Profile Greece Squad

Greece Coach

Former Greece midfielder Stelios Giannakopoulos: "The Portuguese coach Fernando Santos has his own mentality, and he has changed the style a little bit. It is a more controlled team, a team that tries to build from the back. It's different from Otto Rehhagel because he wanted more direct football.

Greece are hardly well endowed with attacking midfielders, so the serious knee injury Sotiris Ninis suffered in September 2011 was a real blow. The Panathinaikos playmaker damaged cruciate ligaments moments after scoring a spectacular solo goal against Israel.

However, Ninis' absence did not prevent the Greeks clinching qualification with victory against Group F favourites Croatia. The 22-year-old made his return in March, and has since signed a deal to play for Parma next season.

Greece Squad

Born in Albania to Greek parents, Ninis was selected for the 2010 World Cup but veteran coach Otto Rehhagel appeared reluctant to trust the youngster. The midfielder made two substitute appearances in South Africa, spending a total of 41 minutes on the pitch.

Otto Rehhagel famously masterminded their surprise victory at Euro 2004, when the Greeks defied pre-tournament odds of 100/1. They also qualified in 1980 and 2008 but failed to win a game at either tournament.