It was a moment that sent shockwaves through the footballing world. One of the greatest underdog stories of all-time was witnessed as Greece toppled a Portugal side containing Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Figo and Deco.
But who exactly was part of that heroic squad?
#1 GK – ANTONIOS NIKOPOLIDIS
With 90 caps for the Greek national team, Nikopolidis is regarded as one of his country’s greatest ever goalkeepers. He kept three clean sheets at Euro 2004 – all in the knockout phase – as Greece produced three 1-0 victories to claim their first ever European Championship title.
In a career that spanned 24 years, Nikopolidis won eleven Greek titles (five with Panathinaikos and six with Olympiacos) and nine Greek Cups (five with Panathinaikos and four with Olympiakos). He is also the record holder for winning the Greek Best Goalkeeper with eight awards.
Nikopolidis is currently the Greece U21 manager, but his side failed to qualify for the 2017 European Championships after finishing third in Group 4.
#2 RB – GIOURKAS SEITARIDIS
Seitaridis won 72 caps for Greece and his solitary goal came against Hungary in a Euro 2008 qualifier. The diminutive right back was named Greek Young Footballer of the Year in 2001 following an impressive campaign with Panathinaikos, where he scored his first Champions League goal against Manchester United.
In 2004, Seitaridis signed for European champions Porto and helped the Dragões win the Portuguese Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup. From there, he signed for Russian outfit Dynamo Moscow but was unable to settle and soon transferred to Atlético Madrid in a €12m deal.
The defender returned to Panathinaikos in September 2009 after being released by Atlético and helped the Greek side win the league and cup double that season. He retired in 2013.
#19 CB – MICHALIS KAPSIS
The son of Anthimos Kapsis, who played for Panathinaikos in the 1971 European Cup final against Johan Cruyff’s Ajax, Kapsis won 34 caps for Greece between 2003 and 2007 and was part of the AEK Athens squad that claimed two Greek Cups in 2000 and 2002.
After his impressive displays at Euro 2004, the defender was signed by Girondins Bordeaux. However, the French side endured an indifferent campaign and finished two points clear of the drop zone having won just eight games but drawing 20.
Kapsis joined Olympiacos in 2005 and was part of the squad that won the league and cup double in 2006. From Greece, he moved to Cypriot outfit APOEL Nicosia before retiring with Ethinikos Pireaus in February 2010.
#5 CB – TRAIANOS DELLAS
Scorer of the winning goal in the semi-final victory over Czech Republic at Euro 2004, Dellas amassed 53 caps for his country between 2001 and 2009. The towering centre back once plied his trade in England at Sheffield United and spent three years with Italian giants Roma from 2002 to 2005.
Dellas had three spells with AEK Athens and won two Greek Cups in 2000 and 2011. He announced his retirement from football in May 2012. Since then he has gone on to manage AEK following their financial turbulence and led the club to back-to-back promotions. He is currently the manager of Greek Super League side Atromitos, who have Anthony Le Tallec in their ranks.
#14 LB – TAKIS FYSSAS
Fyssas spent eight years at Panionios and won the Greek Cup in his final season with the Athens-based club in 1998. He joined Panathinaikos and was part of the double winning squad in 2004 before signing for Benfica midway through the 2003-04 campaign.
In his first season with the Eagles, he helped them claim their first Taça de Portugal in eight years before playing a pivotal role in Benfica’s title winning campaign the following season – their first Portuguese title for eleven years.
Fyssas then moved on to Hearts where he won the Scottish Cup in 2006 before returning to Greece with Panathinaikos where he retired in 2008. He is now the technical director of the Hellenic Football Federation.
#21 DM – KOSTAS KATSOURANIS
In an international career that spanned 13 years, Katsouranis earned over 116 caps for his country and is widely revered as one of Greece’s finest ever players. Like Fyssas, the midfielder had a spell with Benfica and helped the Portuguese club to their first Taça da Liga triumph in 2009. However, Katsouranis missed a penalty in the shoot-out against Sporting Lisbon, but he was in good company – even Pablo Aimar failed to convert his spot kick.
He was part of Panathinaikos’ double winning side in 2009/10 and moved on to PAOK, Indian outfit Pune City, Atromitos and finished his career in Australia with Heidleberg United before retiring in 2015.
