Plagued by problems in football and society, is Euro 2012 Greece’s beacon of hope?

Football has not proved immune to the political and economic crisis engulfing Greece, and its problems have largely reflected those of Greek society. Yet as the Greek national side prepares to play hosts Poland in the opening match of Euro 2012, football retains the potential to provide inspiration to a suffering nation.

Political strife

Greece has been the epicentre of the European economic crisis. No country has suffered as much from the downturn across the continent, with unprecedented bailouts, severe austerity measures and resulting social unrest and protests.

The country is increasingly ungovernable with political extremism on the rise, while the Greek parliamentary elections were brought forward to May 2012 in the hope of solving the economic and social problems engulfing the nation. Instead, Golden Dawn, a neo-Nazi group with links to football violence, won 7% of the vote and entered parliament for the first time. The moderate parties seen as complicit in accepting the bailout and imposing austerity were hammered, and a second election on June 17 looms.

Social violence is also on the rise, with the fascists feeling legitimised by their election to Parliament and newly emboldened. Attacks on immigrants are becoming more common and sure to rise in the run-up to the new election. The country is tense, divided, angry and ready to boil over. The scale of the protests in February 2012 prompted one Greek filmmaker to question, “What do we have left? Television and football.”

But amidst the chaos, the impact on Greek football has been equally disastrous. Greek football is marred by violence, financial collapse and corruption, a reflection of the current state of the nation experiencing political and economic catastrophe.

Football falls foul

Issues first began to surface early in 2011, when a match-fixing investigation widened to include 54 matches, including a season decider between Olympiakos and Panathinaikos, the two biggest clubs in Greece, and eventually implicated two Super League club presidents, club owners, players, referees and a chief of police.

The most high profile suspect was shipping magnate Vangelis Marinakis, the President of Olympiakos and the Greek ‘Super League’. While Deputy Culture Minister Giorgos Nikitiadis described this as "the darkest day in the history of Greek football", it marked only the beginning of a series of problems.

Historically Greek football has had strong links to the shipping industry, with teams such as Panathinaikos and AEK Athens associated with shipping moguls such as Andreas Vgenopoulos, Nikos Pateras and Nikos Notias. When Marinakis bought Olympiakos in 2010 it was billed as in keeping with the notion that tanker owners financed local clubs as a social contribution. Shipping was, however, one of the principal industries affected by the economic slump, and the big football clubs were therefore quick to follow.

Owing to this perilous state of the economy, giant clubs including AEK Athens and Panathinaikos are now on the verge of collapse and have been handed suspended one-year bans from European competition by UEFA for falling foul of financial regulations. The financial crisis is crippling the Greek football league - Iraklis were previously relegated from the Greek top flight for various alleged financial misdemeanours. The most worrying development is the fact that eight teams are facing transfer bans and other sanctions due to their not being able to pay their players.  Leading players such as Fabian Vargas and Jose Carlos are threatening strike action, with Carlos, a forward for AEK Athens, recently stating,

“I don’t care if the team gets cleared to play next season. I want all my money; otherwise I’m not signing any papers. I’m not going to give you any more time and I don’t care if other players are signing settlements. I’m looking out for what’s mine”.

Politics has never been far away from Greek football, with Greek businessmen viewing ownership of Greek football clubs as a means to political influence, and it was of no surprise when the Greek football league was suspended for one week in February due to protest at a new law giving expanded powers to a state-controlled sports committee.

Alongside the economic and political impact, Greece has witnessed a corresponding rise in stadium violence. There has always been a level of violence and hooliganism synonymous with Greek football, with fan groups such as Original (AEK), Thyra 13 (Panathinaikos), Gate 4 (PAOK) or Porto Leone (Olympiakos) keeping a large swathe of the Greek population away from football stadia. Panathanaikos in particular has traditionally had far-right supporter groups, although were largely dismantled by their President Yanis Vekris a few years ago. Yet recent disorder has been on a distinctly greater scale, with the Athens derby between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos abandoned in March after serious rioting, with arrests, injuries and fires in the stadium.

It is set against this backdrop that on Friday June 8 the Greek national football team will take on hosts Poland in the opening match of Euro 2012.

A beacon of hope?

The Greek national side has historically been untouched by the violence that blights the domestic game and the economic problems of Greek football, funded as it is by an extensive sponsorship programme. Indeed the federation was recently criticised for giving the national coach Fernando Santos a 45% payrise, while the team jetted off to a Euro 2012 training camp at an exclusive resort in Kitbuehel, Austria. Yet there is a sense that the Greek national team feels a sense of duty and represents a potential force for good at a time of anger and disillusionment in Greek society, with the ability to transcend conflict, bring Greeks together and restore national pride at a time of conflict, chaos and humiliation. Plagued by problems in football and society, does Euro 2012 offer a beacon of hope?

Greece and Celtic striker Georgios Samaras said in March,  “Sometimes sport and football make people forget their problems. So what we can do in the national team is play at the Euros and give happiness to our people in Greece”, while in an interview Greek football federation President Sophocles Pilavios stated, “I don’t know if the success in a football match has the power to take one out of his problems. I wholeheartedly hope so, I’m sure that the players can bring uplifting moments to the Greeks.”

