Never in the annals of Greek mythology could any story-teller have come up with, 'Greece, European Champions 2004'. The Gorgon, Medusa, Theseus and the Minotaur, were all far more believable than one of the tournament's underdogs actually claiming the trophy.
Depending on what news source you believe, the Greeks, who had never won a single game in any major international football finals, were 100-1 to win Euro 2004. One lucky William Hill punter will now pick up £292,000, a little short of what EACH Greek player stands to net from a grateful, if bankrupt national football association.
They also had a German coach, who couldn't speak a word of Greek, although he did have one major thing going for him, a very impressive CV in club football. Add that to the fact Otto Rehhagel used to talk over transfer targets with his wife, who also had an input when it came to tactical assessments of opposing teams and players, and you could understand why there was much scepticism about Greece's initial chances in Portugal.
But then the Greeks spoiled the host's party in the tournament's opening game and then, the truth be told, they never looked back.
I guess no-one really took Greece seriously until they beat holders France but it was more the manner of that victory than the result itself which made us sit up and take notice. They harried the French from the first whistle to the last and in between all the Greek players worked for the team effort as few international teams have done, in the recent past. Throw in Otto's tactics, and maybe Mrs Rehhagel as well, and all of a sudden it was Greece v new favourites the Czech Republic, in the semi final.
You would have to have seen that semi-final to get a grasp on the old football cliché 'if your name's on it' to understand that as the game unfolded the Czechs inability to kill the game, they certainly had enough chances, led to a real feeling that maybe it was to be Greece's year. That, for me anyway, became a cast iron certainty when Jan Koller snatched at the Czech's best chance and pulled his shot wide of an inviting target and setting up Traianos Dellas for a clinching silver-goal headed winner in the dying seconds of the semi final.
Talking of the ex-Sheffield United stopper, givemefootball regulars may recall a previous piece about Jamie Carragher, when I said something along the lines of, 'we would all like to see a centre half kill a ball with his instep, sidestep an on-rushing forward and ping a 60 yard pass upfield to a forward…etc'.
Well, Dellas proved to be such a stopper and with cool and skill that belied the stereotype picture of a centre half he strode through Sunday's final with all the air of a Greek Franz Beckenbauer, quality. But, back to the overall story, of which Dellas is but one part.
Petty bickering, as far as Greek footballers is concerned, is almost par for the course but if you can take that passion, and no mean amount of ability, organise and galvanise it, you would have a fairly decent chance of achieving something.
That's where 'King Otto' comes in, although his coronation was someway off as he took his unfancied team to Portugal. Otto organised his team around players who were earning their living in some of Europe's best leagues, like Inter Milan's Georgios Karagounis, or are due to, like Porto's news signing, right back Seitardis but wherever they are settled the one major implementation by Rehhagel was organisation.
It almost defies belief that despite speaking no Greek Otto was able to take a bunch of pretty headstrong footballers and convince them that they could be successful if they put his plans and tactics into action. That he was able to get that commitment from most of the players, most of the time, makes the achievement even more astonishing. It even suggest that maybe some of that mythical 'ambrosia of the gods' wormed its way into the diets of the Greek players, but I suppose that's pushing mythology just a little bit too far.
