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05-11-2005, 12:43 AM
Otto Rehhagel: "Frankfurt will feel like home"
10 May 2005
by OC 2006 FIFA World Cup
June 2004 saw Greece confound the critics with a string of battling displays ending in a stunning EURO 2004 triumph in Lisbon. June 2005 sees the European champions out to prove their shock success was not just a one-off. The month opens with potentially decisive FIFA World Cup™ qualifiers against Turkey and Ukraine on 4 and 8 June, before the side ranked 12th in the world arrive in Germany for the FIFA Confederations Cup from 15 to 29 June. The Greeks have been grouped with FIFA World Cup holders Brazil, CONCACAF top dogs Mexico and Asian champions Japan. Interviewed by FIFAworldcup.com, iconic Greece boss Otto Rehhagel - who was awarded on Tuesday May 10th the Cross of the Order of Merit by German President Horst Koumlhler - issued a plea to Germany's 360,000 strong Greek community to get behind their team at the Confederations Cup and match the passionate support witnessed a year ago in Portugal.
Greece are enjoying a good 2005 so far. How do you rate your 12th place in the April FIFA World Ranking?
This position is the result of a lot of hard work with the Greek national side over the last four years. I took over the coaching job in summer 2001, and we've worked our way up ever since. We've contested 50 internationals and lost only four. This record, and the tremendous progress which lies behind it, has resulted in our current FIFA World Ranking.
Twelfth is the Greeks' best placing since the world ranking was introduced. Did you expect your side to recover after the trough which followed your EURO 2004 triumph?
You need to remember that August is still vacation month in Greece. My players turned up in early September 2004 without any kind of preparation. But we had our first two World Cup qualifiers - in Albania and at home to Turkey - within the space of five days. We went and lost in Tirana and dropped two points at home to the Turks. That was a poor start, but the turning point was our draw with Ukraine in Kiev in October. We've followed up with four wins in four, and we're up to second in the Group. This is the position we have to defend. Every game is like a final now.
That certainly applies to your next two matches, the returns in Turkey and at home to Ukraine on 4 and 8 June. What are your expectations as you prepare for these crunch showdowns against the team lying third, and the leaders in your group?
We know the atmosphere will be hot in Turkey. We have to keep our cool and act smart if we're to maintain our two-point advantage. They're certainly under more pressure in front of their home crowd than we are.
And I'm sure you'll want to play like European champions four days later in the table-topping clash with Ukraine?
It's vital we don't suffer any injuries. We don't exactly have strength in depth. Fortunately I think I can count on Dellas. He's training again with Roma after a lengthy injury lay-off, and hopefully he'll have picked up enough match practice by June. But Ukraine are a genuinely excellent team. We're going into these two key matches aiming to take four points. That will see us hold onto, and indeed cement second place. That's our general strategy for now.
If it comes off, you'd probably be in the FIFA World Ranking top ten when the FIFA Confederations Cup kicks off in Germany in mid-June.
I wouldn't argue with that!
Your team's return to form has clearly stirred up the German Greek community's interest in the Confederations Cup. Your meeting with FIFA World Cup holders Brazil in Leipzig was an early sell-out. Some 20,000 tickets have been snapped up for each of your games with Japan and Mexico on 19 and 22 June in Frankfurt, but do you think they'll sell out as well?
I'm calling on every Greek in Germany to come to Frankfurt with their families on these two days and support their team. It worked at the European Championship in Portugal, and the Greeks need to repeat their fantastic support at the Confederations Cup. I reckon the games in Frankfurt will be just like home matches for us.
Casting an eye over the FIFA World Rankings, you have to say that your group with Brazil at number one, Mexico at number 8 and Japan 17th is a far tougher proposition than Group A, with Argentina at number 3, Germany at number 20, Tunisia 39th and Australia 56th. Do you agree?
I wouldn't say that. Tunisia and Australia are capable of excellent football, not to mention Argentina and Germany. But there's no doubt we're in a tough group. What can you say about Brazil? The Japanese regard 90 competitive minutes as a stroll. They're physically as good as it gets. As for the Mexicans, the crowds at the Confederations Cup will be stunned by the quality of their football. This tournament has an absolutely top-class starting field, and our preparations take full account of that.
What does that mean?
We'll be together from the end of May until we fly to Germany on 11 June. After the World Cup qualifiers, we'll go back to a training base near Athens and we'll fly direct from there to the Confederations Cup.
What do you think each of the eight nations at the tournament will generally be hoping to achieve?
I'm assuming they'll all put out their first-choice teams. Some of them will want to get up to full speed before the climax to World Cup qualifying, but others who are already through or pretty much there, such as Germany, Brazil and Argentina, will be looking to acclimatise their players to the 2006 host nation, sort out selection issues under competitive conditions, and maybe try out a few tactical variations.
So do you reckon you'll be up against Ronaldo and Ronaldinho in the prestige clash between the world champions and their European equivalent on 16 June in Leipzig?
Definitely! Brazil could put out three different teams if they wanted to, and each of them would be favourites to win the tournament. I know my counterpart Parreira is determined to field his big-name stars, and the association is right behind him. We'd be delighted to meet a Brazilian team featuring Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. If we wanted to play them in normal circumstances, it would cost more money than we have in Greece.
So do you think your team will fancy their chances against Brazil, boosted by their status as European champions?
Brazil are obviously an exceptionally tough proposition. But ever since our triumph in Portugal, we've noticed our opponents take a different attitude and pay us a lot more respect. My players have earned that respect, and they deserve it too. Since then they've had to prove they can cope with the title and the recognition. And we've got it well under control in the meantime.
