The national team got a strong deja-vu feeling on Friday upon seeing
the draw for the Euro 2012 finals pitting them against co-hosts Poland,
Russia and the Czech Republic.
The undoubtedly favourable draw in
Kiev for the European Championship finals, keeping Europe's giants off
Greece's track, reminded players, officials and fans of the lucky draws
that former coach Otto Rehhagel used to get when on the Greek bench,
both before and after the Euro 2004 triumph.
Now Greece have landed in a group with no clear favorite, while other groups will see traditional forces face each other.
What
is more, just like in Portugal in 2004, when Greece went on to win the
trophy, the national team will take part in the competition's
curtain-raiser facing the hosts: On June 8, at 7 p.m., Greece will face
Poland in Warsaw in the tournament's opening game.
Greece's other games will be on June 12 against the Czech Republic at Wroclaw and on June 16 against Russia in Warsaw.
This will also be the third Euro finals in a row that Greece will face Russia in the group stage.
The
team of coach Fernando Santos will aim at clinching one of the two top
spots in the group so as to qualify to the knock-out quarterfinals.
The four groups of Euro 2012, to be played in Poland and Ukraine from June 8 to July 1 are as follows:
Group A: Poland, Greece, Russia, Czech Rep.
Group B: Netherlands, Germany, Portugal, Denmark.
Group C: Spain, Italy, Croatia, Ireland.
Group D: Ukraine, England, Sweden, France.
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