England National Football Team Match No. 784

England 2 Greece 2 [0-1]

Saturday, 6 October 2001

Greece Pre-Match

Notes

Tuesday, 25 September 2001 - Greek coach Otto Rehhegal has named his 22-man squad for the World Cup qualifier against England on October 6.  AEK Athens striker Demis Nikolaidis has been recalled to the Greece squad after a self-imposed 20-month boycott of the national team.  Nikolaidis refused to play for the national side in protest at refereeing standards in the Greek league in November 1999.  Michalis Kasapis, who has also been recalled after a self-imposed exile, kicked a referee in a league match in 1999 and given a 22-match ban.  The AEK pair will be joined by Panathiniakos debutants Sotiris Kyrgiakos and Yourkas Seitaridis, promoted from the under-21 setup.  There is no place for Inter Milan's Grigoris Georgatos who publicly quit the Greece team in the wake of their 5-1 thrashing away to Finland on September 5.  Central defender and Panathinaikos captain Ioannis Goumas is missing after breaking a foot in pre-season.

Friday, 28 September 2001 - Olympiakos goalkeeper Dimitrios Eleftheropoulos asked not to be included in the national side which will confront England.  Eleftheropoulos was distraught after letting in a soft goal in a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Lille OSC in the Champions league midweek.  He had also earlier been involved in a fight with team mate Jorge Bermudez and was punished by missing the opening game for the Greek championship, a 3-0 win over Heraklis. Eleftheropoulos is almost sure he won't play against Panionios in the second matchday of the Greek League and has asked for a permission to skip the World Cup qualifier against England.  Greece coach Otto Rehhagel has accepted his decision, and has called in Kostas Chalkias of Heraklis as a replacement for Eleftheropoulos and cover for Panathinaikos' goalkeeper Antonis Nikopolidis who will start against England.

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PY/CG