2008 Greece Home – Karagounis #10 Medium

The 2008 calendar year saw Greece enter the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament as the defending champions, having shocked the world by winning Euro 2004.

• Euro 2008 Tournament:

  • Greece were drawn in Group D alongside Spain, Russia, and Sweden.

  • Results: Lost 2–0 to Sweden, 1–0 to Russia, and 2–1 to Spain.

  • They finished bottom of the group with 0 points, becoming the first defending European champions to lose all their group-stage matches.

• Key Storyline: After the fairytale of 2004, Greece’s 2008 campaign was seen as a harsh return to reality. The defensive discipline and counter-attacking strategy that had once brought glory under Otto Rehhagel were now outdated against faster, more technical opponents.

• Kit: The 2008 away jersey, designed by Adidas, was a crisp blue shirt with white accents — a reversal of their classic home look. Though associated with disappointment, it remains symbolic of Greece’s short-lived reign as kings of Europe.

2. Player’s Impact – Giorgos Karagounis (2008)

Giorgos Karagounis, one of Greece’s most experienced and influential midfielders, was central to their Euro 2008 campaign.

• Role: Played as a central midfielder, combining leadership, stamina, and vision. Known for his set-piece ability and relentless work rate.

• Appearances: Started in all three group-stage matches, captaining the side in the absence of Zagorakis in some fixtures.

• Performance:

  • Worked tirelessly in midfield, though often overrun by Spain’s and Russia’s technical playmakers.

  • Created chances from set pieces but lacked the support of a clinical attack.

• Legacy at the Time: Karagounis was already a Euro 2004 hero and by 2008 had over 70 caps. Though the team struggled, he remained a respected leader and went on to captain Greece into the 2010s, including their strong showing at Euro 2012.

3. Full Squad List – Greece Euro 2008

Manager: Otto Rehhagel

Goalkeepers:

• Antonis Nikopolidis (Olympiacos)

• Konstantinos Chalkias (Aris Thessaloniki)

• Alexandros Tzorvas (OFI Crete)

Defenders:

• Giourkas Seitaridis (Atlético Madrid)

• Sotirios Kyrgiakos (Eintracht Frankfurt)

• Traianos Dellas (AEK Athens)

• Paraskevas Antzas (Olympiacos)

• Loukas Vyntra (Panathinaikos)

• Vangelis Moras (Bologna)

• Nikos Spiropoulos (Panathinaikos)

• Petros Giannakopoulos (Atromitos)

Midfielders:

• Giorgos Karagounis (Benfica)

• Angelos Basinas (AEK Athens)

• Kostas Katsouranis (Benfica)

• Stelios Giannakopoulos (Bolton Wanderers)

• Christos Patsatzoglou (Olympiacos)

• Alexandros Tziolis (Panathinaikos)

Forwards:

• Angelos Charisteas (Nürnberg)

• Dimitris Salpingidis (Panathinaikos)

• Theofanis Gekas (Bayer Leverkusen)

• Giorgos Samaras (Celtic)