Euro 2008 is now fully underway. We’ve seen each team play once and I think it’s fair to say that the tournament hasn’t caught fire just yet.
We’ve seen the Dutch demolish Italy and we’ve seen the Spanish rout the Russians, but we’ve also seen a fair few games that could be described as average at best.
But none left such a sour taste in the mouth as the opening half of tonight’s match between Greece and Sweden. The Swedes were at least trying. They lacked quality and struggled to create chances, but they had a go. Greece looked lively for the opening 10 minutes, then stopped playing. Literally.
With less than half an hour on the clock, the Greeks made a chain of at least ten passes between their back four, while the Swedes kept their shape and refused to break ranks. The Greeks were in possession of the ball, the onus was on them, yet rather than attempt to move the ball forward, they continued with their square passing.
The vast majority of the crowd booed, almost certainly including sections of the Greek support.
I know that playing it tight and looking to draw out the opposition is a tactic, but the way Greece went about their task tonight wasn’t football in my view. It was cynical, it killed the game and it wasn’t entertainment.
Now, I understand those who might suggest that, at the top level of the game, results take precedence over style, but there are ways to go about it. It’s only my view, but Greece’s performance wasn’t worthy of their participation in the tournament.
Based on their showing and their attitude to the game so far, Greece are a waste of a qualifying place.
This is a football tournament and unless Greece start playing some football in their next two games, they’ll be on the first plane home.
And the rest of Europe will be happy to wave them goodbye.