The Portuguese Euro became a kind of continuation of the 2002 World Cup, confirming new trends in modern football: the favorites "made it a rule" to leave the final stages of championships "the English way," without showing excessive desire to take some Cup with them...\n\nAt the same time, the thought suggests itself that the same Italians, Spaniards and Germans, who headed to their native homes already after the group stage, and in addition the losers of the quarterfinals – the French and the English – once again through banal negligence came out onto the green pitches of Portugal, gazing up at the sky, tilting their heads toward the stars: so what? we are the favorites, who will stand in our way? They probably forgot that everyone who sees a piece of tasty pie only in their dreams is ready to feast on it (forgive the banality).\n\nAmong the company of such "impudent ones," capable of transforming in an instant from an ugly duckling into a handsome swan, were also the Hellenes – descendants of wise philosophers and worshippers of the gods of Olympus.\n\nPreparing for the meeting of the strongest, the German mentor of the Greeks, Otto Rehhagel, even with the cold-bloodedness and calculations characteristic of his compatriots, hardly dreamed of anything more than the quarterfinal, but unexpectedly having tasted triumph, he felt an even greater appetite with his "students."\n\nJust a moment – and, it would seem, the unattainable prize is already near – one can touch it... and... (would you believe it!) try to take it with you! One only needs to scatter the hosts' ambitions to the wind for a second time...\n\n"We have several tactical schemes for all occasions: if we concede a goal at the start of the match, if we go ahead, and if everything drags on like in the match with the Czechs," such rather audacious words were chosen by the coach of the Greek "DREAM TEAM" Otto Rehhagel for his pre-match speech.\n\n"I think one scored goal will decide everything," the Portuguese coach Luiz Felipe Scolari cautiously predicted... Both, as we can see, were not mistaken, although the latter is unlikely to have seen the author of the winning goal in the opponent's jersey... But football is football.\n\nA peculiar highlight of the final was that both teams had the opportunity to evaluate each other in action some three weeks earlier. Back then, in the opening match of Euro 2004, the Greeks gave fans of the game of millions the first sensation, ruthlessly taking all three points of the group stage for themselves.\n\nSo the thought arose – which of the coaches would surpass his counterpart this time? Either Rehhagel would find additional jokers, or Scolari would finally invent an "antidote" against the opponents' impenetrable defensive redoubts and their attacking audacity.\n\nUnder pressure from their huge fan audience and having decided to "drain" the Greeks with a quick goal, the Portuguese players rushed forward with all their might "on wings," but they were "clipped" if not in the central zone, then near the penalty area.\n\nDespite such resistance, Miguel nearly found himself in his partners' embrace right at the start of the match, but the Hellenes' goalkeeper Nikopolidis was able to change the trajectory of the ball's flight with his fingertips, averting danger from his own goal.\n\nThe hosts of this year's Olympics also did not delay with a counterattack: after a quick raid, Fyssas was logically supposed to finish an spectacular combination, but Ricardo made himself known in time, playing ahead of him.\n\nWhen the main referee of the match, the German Markus Merk, blew the whistle for halftime at 0:0, another remark from Rehhagel immediately came to mind, which he "blurted out" after one of the Euro matches.\n\n"I was able to teach my team not to fear titled opponents and to feel confidence in their own strength," the coach said then. And indeed – after the "conquered" Spain (1-1), the same Portugal (2:1), France (1:0) and the Czech Republic (1:0), in the final it was clearly visible: if the Greeks sometimes lacked experience or certain skill, they had no shortage of cold-bloodedness and discipline, which allowed them to shatter the dreams of renowned opponents without a hint of nervousness.\n\nAfter resting for 15 minutes, Figo and company tried their luck in attack with renewed strength, but at times it was unclear: how could the same Pauleta, without support from partners (!...) beat four players of Hellas alone... Quite calmly enduring such raids, the Greek national team did not risk postponing the task of "beating" Ricardo for later, and it was realized, just as in the match with the Czechs: after a corner kick. Everything happened identically to that episode, only the names of the heroes changed: this time Angelos Charisteas took advantage of an impeccable cross from the right corner flag, just as Dellas did in the semifinal, delivering an accurate shot at his counterpart's goal – 1:0!\n\nThus, each of those precious minutes remaining until the final whistle became worth its weight in gold for the Portuguese. Cristiano Ronaldo almost immediately received the opportunity to inscribe his name in the list of national heroes, but miraculously failed, going one-on-one, to successfully chip the goalkeeper.\n\nThe mixture of euphoria among Greek fans and the tense expressions on the faces of Portuguese fans of the game of millions was dispelled only by the "exploit" of a local "fan."\n\nSwiftly overcoming an obstacle in the form of security, he instantly found himself on the pitch, threw a flag painted in the colors of Catalan "Barcelona" at the ex-player of that team, Luis Figo, and in addition demonstrated excellent running performance. About twenty people who ran after the disturber of the peace carried him off the pitch only after the fan, like a ball, tried at full speed to "tear" the net of the Greek goal...\n\nThis incident, it seems, finally demoralized the Portuguese, who simply could not cope with the desperate defense of the Hellenes. Even the referee's "gift," who added a whole 5 minutes to the main time, did not help them. 1:0 – not fully believing in the reality of what had happened, Greek fans are going wild, celebrating an unexpected and therefore even more pleasant victory... The 12th European championship title heads to Hellas.\n\nPortugal – Greece 0:1\n\nGoal: Charisteas, 57\n\nPortugal national team: Ricardo Soares, Jorge Andrade, Miguel (Paulo Ferreira, 43), Nuno Valente, Ricardo Carvalho, Costinha (Rui Costa, 59), Figo, Ronaldo, Maniche, Deco, Pauleta (Nuno Gomes, 72)\n\nGreece national team: Nikopolidis, Seitaridis, Dellas, Basinas, Zagorakis, Giannakopoulos (Venetidis, 76), Fyssas, Vryzas (Papadopoulos, 80), Kapsis, Katsouranis, Charisteas\n\nReferee: Markus Merk (Germany)\n\nLisbon. Stadium "da Luz." 62,865 spectators