Salute to the Greeks Author: Lin Haitingtao

———————Written at the end of the European Championship

This is an ordinary final, but it is held too many high expectations that should not be placed.

Because the traditional strong teams of this European Cup have been dismissed, many friends regard the final as a sign of the European Cup returning to orthodoxy. Just like the World Cup in 2002, it started with an unpopular start and ended in the most traditional way.

But the Greeks once again "brutally" shattered people's "good wishes". Portugal did not win the championship, and did not return to the orthodox kingdom of the European Cup. The dark horse shattered the host's armor with an iron sword and defeated them in front of his people.

What a pleasure this is!

But after the game, I heard a lot of discordant notes. It was just that Greece won the championship and everyone was dissatisfied. They relied on defense and counterattack, three 1:0, relied on shrinking defense, and relied on killing artistic football... These are all "evidences" of Greece.

But is this really the case? Or if you are used to watching Zidanes' performances, you can't accept other categories of football?

Why do you require European second-rate teams like Greece to play art football as you wish? Offensive football? Then you guys go to be the head coach of Greece, you can do that. But when Greece is eliminated, you are just a crappy head coach.

Greece does not have the same foot skills as those first-class teams, but they have tall bodies, excellent heading skills and tactics, and good tactical qualities. They are a team, not a certain star... This is the biggest difference between Greece and those strong teams.

Why not use these natural qualities? But you have to learn how to control the ball and what artistic football you play. I bah! Using your strengths to attack others' weaknesses has been a training for military strategists since ancient times. Why do all the men ask Greece to attack others' strengths with its weaknesses?

Is there such a truth in the world? If you don’t follow the wishes of all the masters, it is a farce or a victory without force?

Maybe you must watch Greece push out and attack, play Marseille slew at 190, or pass the ball with heels... and then lose the game. When everyone shouted Portugal's victory, they pretended to shed a few tears for Greece, saying unheard words of comfort... Go to hell! You are just because they are emotionally inclined to Portugal and the golden generation who ended, but they want others to lose the game stupidly.

Is Rehager an idiot?

Or are you all idiots?

Even to be fair, the Greeks' skills and ball control are not necessarily inferior to those of Portugal.

In the final, how many more players did Portugal successfully break through the Greek players in one-on-one?

Figo, Ronaldo, a little boy, took turns to attack Sitaridis, how many times did they succeed?

Look at the accuracy of Greece's mid- and long passes. Is this a symbol of poor technology? Is this a symbol of poor ball control? They just chose the football style that suits their situation best, not that they are not capable of playing and controlling the ball. Looking at the semi-finals against the Czech Republic, there was a period of time when the Czech Republic was almost led by Greece. Looking at the pass and cut runs of the Greeks when they turned from defense to offense, it could make many strong teams hit the wall with inferiority.

Who says Greece has no technology? Can teams without technology gain a foothold in the European Cup?

Those old men who say that the Greek team has no skills and can do nothing but defense, please open your sleepy eyes and take a good look!

Greece's defensive counterattack is also based on good ball control and pass-and-receive skills. What they pursue is not a 61% ball control rate in the whole game, but they cannot break the opponent's goal. What they choose is only the success rate of ball control. Maybe I cannot compare to you in the whole game ball control rate, but I only need to control the ball firmly under my feet during a counterattack and prevent you from breaking it. Just look at their goal scores in the French team, and you will understand that this is the success rate of ball control.

Even Brazil's possession rate is smaller than that of its opponent after entering the knockout match in the World Cup, and even facing England, which has a defensive counterattack, the possession rate is smaller than that of its opponent. But they won the championship, why no one talks about ugly football.

Ah, I understand, it’s just because they are Brazil and traditional strong teams, so winning the championship is natural.

Greece is a second-rate European team. They didn't even score any goals in the final stage of the international competition before. So their winnings is ugly football, a regression in football? Don't joke!

