| During the 2004 summer, my home country, | | | | team's efforts and everyone felt the need to |
| Greece had the privilege to be the protagonist in | | | | celebrate again and again their enormous success. |
| two extremely important and prestigious events | | | | For many critics, extremely important, if not |
| in the nation's sports history; the EURO 2004 | | | | more than the players' efforts, was the presence |
| Soccer Championship and the 2004 Olympic | | | | of Mr. Otto Rehhagel, the German coach of the |
| Games. In the EURO 2004 Soccer Championship, | | | | Greek national soccer team, who managed to |
| the National Soccer Team of Greece gained the | | | | become the most familiar and friendly face in the |
| title as the new European Soccer Championship | | | | Greek public surpassing the fame and status of all |
| and by hosting successfully the 2004 Olympic | | | | of his Greek soccer colleagues. His management |
| Games, has proven to the world that it can | | | | style, his personality and his persistence, became |
| surpass even the wildest expectations of its | | | | a new national anthem for Greeks, who have |
| critics. | | | | made his profile the modern icon for an ancient |
| When Theodoros Zagorakis, the Greek national | | | | Greek god. |
| soccer team captain, lifted the Cup of the EURO | | | | In this particular meaningful sport event, every |
| 2004 Championship, every Greek, all over the | | | | Greek felt like their support was projected in the |
| world, felt proud to belong to this nation. It is | | | | field and their presence felt by the players, |
| difficult to describe the overwhelming feeling | | | | influencing every result in the series of the games |
| everyone felt that night when the Greek soccer | | | | played, reaching its peak during the final. From the |
| team managed to defeat the national Portuguese | | | | known myths of sports, the 12th man was the |
| soccer team in their homeland, at the national | | | | classic illusion that promoted the spectators' |
| stadium in Lisbon, with a single goal. That hot | | | | wishing, screaming and cheering. The eleven |
| summer evening, every Greek, man or woman, | | | | contemporary heroes of the Greek national |
| child or elder, was viewing the most anticipated | | | | soccer team extended Greece's political culture to |
| game in the Greek sports history. The strong | | | | its undiscovered limits and cultivated the publics' |
| heartbeat everyone felt that night was one of | | | | belief in the 'hidden star-quality' that could illuminate |
| the most important moments in every Greek's | | | | once again everyone's life, as long as opportunity |
| life. | | | | evolves and timing is right. These eleven stars, |
| Soccer is still the beloved sport of Greece and | | | | won a distinct place in the hearts of every Greek, |
| with this unexpected result soccer has managed | | | | transforming themselves to role models, |
| to overcome social obstacles of age, politics and | | | | resembling to the fame and prestige of ancient |
| gender, shaping a new game identity. Nothing | | | | warriors. From the battlefields of this European |
| similar has ever happened to Greeks. Nothing as | | | | Soccer Championship, this team's perseverance, |
| powerful, as that single scream of joy, has ever | | | | effort and consistency, played the most crucial |
| in the contemporary Greek sports history, united | | | | role in the turnout. Thus, the Greeks will value |
| so dynamically this nation. For days after this | | | | every minute of those athletes' accomplishment, |
| accomplishment, Greeks were still unable to | | | | in many years to come. |
| believe the outcome of their national soccer | | | | |