Rehhagel call for Katsouranis
Monday, May 26, 2003
Article summary
Kostas Katsouranis of AEK Athens FC has been called up by Greece for the qualifiers against Spain and Ukraine.
Article body
New face
Katsouranis, 24, is the only new face in a 22-man squad named by coach Otto Rehhagel today. His nomination is reward for a fine season in both the Alpha Ethniki and the UEFA Champions League - where Katsouranis scored the equalising goal for AEK in a first-stage draw at Real Madrid CF. Katsouranis has also played 25 times for the Under-21 team.
Keeper recalled
Another surprise selection is goalkeeper Fanis Katergiannakis from newly crowned champions Olympiakos Piraeus FC. The 29-year-old earned a recall after proving himself a more than capable deputy for the injured Dimitrios Eleftheropoulos during Olympiakos's title run-in.
Missing players
However, two players from AEK and Olympiakos are conspicuous by their absences - AEK striker Demis Nikolaidis and Olympiakos defender Christos Patsatzoglou, both of whom are injured.
Vital matches
Greece, who are third in Group 6, travel to Zaragoza to face Spain on 7 June before hosting Ukraine in Athens four days later. With Greece lying four points behind the Spaniards in joint-second place alongside Ukraine, these games will be crucial to their hopes of reaching next summer's finals in Portugal.
Greece squad
Nikopolidis, Katergiannakis, Dabizas, Dellas, Kyrgiakos, Antzas, Fyssas, Venetidis, Seitaridis, Lakis, Giannakopoulos, Bassinas, Zagorakis, Kafes, Tsartas, Karagounis, Georgiadis, Katsouranis, Amanatidis, Haristeas, Vryzas, Houtos.
