Rehhagel: “I want to sustain my friendship with the players”
Otto Rehhagel, Giorgos Karagounis, Kostas Katsouranis and Traianos Dellas all spoke to the media after the legends match between Greece and Portugal in honour of the triumphant UEFA Euro 2004 competition.
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Exactly 15 years ago, Greece historically conquered Europe on Portuguese soil, defeating the tournament hosts 1:0 in the final with Angelos Charisteas scoring a goal which will never be forgotten. In honour of that stunning triumph, legends teams representing both Greece and Portugal gathered in the Athens neighborhood of Rizoupoli for a special charity match, with the hosts emerging 2:1 winners with Kostas Katsouranis and Charisteas hitting the target. Otto Rehhagel (Greece) and Fernando Santos (Portugal) were the respective coaches at the Georgios Kamaras Stadium.
“This wasn’t an official game, we had already won the most important match at the Estadio Da Luz,” stated Rehhagel when speaking after the match. “Looking back to 2004, I remember how committed we were right from the first match to the final. I want to sustain my friendship with the players, that was the reason why I came here. Traianos Dellas? He is a great person and he proved it again today, he’s a colossal player.”
Giorgos Karagounis, a talismanic figure for the Ethniki Omada over the years, felt there was a fantastic atmosphere in Rizoupoli: “There was a great atmosphere here, we wanted it to be a celebration,” said the 2004 European champion. “We want to inspire young children, reminding them that they can make their dreams come true with hard work, a good attitude and a family-like atmosphere.”
“It was great coming together again after these 15 years,” continued Karagounis. “We wanted to have fun and we enjoyed ourselves. In 2004, we actually had some very high quality players, but we’re Greek and we didn’t realise that fact. At that competition, we defeated France, the Czech Republic and Portugal twice without needed any penalty shootouts, we won the championship by beating the best. We are role models for children and we want them to believe in their dreams.”
Fellow midfielder Kostas Katsouranis, a goalscorer on the night, noted the importance of the event: “It was a great evening. Tickets were sold, there was a wonderful atmosphere, and it’s our responsibility to educate young children and send positive messages. My goal? On the pitch, your never lose your perception.”
Traianos Dellas, the man who scored that vital goal against the Czech Republic in the semi-finals of Euro 2004, thanked the fans for turning up: “We thank those who came, and also everyone who just bought a ticket to contribute to charity. Everyone at the stadium is happy today. The result of this game itself is of little importance. The important thing is that we honoured our team, the opponents and the two head coaches.”