STARTING XI: GREECE 2004
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Centre back
Michalis Kapsis
Right back
Giourkas Seitaridis
Goalkeeper
Antonios Nikopolidis
Centre back
Traianos Dellas
Left back
Takis Fyssas
Defensive midfield
Kostas Katsouranis
#7 CM – THEODOROS ZAGORAKIS
The midfield maestro won 120 caps for Greece in a 13 year period between 1994 and 2007 and had a successful spell in England with Leicester City. During his time with the Foxes, he played in two League Cup finals, losing one against Tottenham Hotspur and winning the second against Tranmere Rovers in 2000.
Zagorakis would only win one more domestic honour – the Greek Cup with AEK Athens in 2002. However, he was awarded UEFA Player of the Tournament at EURO 2004 – an accolade that has since been claimed by Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Antoine Griezmann and previously won by Zinedine Zidane.
After retiring in 2007, he became club president at PAOK. Since then, Zagorakis has entered into a career of politics and was as an MEP in May 2014.
#6 CM – ANGELOS BASINAS
Basinas won his 100th and final cap for Greece in 2009 in a 2010 World Cup qualifier against Israel, becoming only the second player to reach that milestone – after Zagorakis. He spent nine seasons with Panathinaikos, winning two league titles and one Greek Cup.
The midfielder moved onto La Liga outfit Mallorca before joining Portsmouth following an unsuccessful spell back in Greece with AEK Athens. During his time on the south coast, Basinas was part of the Pompey squad that lost the 2010 FA Cup final against Chelsea having already been relegated from the Premier League.
Basinas then signed for Ligue 1 side Arles-Avignon alongside compatriot Angelos Charisteas before retiring in 2011.
#9 RW – ANGELOS CHARISTEAS
The heroic member of Greece’s Euro 2004 campaign, Charisteas scored the winning goal against Portugal as he headed home in the 57th minute to complete one of the greatest underdog stories in international football history.
Charisteas earned 88 caps for his country over a ten year period and played a crucial part in Werder Bremen’s 2003/04 Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double winning campaign. He won the Dutch Super Cup and Dutch Cup with Ajax in 2005/06 before claiming his second DFB-Pokal with Schalke in 2010/11.
The forward netted three goals at Euro 2004 and was shortlisted for the Ballon d’Or, where he eventually finished eleventh. The award was won by Andriy Shevchenko, who scored 29 goals for AC Milan. Charisteas retired in 2013 after a spell with Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr.
Centre midfield
Theodoros Zagorakis
Centre midfield
Angelos Basinas
Right wing
Angelos Charisteas
#8 LW – STELIOS GIANNAKOPOULOS
With 77 caps for Greece, Giannakopoulos is one of the more “household” names in the Euro 2004 squad due to his exploits with Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League. The winger joined the Trotters in 2003 having been part of an Olympiacos team that had won six successive Greek titles.
He was named Greek Footballer of the Year in 2003 and went onto make 177 appearances for Bolton in all competitions. From there, he had an unsuccessful stint at Hull City before returning to Greece with Athlitiki Enosi Larissa, where he retired in 2009.
Until recently, Giannakopoulos was the manager of Greek outfit Kifissia, but the club parted company with him on Sunday 30 October following a 1-0 defeat to Ilisiakos.
#15 ST – ZISIS VRYZAS
Not the most prolific goalscorer, Vryzas managed just nine goals for his country in 68 appearances. However, his ability to cause problems for the opposition defence through sheer brute strength was the main string to his bow.
His only domestic honour came in 2003 with Perugia, where he was part of the squad that beat Wolfsburg 3-0 on aggregate in the Intertoto Cup. Vryzas joined Fiorentina for the 2003/04 campaign and helped them secure promotion to Serie A – at the expense of Perguia – before moving to Celta Vigo and then Torino in loan spells.
The striker returned to Greece with Skoda Xanthi, the club where he began his career, before retiring in 2008 after a season with PAOK.
MANAGER – OTTO REHHAGEL
The German is best known for his time at Werder Bremen, where he led the club to two Bundesliga titles, two DFB-Pokal triumphs, three DFL-Supercup’s and UEFA Cup Winner’s Cup glory in 1992.
In 1996/97, he guided Kaiserslautern to the 2. Bundesliga title before being crowned German champions the following season, finishing two points ahead of Bayern Munich.
Rehhagel left the Greek national side in 2010 and retired from football in 2012 after a spell with Hertha Berlin.
Left wing
Stelios Giannakopoulos
Striker
Zisis Vryzas
Manager
Otto Rehhagel