Greek national teams "Hellas"
Greek basketball team
The Greek national basketball team is one of the best in the world. According to the official FIBA ranking list for 2008 Greece is in the fourth place in the world after Argentina, USA and Spain and in the second place in Europe after Spain. Greece has gained four medals in European Championships and one in World Championships.
At Eurobasket 1949 in Cairo of Egypt the greek basketball team won the bronze medal and celebrated its first international success in its first appearance in international competition. In 1979 starts a golden period for greek basketball. The same year Greece won the golden medal in Mediterranean Games without losing at all in the tournament. In 1987 at Eurobasket that took place in Athens Greece won the tournament and the golden medal by winning the very strong Soviet Union team in an amazing final. Greek team surprised everyone that year but in the next Eurobasket in 1989 Greece proved that its last success was not a coincidense by winning the silver medal (lost in the final by the Yugoslavian team but won again the Soviet Union team in the Semi-final game). The next ten years Greek national basketball team was very strong but in all major international competitions used to end in fourth (most times) to sixth place. Greece took the fifth place at the 2004 Olympic Tournament as host, but this was the rebirth of the strong basketball team that everyone knew ten years before. In Eurobasket 2005 Greece won the first place and the golden medal for the second time after 1987 success (Greece beat easily Germany 78-62 in the final). Greece was again a member of the world's elite basketball teams. The next year at FIBA World Championship 2006 Greece ended in the second place and won the silver medal (lost by Spain in the final, but won the strong USA team in the semi-final game 101-95). In Eurobasket 2007 Greece took the fourth place and in the 2008 Olympics Basketball Tournament ended up 5th once again.
Eurobasket 1987
Eurobasket 2005
Mundobasket 2006
Greek football team
The Greek national football team has one appearance in World Cups, three appearances in European Championships and one appearance in Confederations Cups. At the Euro 1980 Greece had one draw against eventually winners West Germany and two losts. At the World Cup 1994 in USA Greece ended with three losts without having a good appearence. In Portugal at the Euro 2004 Greece surprised all the world. After the wins against Portugal at the opening (2-1) and the final (1-0) games the Greek team won the tournament. Greece had also one draw 1-1 against Spain, one lose 2-1 against Russia and two more wins against France (1-0) and Chech Republic (1-0). After this success Greece participated at the FIFA Confederations Cup 2005 in Germany. In 2008 in qualification round for Euro Greece was the highest ranked seed, but at the tournament of Euro 2008 had three losts and scored only one goal in three games.
Goal for Charisteas against France
Goal for Dellas against Chech - Semi-final
Goal for Charisteas against Portugal - Final
Greece UEFA EURO 2004 Champions