In 1998, when Zidane was king in France, the Greeks had just won the silver medal from the European Youth Football Championship. Six years later, these young people at that time had become the backbone of the Greek team. They defeated the former kings, defeated the favorites to win the championship, and went all the way to the finals and defeated the hosts. Their games were completely won, without relying on referees, no home court advantage, and no schedule advantage. But they reached the end with the unity of a team and laughed to the end.

They played with their feet and did not help with their hands.

I don't know where they are getting bored? A team that wins the championship is despised, while those teams that are self-contained, do not intend to make progress, rely too much on stars, and have more conservative tactics than Greece make a person feel very regretful... These are the fans!

The French lost because of their own fault. The Czechs lost because of their luck. What are you going to complain about? Why do you vent the anger of being eliminated from the team they like to be eliminated on the Greeks? They are just playing football and fighting for the victory of every game.

Then time went back 12 years, when the Danes won the Delaunay Cup, they defeated the defending champion Netherlands and the powerful Germany... At that time, I was still young and did not understand how much impact football had on people. At that time, Denmark's championship was called the ugly duckling and swan-sided fairy tale, without any derogatory meaning. Thanks to Greece, I allowed me to relive that scene in 1992. I saw miracles and myths! They also defeated the last defending champion France, and they also won the championship!

Cheer for them! They are worthy of the word "Champion"!

Salute to them! They were the king of Europe at that moment!

Whether you like it or hate them.

At that moment, at the Stadium of Light in Portugal, it was a team that could not be defeated by all Europe! They were a team, a whole, not a single fight by some stars!

The final was a contest between twenty-two players and two high-level coaches. In the end, Rehagel proved that it was better. Not to mention Sclari's incredible trust in his sluggish state of Baleta, just like French coach Santini's incredible trust in his sluggish trust in his sluggish trust in his sluggish trust in his sluggish manner.

Scolari lacks good solutions for Greece's simple and practical play. When facing a team like Greece, you only need to increase the offensive speed and make a large-scale medium and long pass transfer to tear open the opponent's defense line and consume the opponent's physical strength. Look at Portugal, their physical strength is consumed in dealing with the Greeks' large-scale transfer.

But the Portuguese still penetrated the slow short passes, and even a little arrogant. Of course, the factors of national nature are not ruled out. But on the football field, physiology is the only goal to pursue. If you can't win, you have national characteristics and appreciation value, what's the use? Look at those Portuguese fans who cry! What they desire is victory, champion, not so-called artistic football, football that cannot be won!

Tactical victory! Coach victory! Overall victory! Will victory!

There is no need for the Greeks to be upset about their championships, enjoy their victory!

Perhaps their winning of a championship will not prove that they have entered the ranks of top European teams since then, nor will they change the fate of their players next season.

It is also impossible to say that France is not possible, Italy is not possible, England is not possible, and Portugal is not possible...

But in this European Cup, last night, Greece was the champion at the Stadium of Light! The well-deserved champion! They are the kings of Europe! At that moment, no one can defeat!

Although more than ten hours have passed, listening to "PORTUGAL", one of the European Championship albums, the passionate melody still makes me unable to suppress my inner excitement. A great victory, I can only say this about the final.

Their champions are not stolen or robbed. They won the competition with reasonable tactical arrangements and excellent overall combat capabilities, and also won the respect of all Europe.

They are civilians, but they have equal dignity.

Looking at the ecstatic Greek players, I feel sincerely happy for them. I am also happy for the 12,000 Greek fans, thinking that they are all happy. But when can our China bring us such happiness and joy? Can Greece's success give them some inspiration?

Finally, congratulations to Greece and thanks to Portugal!

This is an unforgettable European Cup! This is a mythical fantasy European Cup!

23 days, 19 match days, 31 matches. The lost faces, the happy faces, the painful faces... are all so vivid.

Goodbye, I spent 19 nights with me. After four years, I met again and a cycle of reincarnation began again.

At the end, let us remember these names and faces.

Nicopolidis, Sitaridis, Delas, Capsis, Fessas, Cachulanis, Zagolakis (captain), Basinas, Jannacopolos, Charisteas, Frizas, Venetidis, Papadopolos, Calagunis, Rehager...
Chapter completed!