Who impressed and who didn’t in Greece’s failed qualifying campaign
AGONAsport’s Nick Tsambouniaris examines the five players who impressed and the five who failed to leave a positive impression during Greece’s UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying campaign.
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Overall, the Greek national team had a failed campaign in a bid to qualify for their first major tournament since the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Finishing third in a group containing the likes of Liechtenstein, Armenia, Bosnia, Finland, and Italy, coupled with an atrocious UEFA Nations League showing, can only be seen in one way. However, there were bright sparks, and now under the guidance of Dutchman John van ’t Schip (JVS), there are reasons to be genuinely optimistic about the Ethniki’s future again.
He changed the status quo by freezing out the old guard and giving a host of new rising stars their chance at the international level. On top of this, the playing style drastically changed to a more possession-based game, attacking with pace and using the full width of the pitch.
Here are the five players who impressed in the ten qualifying matches.
Dimitris Limnios
The PAOK winger came into the picture late on but was one of Greece’s best players in every game he played. He has been a revelation so far at club level and has carried this strong form into the Ethniki setup, breathing new life into a team that was previously devoid of ideas and quality in the final third. His pace and energy are his best assets. He topped off a great team move to score the only goal of the game in a 0-1 away win at Armenia and was unlucky not to score more in the final run of matches.
Pantelis Hatzidiakos
Breaking the partnership of Kostas Manolas and Sokratis Papastathopoulos may have been unthinkable to some, but JVS did this, and it paid dividends. The AZ Alkmaar center-back possesses the characteristics that are pivotal to the Ethniki’s success under JVS. Comfortable with the ball at his feet, he can build attacks from the back and get the team going. He also looks like a leader, is strong in the air, and is not afraid to get stuck in. His hunger to impress was evident, especially in a big game such as Italy on the road, something refreshing unlike his predecessors in that position. Tragically, he has since picked up an injury (ACL tear), which has ruled him out for the rest of the season.
Dimitris Giannoulis
For starters, left-back is one of the most hotly contested positions in the team with the likes of Kostas Stafylidis, Charalampos Lykogiannis, Leonardo Koutris, Kostas Tsimikas, and Giorgos Kyriakopoulos all in contention. JVS opted for Giannoulis in the final run of matches, and he was a breath of fresh air. Very much a modern-day fullback with excellent attacking capabilities, he boasts pace and exceptional crossing abilities. He was pivotal in the wins over Armenia and Finland, and possibly even in contention for “Man of the match” honours.
Michalis Bakakis
The experienced right-back has been inconsistent throughout his career, but under JVS, he took his game to a new level for Greece. Fit, strong, defensively sound, and impressively a key component in the attack, he will be the first choice in his role for a while barring any injuries. Much like Giannoulis, he is capable of delivering good crosses and gives the team width - something that was lacking previously.
Kostas Fortounis
Despite being sidelined due to injury this season, the Olympiacos man was the Galanolefki’s leading goal scorer with three goals to his name and two assists in 353 minutes played (four matches). It is easy to forget how important he is to the team, but he should be welcomed back into the fold when fit and can shine under JVS and his attacking philosophy. He can unlock defences and possess an eye for goal, something the team lacked in the final few games. Despite Greece dominating and having over 20 shots in the last three qualifying fixtures, efficiency in front of goal was still a problem. He can assist in rectifying this, despite not being a center-forward.
Here are the five players that failed to impress during the ten qualifying matches.
Alexandros Paschalakis
Currently out of favour at club level, the PAOK goalkeeper was shaky in his appearances during this qualifying campaign. There were some bright moments, but overall, he is well behind the likes of Odisseas Vlachodimos and Vasilis Barkas and will find it difficult to dislodge them moving forward. He was called up for all ten matches but only featured twice.
Sokratis Papastathopoulos
The veteran center-back was seen as a pillar of strength for the Ethniki during a rough patch, but it is evident that he has severely regressed in recent years. Currently struggling at Arsenal as well, JVS has a big decision to make the next time the team plays a competitive match. He has lost a yard of pace and gets caught out at times. On top of this, his public campaign (with Kostas Manolas) to get Angelos Anastasiadis sacked was an action that was criticized by many but welcomed by others. In reality, he put himself ahead of the team by stating it would be either him or Anastasiadis that leaves.
Andreas Samaris
It is hard to remember that the Benfica midfielder played in five games during this qualifying campaign. He was symbolic of everything that was wrong with the national team’s midfield - slow, lethargic, and not being capable of influencing a game. He is also struggling at the club level, and it is hard to see what Samaris offers at the international set up moving forward.
Dimitris Pelkas
The 26-year-old attacking midfielder is at a critical stage in his career. He started the season as the first choice for PAOK and was in the Ethniki setup, but has since been left out at both levels. He played twice and failed to leave a positive impression. JVS left him out of the roster when he took over as coach, and given the performances of those who played, along with the return of Fortounis, it is hard to see where Pelkas will fit in. He is too inconsistent, despite boasting the talent to succeed.
Dimitris Kolovos
Kolovos scored a vital equaliser against Bosnia away early in the campaign with his booming header sparking wild celebrations on the Ethniki bench, but that was the only positive for the Panathinaikos man. JVS was willing to give him a chance, but he failed miserably in the away loss at Finland and was not seen after that round of qualifying. Well and truly on the periphery at club level, it appears he is down on confidence at the moment.
