'King Otto' leads Greeks to astonishing triumph

It has been a miracle run, a fairy-tale come true, according to 'King Otto' who deserves the lion's share of the credit for their successful three-week campaign.

The 65-year-old German was unemployed when the Greek FA hired him in 2001 after the national team failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup.

Rehhagel's contract was seen in Germany, and in Greece, as a last cheque to pay for his retirement.

True, he had won three titles with Werder Bremen and Kaiserslautern but his abrupt departures from Bayern Munich and Kaiserslautern were fresher in the collective memory.

He had been brutally dismissed by Bayern on the eve of the 1996 UEFA Cup final, which the team went on to win without him. Most Germans considered the abrasive Rehhagel well past his prime.

However, the Greek FA recognised what made Rehhagel special - his knack of taking over a disorganised side with inherent talent, imposing his own rule of law and building success on a team ethic of hard work and mutual trust.

"You have to accept the rules in a group of 30 people. When I came into this squad the players did what they liked, now they do what they have to," said Rehhagel.

His first match in charge was a 5-1 defeat in Finland and Greece lost their first two qualifiers for Euro 2004. The team then put together a 15-match unbeaten streak and six consecutive victories in their Euro qualifiers and Greece finished top of their group.

No one took much notice, however, and they were quoted at 80-1 to win the title before the opening game of Euro 2004 against hosts Portugal. Greece had never won a match in the World Cup or European Championship finals before.

Their 2-1 defeat of Portugal made the soccer world sit up and they have demonstrated in their six matches in Portugal that they are the best organised in Europe.

Greece were already the first side to beat the hosts and champions - France - in the same tournament and booked their place in the final with an extra-time victory over the highly fancied Czech Republic. They then held off Portugal again yesterday to win 1-0 and cap their extraordinary run.

The question now is whether Rehhagel will be coaching the Greeks or the hosts at the 2006 World Cup.

In a delicious irony, Germany is in desperate need of a dose of Rehhagel soccer therapy ahead of its staging of the 2006 tournament.

Coach Rudi Voeller resigned after Germany were knocked out in Euro 2004's first round, no one else seems to want the post and many fans are saying: "Why not give Otto a chance?"

However, Rehhagel's relationship with his native country is delicate to say the least.

Not one to hide his light under a bushel, Rehhagel believes he was never given enough credit for his achievements and the wounds from his sacking by Bayern's Franz Beckenbauer are still raw.

Rehhagel will have taken great satisfaction from being the only German left in the tournament yesterday, apart from referee Markus Merk.

The question now is whether he would get more pleasure from turning Germany down or leading out his home nation on the biggest soccer stage of them all, the World Cup finals.