 matches. Hence, they had to seal their spot the hard way, through a two-legged playoff with Romania, in which Kostas Mitroglou grabbed three out of his team's four goals to see them through 4-2 on aggregate.
Who's heading to Brazil and key personnel
Portuguese coach Fernando Santos is the second consecutive foreign-born coach to lead the national side within the past decade and overall represents the 10th non-Greek boss since the organization's birth in 1929. The former midfielder, who saw his playing career cut short after a youth spell with Benfica, had previously managed several of Greece's top teams, including PAOK and AEK Athens before being appointed to his current position in July 2010.
Greece have a tricky group with Ivory Coast, Japan, and Colombia for company in Brazil
The coach's selection for the upcoming tournament includes a mix of players that will be familiar to fans both based in Greece and abroad. For instance, veteran midfielder Giorgos Karagounis is widely known in his native country as he not only score his team's first goal at their EURO triumph but also is their most experienced player with 132 caps to his name. And despite his club team, Fulham, being relegated this season, he is quite familiar to Premier League fans for his boundless energy despite being 37 years old.
Another key player for the team will be of course, the previously mentioned Mitroglou, with the attacker being a dominant force in helping his side en route to Brazil during their play-off matches. Goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis may not be as well-known outside Greece, but the Granada man, who is there on loan from Udinese, featured in each and every one of the team's qualifing games and due to his excellent displays will be counted on heavily as they take on Didier Drogba's Ivory Coast, Radamel Falcao's Colombia, and Asian powerhouse Japan.
Borussia Dortmund's Sokratis Papastathopoulos is another who will be hoping to replicate his club form at international level, and last, but certainly not least, is Georgios Samaras, who has represented the team since 2006. The lanky striker departed Scottish side Celtic due to his claims of not being offered a new deal and so will be keen on putting on a good show for any prospective teams interested in his services.
Also, there appears that there will be some changes on the manager's bench for Greece. According to recent reports, this World Cup will be the last outing for Santos, as he has opted not to renew his contract. As the country's football organization searches for an adequate replacement, former Monaco boss Claudio Ranieri's name has come up as a possible replacement to guide the team through their EURO 2016 qualifiers.
Where to catch them in action
Want to stay on top of all Greece's matches this summer? Visit their match page to find out times and channels for your specific country.
