Looking back at Greece’s surprise victory at EURO 2004 | UEFA EURO 2024

Was it really 20 years ago? Greece’s remarkable triumph at EURO 2004 remains one of the greatest surprises of a major international tournament, a feat that has lost none of its power to surprise. Dellas was at the heart of the Greece team that defied expectations in Portugal. A cornerstone of Otto Rehhagel’s side, he finds it hard to believe that it has been so long since he and his Greece EURO 2004 team-mates dominated the continent.

“Personally, I feel like it happened yesterday,” says the 48-year-old. “Sometimes I think that all the Greeks who have had this experience remember it as if it were yesterday.”

It’s perhaps natural when you can barely leave the house without being stopped by supporters, but the trophy winners themselves have also done their part to keep the magic of this summer alive.

“All the players on the team are still in touch,” says Dellas. “We are still active and we have created an NGO called Champions for Life, which aims to help people and do charitable work in the community. We still meet often and have remained very active over the years. For the 20th anniversary, we are planning something big. Everyone in Greece will be able to come together and celebrate this incredible victory again.”

Greece wins EURO 2004 thanks to team spirit

It will come as no surprise that their camaraderie has endured. Indeed, the Greek brothers’ team spirit has been key to their astonishing success, with the national team never winning a single match at a major tournament. Did they think they had a chance of lifting the trophy before the action began? “No, not at all,” insists Dellas. So how did Greece win EURO 2004? Most importantly, they had an incredible bond and, by uniting, they beat hosts Portugal in their opening game and the final – not to mention their knockout victories over holders France and a much-fancied Czech Republic side.

“We didn’t have the same star players as the other teams at this EURO,” Dellas added. “But we all got on very well in terms of character and we were a very close-knit group. That helped us beat quality teams that seemed much better than us. We all had strong personalities and good character. Our main advantage, however, was that we were all able to put the team before ourselves.”

Traianos Dellas – Greek Defense Chief

This is particularly true in defence, as Dellas recently found out. The former centre-back was part of a defence that conceded just four goals in six games, and kept a clean sheet in all of their knockout matches. His leadership in front of goal earned him a place in UEFA’s Team of the Tournament, yet he is keen to highlight the rigour and tenacity that characterised the entire team.

“I watched all those games again recently,” he said. “I had never watched them before. As a coach, I noticed things that surprised me, like the great work of the forwards and midfielders. They did a great job of taking the pressure off the defensive players, and I could see that every player was working hard on the pitch. Credit goes to every player on that team, not just me or my fellow defenders.”

Making history

The flip side of the coin is that Dellas also contributed at the other end of the pitch, heading in the winner against the Czech Republic in the semi-final. Scored late in the first half of extra time, it remains the only silverware goal in an international match. It was also his only goal for his country. “To be honest, I don’t remember much from that moment because of the intensity and the fatigue of the game. It’s a real blessing that after 20 years people still thank me in the street. I tell them they probably remember that game more than I do.”

Dellas, however, remembers his arrival at the summit of Europe three days later, when Angelos Charisteas broke Portuguese hearts with a 1-0 victory, the crowning achievement of Greece’s fabulous run. “It was like a weight had been lifted off our shoulders,” says Dellas. “In reality, we shouldn’t have felt so much pressure because we were complete underdogs. If we hadn’t won the final, we would still have considered ourselves winners, but that was our character. We were hungry for success and when the final was over, we all breathed a sigh of relief.”

Since then, the man who played three times for AEK Athens, during a career that also saw him play in Italy and England, has continued to prove his fighting qualities. As a coach, he helped AEK rise from the depths of the third division to the Greek top flight for two consecutive seasons between 2013 and 2015, but what would really delight him is to see another Greek team take the continent by storm.

“I would like it to happen again, or even bigger and better,” he explains. “We want the young players to surpass us. That’s our mentality, and it’s not impossible that another team will do it. I really hope there’s another generation of players like us.” After all, doesn’t it seem like just yesterday that he and his tenacious compatriots pulled off the ultimate upset?