Posted: July 05, 2005 at 08:17 AM EST (13:17 PM GMT)
A DVD on sale in Greece depicts the country's victory at UEFA EURO 2004™ as a pirate raid. Otto Rehhagel's team arrive unsuspected in Portugal, loot the treasure and flee before, stunned, anyone can react.
Splendid isolation
A year on from Greece's surprise final defeat of Portugal, the success of Rehhagel's raid seems even more implausible than it did at the time. Greece's golden moment sits in splendid isolation, its brilliance set in stark contrast to the problems that continue to bedevil the domestic game.
'Opportunity missed'
"I believe we lost a golden opportunity to make everything better in domestic football," Greece defender Traianos Dellas told uefa.com. Hooliganism in particular casts a shadow over the Alpha Ethniki, which suffered a further drop in quality last summer with the exodus of many of the EURO 2004™-winning squad.
International exodus
Theodoros Zagorakis, Mihalis Kapsis and Vassilios Tsiartas among others used their winners' medals as passports to foreign leagues, with cheap imports often drafted in to replace them. The effect has been stark, with Greek youngsters struggling to break into the top flight while the country's best players return only for internationals.
Hooliganism trouble
The clubs' financial difficulties are exacerbated by the blight of hooliganism. Sixteen Alpha Ethniki games were played behind closed doors last season because of crowd violence, and there is little prospect of any immediate improvement. Champions Olympiacos CFP will kick off their title defence in front of an empty Georgios Karaiskakis stadium as part of a three-match punishment for crowd trouble.
Distant prospect
"I hope that some day in Greece, rival fans will become civilised enough to watch a match together without causing trouble and without the need to have the police outnumbering the fans," Dellas said. "But this will not happen overnight, not even with a European trophy on display"
New stadia
The Georgios Karaiskakis stadium is one of two renovated in Athens for the 2004 Olympics, which have arguably had a greater impact on the game in Greece than winning EURO 2004™. AEK Athens FC play at the Olympic stadium and there is evidence that crowds are beginning to return if the conditions are right. Victory in Lisbon awakened an appetite for football, but crowd violence has diminished it.
Tough draw
Events on the pitch have not helped either. A difficult FIFA World Cup qualifying draw pitted Greece against Turkey and Ukraine in Group 2, and a tough opening fixture away to neighbours Albania came too soon for a squad still on a high from Lisbon. Reaching Germany now looks an unlikely proposition, fuelling the argument that glory in Lisbon was a flash in the pan.
Portugal strength
In contrast, losing finalists Portugal go from strength to strength, feeding off the fervour generated at EURO 2004™. At club level, Sporting Clube de Portugal's run to the UEFA Cup final contrasted sharply with the sorry exit of Olympiacos - Greece's last European representatives - from the same competition following a heavy defeat by Newcastle United FC.
Lasting legacy
Perhaps the legacy of Greece's triumph will not be felt for a few years yet. Greece striker Themistoklis Nikolaidis took charge of financially desperate AEK last summer, promising to instil the positive experience of EURO 2004™ into his side. The jury is out on what he has achieved, but an emphasis on investing in youth could pay dividends and provide an example for other clubs to follow.
Playing catch-up
Greece's success came as a surprise, suddenly raising the bar of expectation to levels neither the national team nor the clubs can immediately hope to fulfil. Rehhagel's heroes really were ahead of the game - the rest of the country is still playing catch-up.
