Rehhagel rekindles Greek national pride

EURO 2004/Semi-Final Preview: At each successive post-match press conference, the smile on Otto Rehhagel's face gets wider and wider writes  Paddy Agnew in Porto

After Greece had spoiled the opening party by defeating host nation Portugal 2-1 in Porto, Greece's German-born coach joked he was now the only driver in Athens who could use the taxi lanes and not get a fine.

After his side had sprung the biggest surprise of the tournament so far when beating France 1-0 in last Friday's quarter-final tie in Lisbon, he struck a more dramatic note, declaring: "This is a great night for Greek football. From New York to Rio de Janeiro and all around the world, people have seen how Greek football has grabbed this great opportunity."

It is stating only the obvious to suggest not many of us predicted Greece would go this far. One suspects not even 65-year-old Rehhagel expected as much. When he took over the side three years ago, he could hardly have been so optimistic. After all his first game in charge resulted in a humiliating 5-1 World Cup qualifier loss to Finland.

That game was followed by a clash with England in another World Cup qualifier that had no significance for the Greeks but which held the key to England's qualification for the South Korea and Japan finals. Greece were billed as the sacrificial lambs to be slaughtered in celebration of England's qualification.

In the end, it required a late David Beckham free-kick goal to spare English embarrassment and secure a 2-2 draw that was good enough to win the group. That Greek performance might have been irrelevant as far as the World Cup was concerned but it had given a hint of things to come. The Rehhagel effect was already at work.

Speaking after the win over France, Rehhagel outlined much of the key to his success with Greece. It is not, as one tends to imagine, that he has modulated Latin flair with solid, German defensive organisation. Rather, he claims, his first concerns were psychological: "In the last three years, what I have tried to do is develop team spirit and that's what counts. Individually, the Greek players were very talented but they had to understand that a team group has rules. Once I got them to accept this, then they started achieving."

Rehhagel did not say it the other night but a large part of his initial impact with the Greek players saw him working hard to persuade them it was worth the bother to turn out at all for their country. Years and years of anonymous results and non-qualifications had left the players feeling it was their club careers, especially with the big three of Greek football, AEK Athens, Panathinaikos and Olympiakos, that really mattered.

Your correspondent recalls literally bumping into Rehhagel at the accreditation booth prior to a Champions League tie between AS Roma and AEK Athens two seasons ago. Given both sides were on their way out of the group, one was curious as to why Rehhagel had bothered to travel to Rome for the game.

The coach explained he wanted to have a look at a couple of players and, in particular, reassure talented AEK striker Demis Nikolaidis (now with Atletico Madrid) there was a role for him in the national team. Given Nikolaidis has played his part at Euro 2004, sometimes as a sub, then you would have to call it a case of mission accomplished.

Likewise, even if Greece go out tonight it will still be a case of mission more than accomplished. Rehhagel has done more than introduce the German methodology that saw him win two Bundesliga titles and one European Cup Winners' Cup with Werder Bremen.

He has created a team, he has rekindled a sense of national pride amongst his players and in so doing he has brought the best out of footballers who, in other circumstances - Nikos Dabizas at Leicester, Traianos Dellas at Roma, Georgios Karagounis at Inter, Takis Fyssas at Benfica, Zisis Vryzas at Fiorentina - had performed if not anonymously, certainly without generating trans-contintental headlines.

Rehhagel's Greece may not have set the world on fire with champagne football. Indeed, one expects more of the Greek defensive game against the Czechs in tonight's semi-final.

Win or lose, though, Rehhagel and Greece have served a timely reminder there is no guarantee of success for national squads built around players of reputation and fame, players from prestigious clubs. Rehhagel and Greece, not unlike Ireland at Germany 88, have shown with a combination of organisation and the right attitude, you can go a long way.