'King Otto' set to break Greek record
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Article summary
Already Greece's most successful coach ever, Otto Rehhagel will take charge of a landmark 75th game as the holders conclude a successful qualifying campaign.
Article body
Already the most successful coach in the history of the national team, having led Greece to the only major triumph in their history at UEFA EURO 2004™, Otto Rehhagel will take charge of a landmark 75th game as the holders conclude a successful qualifying campaign for the 2008 finals tonight.
Panagoulias total
The Group C tie in Hungary will see the 69-year-old German become the coach to have led Greece through the most games, surpassing Alketas Panagoulias's total of 74, set in three spells: 1973-1976, 1977-1981 and 1992-1994. Hired in August 2001, Rehhagel said: "This record is unbelievable and unusual by Greek standards. Nobody could have predicted that I would be at the helm for so many matches."
German achievements
Already renowned in Germany, where he won three national titles and three German Cups as well as the 1991/92 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup with Werder Bremen, Rehhagel has shone in Greece and could end the qualifying campaign with two more records if his side prevail in Budapest. A win would give them 31 points - which would be the highest total for any side in the UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifiers, and also the highest achieved by Greece in any qualifying phase.
Preparation time
However, records will not be Rehhagel's primary motivation. "After securing qualification, we must take advantage of the time remaining until the finals in order to prepare ourselves as best as we can both physically and mentally for our matches in Austria and Switzerland," he said. "We are very glad we have already qualified and are not under any pressure but we need a win to improve our position for Sunday's draw for the 2010 [FIFA] World Cup qualifiers."
Absent defenders
Rehhagel cannot count on defenders Traianos Dellas (suspended), Giourkas Seitaridis (achilles), Ioannis Goumas (thigh) and Vassilios Torosidis (flu). "Against Hungary, we will make some changes in order to give a chance to players who have had less playing time," said Rehhagel, who is expected to start with Michalis Kapsis in central defence and Nikos Spiropoulos, who earned his first cap on Saturday, on the left.
