On the way to EURO 2008

[Tsalgik]

[Guest geok]

Opponent (Russia) news: (from uefa.com)

With only a month left before Russia coach Guus Hiddink names a preliminary squad for UEFA EURO 2008™, his likely selection is far from settled.

Forward question

Russia' next friendly is in Moscow against Kazakhstan on 23 May, and the biggest question is who will play up front. Hiddink has a surfeit of suitable strikers, but several candidates are out of form and regular frontman Andrei Arshavin is suspended for the opening two Group D matches against Spain and holders Greece due to a qualifying red card against Andorra. The Dutchman must therefore choose carefully having stated that only five forwards will be selected.

Bulykin form

Even Dmitri Bulykin, who last played for Russia on 13 October 2004, still has a chance. Hiddink went over to Germany to watch the Bayer 04 Leverkusen striker, and also followed his progress when he scored against FC Zenit St. Petersburg in the second leg of UEFA Cup quarter-finals. However, a lack of playing time at Leverkusen might count against him, something that should not be a factor for Aleksandr Kerzhakov, who has returned to club football in his home country with FC Dinamo Moskva after a spell in Spain at Sevilla FC, playing every minute of the domestic season thus far.

Kerzhakov return

The 25-year-old was top scorer in Russia's qualifying campaign but then left out of the squad earlier this year. Being an ever-present for Dinamo seems to have revived his chances, though, especially after a superb goal in his last outing against FC Moskva. "I have already been told I am going to EURO – well, Dinamo told me!" he said. "The team is going to Germany for a training camp and is attending the first two Russia games at the tournament." Another alternative is uncapped 24-year-old Evgeni Savin of FC Krylya Sovetov Samara, but it may be too close for the finals for his bow.

Kombarov twins

The nascent Russian season has also produced candidates in midfield, notably Dinamo twins Dmitri and Kirill Kombarov on the wings. Both Under-21 regulars, Dmitri has a tough job trying to dislodge Yuri Zhirkov on the left while Kirill, named best young Premier-Liga player in 2007, is up against the dynamic Vladimir Bystrov. "I just need to keep working and then Dinamo will be doing well and the national team will come calling," Kirill said. "Last season was my best at the club. This time around I will try to achieve even more."

Other candidates

Another player aiming for a place on the flanks is FC Lokomotiv Moskva's versatile Renat Yanbaev, who can also play at full-back. He said: "Both [Lokomotiv coach] Rashid Rakhimov and Hiddink see me as a full-back. I can play both on the left and on the right. I know that the core of the team is already settled, but there is still time until the European Championship. It's all in my hands now." The same could be said for two U21 products. Ivan Taranov has found regular football since leaving PFC CSKA Moskva for Krylya Sovetov and the defensive midfielder can also cover at centre-back. He has trained with the senior squad along with Zenit's Igor Denisov, a star of the club's UEFA Cup campaign. Hiddink may have tough decisions to make, but it is not a bad problem to have.

[MadBoy13]

is choutos called by otto to enjoy euro or not yet?

[drakos13]

is choutos called by otto to enjoy euro or not yet?

plaka kaneis right? :o

[MadBoy13]

plaka kaneis right? :o

why?? hes a good player...

[drakos13]

why?? hes a good player...

no hes overrated...28 yrs old and plays first team regulalry first time in his life...10 goals for painoinos and people are hailing him as a saviour its so annoying...we have much better strikers...he cant go to the Euro on no experience with the team, and almost none playing regular football because of performances in the Superleageu.....Amanatidis, Gkekas, Charisteas, Samaras, Salpiggidis, Lybe all are much better strikers

[MadBoy13]

no hes overrated...28 yrs old and plays first team regulalry first time in his life...10 goals for painoinos and people are hailing him as a saviour its so annoying...we have much better strikers...he cant go to the Euro on no experience with the team, and almost none playing regular football because of performances in the Superleageu.....Amanatidis, Gkekas, Charisteas, Samaras, Salpiggidis, Lybe all are much better strikers

i think choutos is better than charistea for me... :)

[OFI-mtl]

i think choutos is better than charistea for me... :)

Forget Charisteas...at this moment he is better than Lybe ( 32 games 11 goals).This guy who has not sniffed playing time for who knows how long (yes we know it is HIS fault) shows up and has pumped 10..no training camp with teammates to gel.

Lybe is clutch I will give him that but for RIGHT NOW Lambros is in better form than Niko and Charisteas..and I am know fan of Salpi. I've stated this before he has performed well for Otto 3 games 2 goals I believe before 04.

Will he get on I doubt it why mess with chemistry...but dont type that he is a loser and blah bla blah. I believe in 2nd and 3rd chances MAYBE the guy gets it now.

