TORONTO – It’s been quite a ride for Greece since they last tasted Euro Cup glory in 2004, when they overcame long odds to win the tournament. A couple of months later, Greek glory peaked when Athens hosted the Olympics for the first time since 1896.
To say that it’s been all downhill from there would be an understatement.
Greece Olympic venues rank right up there with Montreal’s Olympic Stadium – barely unused.
Greece’s economy is in ruins thanks in large measure – according to most Greeks – to those tough austerity measures demanded mainly by Germany and its iron-fisted, football-loving leader, Angela Merkel.
Greece had a chance to regain some pride in a quarter-final match-up against Germany at Euro 2012. Greece had never beaten Germany in international play and the German squad has been heavily favoured to win the tournament.
“If 300 Greeks were able to hold off 10,000 Persians at Thermopylae, then 11 Greeks certainly will have a chance against 11 Germans,” Diego Maradona, Argentina’s former football phenom wrote in the Times of India.
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There was some egging on by both sides.
Joachim Loew, Germany’s manager, paid the Greek team the highest of German compliments a day before the game. He called the Greek players “masters of efficiency.”
“Bye-bye Greeks, we can’t rescue you today!” Germany’s top-selling newspaper, Bild, proclaimed on its front page in the colours of the Greek flag.
“Bankrupt THEM,” the leading Greek sports journal, Sport Day, proclaimed.
In the end, the German squad was too much for the plucky Greeks. Germany dominated from the start and won the game 4-2.
While many Greeks would have relished sticking it to Germany – on the football field – the game probably doesn’t hold much significance off the field.
“The German yellow press has been trying to stoke this,” Phil Triadafilopoulos, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Toronto, told Global News. “People who watch football don’t care about politics.”
Greece’s new prime minister, Antonis Samaras, echoed that sentiment, saying the game has nothing to do with politics.
Samaras was sworn in Thursday. He couldn’t make it to Gdansk for the game. His German counterpart – Angela Merkel, who’s made no secret of her love of the sport and of the German team – was there. She was able to move up a few hours an emergency meeting on the economic troubles affecting Italy, Spain and France, so she could get to the game.
Triadafilopoulos, who watched Greece win the cup in 2004 while living in Germany, says despite all the symbolism that could have come with a Greek victory, he expected Germany to dominate.
“They’re a great team. They’re the team to beat. I hate to say it but I don’t expect our boys to pull this one out.”
Triadafilopouolos likens the Greek team to the NHL’s New Jersey Devils. They control the game defensively and then seize the odd scoring opportunity. It’s a style that can frustrate opponents.
“I think if Germany lost to Greece, their frustration would be because Greece is a low seed as opposed to the bailout business,” he said.
On the other hand, had the Greek side won, it could have given the Greeks a chance to get out into the streets and celebrate instead of protesting.
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