Greece Analysis: Euro 2012 Qualifying Draw, Group F

February 9th, 2010 | by: Chris Paraskevas | Comments Off

First thing’s first: it could have been a lot worse.

It seems that the legacy of Euro 2004 continues to live on in Greece’s continued propensity for being drawn in relatively straight-forward qualifying groups by virtue of a continuously healthy ranking, leading to more appearances at football’s showpiece events, thus improving and retaining that ranking, thus ensuring more appearances at football’s showpiece events, thus improving and retaining that ranking, thus ensuring more appearances at football’s showpiece events.

Will Rehhagel be around to steer Greece to Euro 2012?

Picking up that pattern yet?

Yes, that process is but a minimal expectation of the world’s true footballing powers but for nation of Greece’s former standing, it is a more than realistic and admirable goal to aspire to. This generation of Greek football fans has been blessed by high standards and anything approaching expectation, where once upon a time crossing fingers and hoping to avoid a walloping in front of the eyes of the watching world was the order of the day.

Anyway, back to the draw, where Croatia is a wonderful result given that their current state Vatreni are but a shadow of the outfit that stunned England and then Europe on the way to and during Euro 2012 (and the fact that the likes of Spain and Germany have been avoided). Aside from the conspicuous lack of form though, I’ve always had a slight inkling that the high rating of Croatia by pundits and analysts is more to do with the English media’s exaggerations, given that they perhaps wanted to believe the Three Lions were outclassed by a football power, rather than a fallen giant and their own bumbling, Dutch-speaking manager.

Certainly the famous red-and-white checkers haven’t recaptured the glory of Suker and co. at France 98’, a tournament remembered particularly fondly by this writer given his youth and impressionability as a young football fan watching his first World Cup. I’ve always been susceptible to a tinge of nostalgia and sympathy whenever seeing that famous pattern emerge but at the same time, one needs to be realistic – Croatia are a team who’s pedigree is at a similar level to that of the Greeks.

Am I saying that Croatia aren’t favourites to take this group? Probably not, despite their noticeable absence from the upcoming World Cup in South Africa – a tournament that the Greeks could easily have missed themselves, though they did soundly beat a side that finished above Croatia during the group stages anyway (Ukraine). Perhaps of all the groups, the race for first place in Group F will be the tightest.

Indeed, Croatia are understandably delighted and no doubt going to the extent of popping champagne corks at the news that they were drawn with Greece as the toughest team in their group – the usual musings about the former European Champions being a tough, well-organized “nut to crack” have been uttered on The Offside Croatia page, though our esteemed author Mario is nice enough to grudgingly admit that the feeling of satisfaction at the draw is mutual amongst all teams in Group F.

And much like the qualifying route to South Africa, automatic qualification will likely be decided solely on how Greece fairs against its main rival, with the two matches against earring wearing, cigarette smoking, guitar playing-Slaven Bilic’s side to prove decisive. Of course, in that department Greece didn’t fare particularly well during their last qualifying attempt, where they were twice beaten by Switzerland – and Croatia’s star-studded, largely foreign-based roster is far more impressive than that of the Swiss.

Of course, there are four more teams left in the group but the lack of conviction in Israel and Latvia last time around – both obstacles Greece had to overcome on the way to South Africa – doesn’t bode well for either of those two nations against a team that they could very easily trouble, if only they were more consistent and self-confident. Malta should be an assured six points for the other five teams in the group but Georgia stands as a particularly tricky opponent and potential banana peel for the top two teams if not treated with care.

Perhaps Greece’s biggest obstacle will be itself given the impending end of manager Otto Rehhagel’s nine-year reign. It is difficult to envisage the German tactician having anything to prove, having taken the nation to only its second ever World Cup and transformed its international standing – the 71 year-old’s last hurrah could well be South Africa.

Which of course leaves the EPO with a huge decision to make, with the replacement needing to be inch-perfect given the considerable change in tactical approach and player personnel it may well bring. Whether Rehhagel’s successor will have the time to mould the national team into his own image whilst negotiating a qualifying campaign remains to be seen and perhaps is the biggest challenge on the way to Ukraine and Poland.