Like Denmark in 1992, a rank outsider has overcome the odds to capture the European crown. But while the Danes' victory was unexpected -- Denmark, which hadn't even qualified for the tournament, had sent its players on holiday only to recall them after Yugoslavia was ousted due to UN sanctions -- it perhaps did not defy belief to the same degree as the Greeks' victory.
Denmark boasted two world class players in Peter Schmeichel and Brian Laudrup, who teamed with the likes of Bent Christensen and Flemmin Povlsen, who played regularly in the Bundesliga at a time when limits on foreigners made gaining a spot in a top European league very difficult. Arguably, the only world class player among the Greeks is Giourkas Seitaridis, and while they do have their share of foreign-based players (Georgios Karagounis, Traianos Dellas, Zisis Vryzas, Stylianos Giannakopoulos, Themistoklis Nikolaidis and Angelos Charisteas), none are regulars in the top flight. Add the fact that winning a 16-team tournament is, if only statistically, a tougher proposition than the eight-team competition it was in 1992 and the magnitude of what Greece has achieved becomes even more apparent. |