Dont sit here and say that the guy has no skill or talent. Did he piss away a career PROBABLY can he resurect it ..SO FAR SO GOOD!

CHOUTOS for EThniki!

[Tsalgik]

After years of screaming...I think I can understand Otto(60% i mean)

I am the guy who(which,that,parakalo diorthoste me gia na matho) was against him from the beginning of the qualifiers.

[DUDE]

Forget Charisteas...at this moment he is better than Lybe ( 32 games 11 goals).This guy who has not sniffed playing time for who knows how long (yes we know it is HIS fault) shows up and has pumped 10..no training camp with teammates to gel.

Lybe is clutch I will give him that but for RIGHT NOW Lambros is in better form than Niko and Charisteas..and I am know fan of Salpi. I've stated this before he has performed well for Otto 3 games 2 goals I believe before 04.

Will he get on I doubt it why mess with chemistry...but dont type that he is a loser and blah bla blah. I believe in 2nd and 3rd chances MAYBE the guy gets it now.

Dont sit here and say that the guy has no skill or talent. Did he piss away a career PROBABLY can he resurect it ..SO FAR SO GOOD!

CHOUTOS for EThniki!

Lybe is a big game player. Late goals against Moldova (twice) and Kazakhstan. He hit the post and the cross bar against Norway when we need a goal, and he scored a goal which was a carbon copy of that cross bar shot against Olympiakos recently. It doesn't matter if he hasn't been consistent because he performs when it matters: in the big games. Every game at Euro 2008 will be a big game and we need big game players

[DUDE]

I am the guy who(which,that,parakalo diorthoste me gia na matho) was against him from the beginning of the qualifiers.

"that" alani.

[dark_horse]

The Greek climb continues

Anyone who loves a good footballing fairytale still harks back to the summer of 2004 when, with a combination of will-power and never-say-die attitude, Otto Rehhagel's unheralded Greek side scaled the summits of European football to win UEFA EURO 2004. Four years on from their heroics in Portugal, only one thing has changed: they are now no longer cast in the role of the underdog.

The countdown to this summer's continental finals, which will be held in Switzerland and Austria from 7 to 29 June, is well underway and Greece appear a force to be reckoned with. "The EURO 2008 will most likely see the strongest Greek squad of all time," said Bolton Wanderers midfielder Stelios Giannakopoulos proudly.

Pride and confidence are very much Greek traits, and they are currently more than justified. With the 69-year-old Rehhagel at the reins, they beat hosts Portugal in both the opening match of EURO 2004 and the final, by 1-0 and 2-1 scorelines respectively. They have since made it three out of three with a 2-1 win over Luis Felipe Scolari's side in a friendly in Dusseldorf last March, thanks to a brace from Georgios Karagounis - a result which once again made footballing experts sit up and take note.

"Portugal have recently beaten Brazil twice, and that shows what a strong team they are," said 31-year-old Karagounis after the match. And the Panathinaikos player knows that this series of wins over a Portugal team whom many regard among the favourites for gold at EURO 2008 has earned Greece a lot of respect.

It has also earned them something more concrete. The latest FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking has seen Greece move up from tenth to eighth spot, overtaking Portugal as well as the Netherlands, who recently flattered to deceive in a 4-3 friendly win over Austria. The Greeks are thus as high as they have ever been since the Ranking was introduced.

Greece were already celebrating last February after cracking the top ten for the first time. April saw them increase their tally by 27 points, which propelled them up to eighth and made them the sixth-best European team on the ladder.

The team is the star

The secret to their success, according to Giannakopoulos, is that "we're quite simply a well organised team and we all work for one another". Since Rehhagel took over in August 2001, a tightly knit squad has developed, with the team progressing steadily until their surprise triumph at EURO 2004. Despite the fact that they have no stand-out players, Greece have assembled a squad which is so much more than the sum of its individual components and capable of playing exciting football.

[Guest geok]

[Guest geok]

Recent form of Zenit alerts EURO2008 opponents of Russia:

http://www.sport-fm.gr/article.jsp?id=128681

http://www.uefa.com/competitions/uefacup/f.../report=rp.html

Poor Sweden; they play against the Russians when the latter will have their full squad...

and also a posting concerning the Greek side in the UEFA.COM website:

Torosidis taking glory in his stride

Vassilis Torosidis was just 19 when Greece were crowned European champions in 2004. Watching the final with his friends in his native Xanthi, he admits to "celebrating like crazy" – and this summer he will help his country defend their title.

Hot property

Torosidis is one of the hottest young properties in Greek football at the moment. A versatile right-back who can also fill in as a defensive midfielder or centre-back, he made his Greek top-flight debut with Skoda Xanthi FC in 2002 and has blossomed since. Barely two months after joining Olympiacos CFP in January last year, he found himself winning his first international cap in the 4-1 UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifying loss to Turkey on 24 March 2007. "I was happy to make my debut, but all I can remember from that night was our sadness and disappointment," Torosidis told uefa.com. "However, that defeat made us stronger. We became more determined and cruised to qualification afterwards."

