In the last 10 years Greece had 7 selectors and 0 qualifications

The golden period of the Greek national team (2004 to 2014) was followed by a very dark period. Absent from the final stages of two World Cups (2018 and 2022) and three European Championships (2016, 2020 and 2024). Gustavo Poyet should be leaving as coach

A Greece’s national team is not prodigal of great achievements, excluding, of course, (argh!) the 2004 European Championship. Until the entry into the 21st Century, the appearances in the final stages of major competitions can be counted on one hand. And you don’t even need all your fingers: 1980 European Championship (Italy) and 1994 World Cup (United States). In both tournaments, they did not progress beyond the group stage.

Since 2000, even with the increase in the number of teams present in the final stages of the European Championships from 16 to 24, Greece has been present in only five more final stages: the 2004, 2008 and 2012 European Championships and the 2010 and 2014 World Cups. with the German Otto Rehhagel in charge (2004, 2008 and 2010) and two with the Portuguese Fernando Santos (2012 and 2014), the two most notable selectors of the Hellenic national team.

Since winning the Euro organized by Portugal in 2004 until the departure of Fernando Santos, Greece have not failed in any final phase. It was, clearly, the most remarkable period of Hellenic football, based on players like Karagounis, Zagorakis, Katsouranis, Torosidis, Basinas, Nikopolidis, Papastathopoulos, Charisteas (argh!) or Salpingidis.

However, after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, with their presence in the round of 16 (the only time they reached the group stage), Greece never again reached any final stage, whether in Europeans or World Cups. In 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022 and now in 2024 it was always eliminated in qualifications. Seven coaches since the departure of Fernando Santos (Claudio Ranieri, Sergio Markarián, Kostas Tsanas, Michael Skibbe, Angelos Anastasiadis, John van Schip and Gustavo Poyet) and zero qualifications. The day before yesterday, in the qualifying playoff for Euro-2024, it was eliminated by Georgia, which qualified for a major competition for the first time.

Georgians are Portugal’s third opponent in the group stage of the competition

The departure was as dramatic as it was unexpected. Uruguayan_Gustavo Poyet, Greece’s coach since February 2022, was devastated. «It wasn’t what I was expecting, as Greece hasn’t been to the finals of a European Championship for a long time. My future? I need five days to think, this is not the ideal time to talk about it,” he said.

Soon after, however, he opened the door a little on what his future could be. «For me it was a privilege to have been Greece’s coach. They always treated me very well and supported me a lot, inside and outside the team. Now we have to calm down, rest and prepare for the future,” she clarified.

Finally, he once again addressed the recent eliminations: «We haven’t been lucky in the last two years, not even in the draw for the play-off. The players did everything they could. In two games we didn’t concede a goal, but we’re not going to Germany. It’s ungrateful, yes, but it’s football.”

It’s time now to think about qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. Probably without Poyet.

This video may be of interest: Georgia: the tremendous celebration after historic qualification for the European Championship