Soccer News
'Rehhakles' fulfils his Herculean task
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| Members of the Greek team celebrate with the cup, 04 July 2004 at Stadio da Luz in Lisbon after the Euro 2004 final football match between Portugal nd Greece at the European Nations Championship in Portugal. Greece won 1-0 to be crowned champions of Europe. |
Arms a pumping, Greek coach Otto Rehhagel raced onto the pitch after Sunday's against the odds Euro 2004 triumph over hosts Portugal at the speed which would have done justice to a man less than half his 65 years.
Then the man known as 'Rehhakles', Greek for Hercules, stopped to embrace skipper Theodoros Zagorakis in the pair's hour of glory.
"This is a fantastic day for Greek football and for European football," said the 65-year-old.
"Today we played to our strengths and the Greek team has written football history here.
"There will be unimaginable scenes in Athens when we fly back on Monday," he added
Greece win European title in monumental shock
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| Greece's forward Angelos Charisteas celebrates after scoring against Portugal, 04 July 2004 at the Luz stadium in Lisbon, during the Euro 2004 final match between Portugal and Greece at the European Nations football championship in Portugal. AFP PHOTO Javier SORIANO |
Greece pulled off one of the greatest surprises in the history of football when they stunned hosts Portugal 1-0 to win Euro 2004 in Sunday's final in Lisbon.
Angelos Charisteas headed home the all-important goal from a corner with 33 minutes left to send Greece into euphoria and resign Portugal to a night of sorrow and regrets in a shocking result.
It was the third straight 1-0 win for Greece and third straight headed winner as Portugal joined the Czech Republic and France as beaten teams by Otto Rehhagel's all conquering team.
Pires and Henry had Euro bust-up
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| French forward Thierry Henry (L) heads the ball with England defender Ledley King, 13 June 2004 during their opening match at the European Nations football championships at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon. France and England are competing in Group B with Croatia and Switzerland. |
French stars Thierry Henry and Robert Pires clashed during training in the lead-up to the Euro 2004 match with England, their former coach Jacques Santini has revealed.
The 52-year-old said that the Arsenal clubmates had come to blows just two days before the victory over the English.
"There were several such training sessions that had a highly charged atmosphere about them," the Spurs bound manager revealed.
When asked were the two players who had a fight with each other, Henry and Pires, Santini left no doubt as to their identity.
"You know well enough, the two players came from the same club," he said.
Greeks sweat on defender Kapsis
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| Czech forward Jan Koller (top) vies with Greek defender Mihalis Kapsis, 01 july 2004 at the Do Dragao in Porto, during the Euro 2004 semi final match between Greece and Czech at the European Nations championship in Portugal. AFP PHOTO Mladen ANTONOV |
Greece faced an anxious wait hours ahead of the Euro final against Portugal to see if their impressive central defender Mihalis Kapsis will be fit.
The 30-year-old AEK Athens star quit training on Saturday prematurely, though a source close to the squad insisted that he would be fit for the greatest day in Greek footballing history.
Kapsis' presence is imperative for coach Otto Rehhagel not only because of his superb performances but also because there is little cover for him.
Desailly confirms international retirement
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| French defender Marcel Desailly answers journalists' questions during a press conference 24 June 2004 at the Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon during the European Nations Championships in Portugal. France will play its Euro 2004 quarter-final match against Greece 26 June in Lisbon. AFP PHOTO FRANCK FIFE |
French captain Marcel Desailly confirmed his retirement from international football on Sunday.
The 35-year-old World Cup and Euro 2000 winner made his 116th and last appearance for France in the 2-2 draw with Croatia in the first round of Euro 2004.
"I am putting an end to my international career with immediate effect," he told French television.
Of his performance in Portugal Desailly, whose imposing frame earned him the nickname 'the rock', reflected: "Yes, I'm less effective now but I compensate for that by my experience."
Rooney too expensive for United
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| England manager Sven Goran Erikkson (R) shakes hands with Wayne Rooney after he was substituted, 21 June 2004 during their European Nations football championship match against Croatia at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon. Croatia and England are competing in Group B with France and Switzerland. AFP PHOTO PAUL BARKER |
Manchester United will not break the bank to buy Everton's teenage prodigy Wayne Rooney, chief executive David Gill claimed Sunday.
"One of the reasons we run a successful operation is because we operate within financial parameters," he explained.
"We cannot afford to spend 45 million or 50m dollars on one player."
"At the end of last season we identified the need to sign a striker - that was Alan Smith from Leeds," said Gill.
"We also identified a left-back - that was Gabriel Heinze. We have completed the task with those two signings.
Rehhagel sets the record straight
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| Greece's head coach German Otto Rehhagel (C) celebrates with his players, 16 June 2004 at Bessa stadium in Porto, at the end of their team's Euro 2004 group A football match against Spain at the European Nations championship in Portugal. The match ended in a 1 to 1 draw. AFP PHOTO Francois Xavier MARIT |
Greek coach Otto Rehhagel had some straight talking for journalists as he faced the media for the last time ahead of Sunday's final between his side and hosts Portugal.
"Listen, write what you want. I will repeat what I said yesterday," said Rehhagel, clearly irritated at the insinuation that referee Markus Merk would favour a team led by a fellow German whom he has known for three decades.
"I do know him (Merk), but he is not my friend. I know him but friendship is different from that," Rehhagel barked.
"He is an honest guy. He is always especially tough and straight with me," he added.
Euro final ref slams bias claims
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| (FILES) Euro 2004 German referee Markus Merk heads the ball during a training session at Espinho, near Porto, northern Portugal, 17 June 2004. German referee Markus Merk will take charge of the Euro 2004 final between host nation Portugal and outsider Greece 04 July. Merk, 42 and a dentist by profession, has already officiated the group matches between France and England and Sweden and Denmark. AFP PHOTO MIGUEL RIOPA |
Referee Markus Merk has dismissed suggestions he would favour Greece in their clash with Portugal in the final because of a long-standing friendship with Greece's German coach Otto Rehhagel.
"I've heard a lot of discussions about whether he (Rehhagel) is a dentistry patient of mine. He is not. I've 5,000 patients and there are lots of Portuguese and Greeks among them," he said.
"I have five restaurants that I go to. One is Greek and one is Portuguese."
"As the refereeing team we have only one thing in our minds - the game starts 0-0 and we have only football in our mind."
UEFA look into limiting foreign players
UEFA have moved to limit the number of foreign players at clubs by proposing that eight players playing for a team should have come through the youth system at the club in question.
The proposal was put forward by UEFA vice-president Norway's Per Ravn Omdal on the eve of the Euro 2004 final.
UEFA have been searching for weeks to find a solution that would meet with approval from the European Union and its belief in freedom of movement and working in the community.
"Never have the ties between us and the EU been so close," said the Swede.
"We must find solutions that are not discriminatory.
Rui Costa to call it a day
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| Portugal's midfielder Rui Costa celebrates after scoring during the prolongations, 24 June 2004 during their European Nations football championships quarterfinal match between Portugal and England at The Luz Stadium in Lisbon. AFP PHOTO ADRIAN DENNIS |
Portuguese midfielder Rui Costa has said he will end his international career after Sunday's final against Greece.
"This will be my last game for the team. I will feel very emotional," said the AC Milan player.
"I am happy and if all goes well tomorrow I will go out on a happy note." The former Benfica and Fiorentina player scored Portugal's second goal in the quarter-final win over England.
Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has used the veteran of 93 international appearances sparingly at the finals, with an embarrassment of midfield riches at his disposal.