Unfamiliar role

Since then, Torosidis has been a regular starter and has already collected eleven caps, despite being asked by Otto Rehhagel to adapt to a new role as left-back. "I'm always happy to follow my coach's instructions," he said. "I hadn't played as a left-back before and it's only natural that I feel more comfortable on the right, but everything should work out with good will and hard work."

'Impressive ride'

Such qualities have served the 22-year-old well so far, bringing him Greek Super League honours in 2007 and 2008, as well as a Greek Super Cup medal in 2007. He also helped Olympiacos to a long-overdue place in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League this term, saying: "It has been an impressive ride, full of matches and emotions. I hope I can stay fit and healthy so that I can continue at the same rate and celebrate more."

Title defence

In less than two months, he should be travelling to Austria as Greece mount their title defence. Their challenge begins in earnest against Sweden in Salzburg on 10 June, the day Torosidis turns 23. "It's a rare gift, a special occasion for me," he said. "To be celebrating my birthday on the day I participate in my first match in a major tournament would be a dream come true." It could also be a good omen, given that his predecessor at left-back, Panagiotis Fyssas, celebrated his 31st birthday on the day of Greece's opening match at UEFA EURO 2004™.

Quarter-final target

As far as their chances go this summer, Torosidis remains wary: "Four years ago, nobody was counting on the Greek side to make it but we all know how that turned out. Now, we're aware that our opponents will be more cautious, knowing that we can be dangerous. Our first goal is to get through the group stage and make it to the quarter-finals. We'll be taking one step at a time."

[plato-ny]

Ibra doubtful to play in Euro

[Guest geok]

good posting plato-ny

It sounds similar to the problem that Giourkas had, which indeed required operation. Thus it is possible that Ibra may not feature against Greece in the opening game.

[Guest geok]

some more news concerning Greek players (extracted from www.in.gr):

X

[Guest geok]

More news from NTGreece squad players:

from: www.in.gr

[plato-ny]

The Canadian newspaper, The Score, on their website, are having a bracket tournament to determine what is the biggest underdog story. The first round had the NBA's Denver Nuggets of 1994 who upsetted the #1 seed in the Western Conference in the first round of the playoffs versus Greece of Euro 2004. There are other pairings and the readers vote online.I think Greece was voted against Denver by a wide margin and advanced to the next round. I think Greece is the biggest underdog story ever and should win this bracket tournament easily.

[paxiotis7]

http://www.thescore.com/gofar/Bracket.aspx?division=B

theres the link if you want to vote for greece in the next round.

Greece thrashed Denver by 86% of votes to 14%.

Greece is going to face agasnt Appalcahin State 2007 (which I didnt even no what it was untill i clicked on it). Greece should easily prevail.

[Clover22]

The biggest "upset" or underdog story in sports history is BY FAR Greece 2004; football is the most popular sport on this planet and the Euro is second only to the World Cup, so for this Canadian newspaper to look at the Denver Dinkleberries or whatever they're called, is ridiculous. I mean, come on.

[loup]

IMO Miracle on Ice was a bigger upset I think

The US had no right beating the USSR and then the Fins for the gold

The difference in talent between those teams was much larger than Greece vs Portugal, France or Czech

It would be as though the Greek U-21 team won Euro

Look at where we are now in the world rankings and how easily we qualified, we are not minnows swimming with sharks, it just appeared that way in 2004

[DUDE]

IMO Miracle on Ice was a bigger upset I think

The US had no right beating the USSR and then the Fins for the gold

The difference in talent between those teams was much larger than Greece vs Portugal, France or Czech

It would be as though the Greek U-21 team won Euro

Look at where we are now in the world rankings and how easily we qualified, we are not minnows swimming with sharks, it just appeared that way in 2004

:tup: :tup:

[Euro2004]

http://www.euro2008.uefa.com/news/kind=1/n...+sweden+concern

Along with Ibrahimovic, now Ljungberg is also facing a race to be fit for Euro 2008 after cracking a rib at the weekend.

But it should be noted that they've made a statement that they should both be ok for the euros

[Guest TheLegend]

http://www.euro2008.uefa.com/news/kind=1/n...+sweden+concern

Along with Ibrahimovic, now Ljungberg is also facing a race to be fit for Euro 2008 after cracking a rib at the weekend.

But it should be noted that they've made a statement that they should both be ok for the euros

I love those 2 players but wouldnt it be great if they both happened to slip into comas the week b4 the euroes :hypocrite: