EURO on this day: 4 July
Sunday, 4 July 2021
Article summary
On this day: Angelos Charisteas's goal helped Greece to stun the world of football.
Article top media content
Article body
Portugal 0-1 Greece
(Charisteas 57)
2004 final, Lisbon
Greece pulled off arguably the biggest shock at a major international football tournament as Angelos Charisteas's goal earned a 1-0 victory in the final of UEFA EURO 2004.
The game was an attractive spectacle from the start, with the hosts initially on top. Likewise the second half opened with a Pauleta effort, but then the unthinkable happened – Greece took the lead.
For a time, they had their backs to the wall as Rui Costa, Deco and Luís Figo probed for an opening. Yet the defensive discipline that had stood Otto Rehhagel's team in such good stead throughout the championship again came to the fore as Greece held on for a famous win.
"Some of your dreams you dare to describe, and others you keep them for yourself. For me, my dream was always to score a EURO final goal," Charisteas recalled in 2020. "Even now, ten to 20 passers-by per day will mention the EURO. I'll sit down for a coffee and there'll always be someone who says: "Angelos, I remember that 4 July..."
Click here to read more
Other EURO fixtures on 4 July
None