10 May 2005
by OC 2006 FIFA World Cup
June 2004 saw Greece confound the critics with a string of battling displays ending in a stunning EURO 2004 triumph in Lisbon. June 2005 sees the European champions out to prove their shock success was not just a one-off. The month opens with potentially decisive FIFA World Cup™ qualifiers against Turkey and Ukraine on 4 and 8 June, before the side ranked 12th in the world arrive in Germany for the FIFA Confederations Cup from 15 to 29 June. The Greeks have been grouped with FIFA World Cup holders Brazil, CONCACAF top dogs Mexico and Asian champions Japan. Interviewed by FIFAworldcup.com, iconic Greece boss Otto Rehhagel - who was awarded on Tuesday May 10th the Cross of the Order of Merit by German President Horst Koumlhler - issued a plea to Germany's 360,000 strong Greek community to get behind their team at the Confederations Cup and match the passionate support witnessed a year ago in Portugal.
Greece are enjoying a good 2005 so far. How do you rate your 12th place in the April FIFA World Ranking?
This position is the result of a lot of hard work with the Greek national side over the last four years. I took over the coaching job in summer 2001, and we've worked our way up ever since. We've contested 50 internationals and lost only four. This record, and the tremendous progress which lies behind it, has resulted in our current FIFA World Ranking.
Twelfth is the Greeks' best placing since the world ranking was introduced. Did you expect your side to recover after the trough which followed your EURO 2004 triumph?
You need to remember that August is still vacation month in Greece. My players turned up in early September 2004 without any kind of preparation. But we had our first two World Cup qualifiers - in Albania and at home to Turkey - within the space of five days. We went and lost in Tirana and dropped two points at home to the Turks. That was a poor start, but the turning point was our draw with Ukraine in Kiev in October. We've followed up with four wins in four, and we're up to second in the Group. This is the position we have to defend. Every game is like a final now.
That certainly applies to your next two matches, the returns in Turkey and at home to Ukraine on 4 and 8 June. What are your expectations as you prepare for these crunch showdowns against the team lying third, and the leaders in your group?
We know the atmosphere will be hot in Turkey. We have to keep our cool and act smart if we're to maintain our two-point advantage. They're certainly under more pressure in front of their home crowd than we are.
And I'm sure you'll want to play like European champions four days later in the table-topping clash with Ukraine?
It's vital we don't suffer any injuries. We don't exactly have strength in depth. Fortunately I think I can count on Dellas. He's training again with Roma after a lengthy injury lay-off, and hopefully he'll have picked up enough match practice by June. But Ukraine are a genuinely excellent team. We're going into these two key matches aiming to take four points. That will see us hold onto, and indeed cement second place. That's our general strategy for now.
If it comes off, you'd probably be in the FIFA World Ranking top ten when the FIFA Confederations Cup kicks off in Germany in mid-June.
I wouldn't argue with that!
Your team's return to form has clearly stirred up the German Greek community's interest in the Confederations Cup. Your meeting with FIFA World Cup holders Brazil in Leipzig was an early sell-out. Some 20,000 tickets have been snapped up for each of your games with Japan and Mexico on 19 and 22 June in Frankfurt, but do you think they'll sell out as well?
I'm calling on every Greek in Germany to come to Frankfurt with their families on these two days and support their team. It worked at the European Championship in Portugal, and the Greeks need to repeat their fantastic support at the Confederations Cup. I reckon the games in Frankfurt will be just like home matches for us.
Casting an eye over the FIFA World Rankings, you have to say that your group with Brazil at number one, Mexico at number 8 and Japan 17th is a far tougher proposition than Group A, with Argentina at number 3, Germany at number 20, Tunisia 39th and Australia 56th. Do you agree?
I wouldn't say that. Tunisia and Australia are capable of excellent football, not to mention Argentina and Germany. But there's no doubt we're in a tough group. What can you say about Brazil? The Japanese regard 90 competitive minutes as a stroll. They're physically as good as it gets. As for the Mexicans, the crowds at the Confederations Cup will be stunned by the quality of their football. This tournament has an absolutely top-class starting field, and our preparations take full account of that.
What does that mean?
We'll be together from the end of May until we fly to Germany on 11 June. After the World Cup qualifiers, we'll go back to a training base near Athens and we'll fly direct from there to the Confederations Cup.
What do you think each of the eight nations at the tournament will generally be hoping to achieve?
I'm assuming they'll all put out their first-choice teams. Some of them will want to get up to full speed before the climax to World Cup qualifying, but others who are already through or pretty much there, such as Germany, Brazil and Argentina, will be looking to acclimatise their players to the 2006 host nation, sort out selection issues under competitive conditions, and maybe try out a few tactical variations.
So do you reckon you'll be up against Ronaldo and Ronaldinho in the prestige clash between the world champions and their European equivalent on 16 June in Leipzig?
Definitely! Brazil could put out three different teams if they wanted to, and each of them would be favourites to win the tournament. I know my counterpart Parreira is determined to field his big-name stars, and the association is right behind him. We'd be delighted to meet a Brazilian team featuring Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. If we wanted to play them in normal circumstances, it would cost more money than we have in Greece.
So do you think your team will fancy their chances against Brazil, boosted by their status as European champions?
Brazil are obviously an exceptionally tough proposition. But ever since our triumph in Portugal, we've noticed our opponents take a different attitude and pay us a lot more respect. My players have earned that respect, and they deserve it too. Since then they've had to prove they can cope with the title and the recognition. And we've got it well under control in the meantime.