While only a maximum of 5,000 Greek football fans are expected to follow the team in Poland and Ukraine, there is no doubt that providing a boost to the embattled country and its football-mad public is motivating the Greek footballers, and a good performance from the Greek national side in Euro 2012 could lift the national pride of the Greek nation and bring a measure of joy and respite to the country watching the tournament at home. It could well be the only positive during a difficult summer of elections, political strife and economic chaos.

There is a recent precedent for this.

The legacy of 2004

In 2004 the country was also in crisis – the government faced criticism on all sides over its preparation for the forthcoming Athens Olympics, with the whole competition poised to relocate to Sydney amid fears that the country was dangerously behind schedule.

But it was at this point that the Greek football team came from nowhere to win the 2004 European Championships.

The squad contained few exceptional players, but seemingly achieved the impossible through hard work, determination and a single vision, united behind manager Otto Rehhagel. The country went wild, and the returning champions were greeted as heroes by the ecstatic country.

The Prime Minister, Kostas Karamanlis proclaimed, “Greece is on the lips of everyone in the world who follows this mass and magical sport called football”. Taking inspiration from their success and the collective work ethic, Karamanlis further implored the nation to unite and complete the Olympic preparations, saying, “These boys taught us a lesson as to what Greeks can do when we really believe in something”. Construction was ultimately completed, and the 2004 Olympics were generally perceived as a successful event, despite the problems of how to use the stadiums following the Olympics.

Euro 2012

Today, Greece finds itself in mired in catastrophe that dwarfs anything in its history. But as in 2004, a European Championships looms large on the horizon. Can football unite Greeks behind their country and restore national pride at a time of conflict, chaos and humiliation? Can a good performance from Greece at Euro 2012 really make a difference?

While players, football figures and politicians may say and hope that it can make this difference, a poor performance could merely add to the collective gloom and disorder. The Greek national football side has proved that it has the ability to rise above politics and social division, but the future is above all, uncertain. The country is tense and riven by conflict, and there are no guarantees that a good performance would have a long-term impact, but there is no doubt that it would be a welcome distraction to a suffering nation.

National skipper Giorgos Karagounis summed up the entire situation and possible impact of the Euros best when he asserted, “There are many problems in football and in the country and we all live these problems. But when it comes to fight for the national team, there is no room for these thoughts”, while the team was motivated “during the tournament, to help them forget for a short time at least the problems of everyday life. Surely the Greeks are waiting for this joy and we hope to give it to them.”

And as Makis Papasimakopoulos, correspondent with Athens News, told me: “Anything to do with European competition is important to Greeks. We even flooded the streets when we won the Eurovision song contest! It’s always been like that and right now it will be even more so. Greece needs the team to do well at the Euros. There are no two ways about it.”

Syrian footballers close in on London 2012

Amidst the chaotic political situation in Syria, one could be forgiven for presuming football is the last thing on the minds of many Syrians. Yet on Wednesday the Syrian Under-23 national football team travels to Bahrain where a victory would put them just one match away from qualifying for the London 2012 Olympic Games football tournament.

Sport has not been immune from the events of the past year in Syria. While the Syrian Premier League was suspended in 2011, matches have resumed, albeit with a large number of postponements. Syria was the only nation of twenty-two Arab countries not to send a team of athletes to the 2011 Pan Arab Games in Doha at protest of the Arab League’s suspension of their membership. Given the turbulence in the country, perhaps it was just as well that Syria were disqualified by FIFA in August 2011 from qualification for the 2014 World Cup after they fielded an ineligible player, George Murad, against Tajikistan.

But practically from nowhere and against all odds the Syrian Under-23 football side is making waves. A stunning 2-1 victory over group favourites Japan in early February, courtesy of a spectacular last-minute strike from Ahmad Al Salih, has catapulted Syria to the top of their qualification group and arguably installed them as favourites to qualify for the Olympics. Syria need to beat Bahrain this week and Malaysia next month, both of whom they have already defeated in this campaign, to guarantee their place in London, with South Korea and one of Uzbekistan or United Arab Emirates (at the expense of Australia) the other likely qualifiers from the region.

The situation is unprecedented given Syria’s previous lack of footballing pedigree, having never qualified for a World Cup or even got past the first round of the AFC Asian Cup. Even if they slip up and Japan top the group, Syria will still have further chances to reach the Olympics via playoffs first with other second place Asian teams and then potentially against Senegal in Coventry, venue for the AFC-CAF playoff.

However the victory over Japan, played on neutral territory in Amman, Jordan due to the unrest in Syria, also demonstrated the potential consequences of Syrian qualification for the Games. Although there were no direct clashes, the match was overshadowed by the politics of the conflict, with many Syrian fans opposed to President Bashar Assad cheering on Japan, while supporters of the regime chanted, "Long live, Bashar”. Should Syria qualify, it opens up the possibility of demonstrators opposed to the Syrian government and its violent repression descending on the London Olympics to protest against the regime, were the crisis not to be resolved by the summer.

The possibility of the Great Britain football team playing against Syria during the Olympics is both intriguing and sure to be immersed in political overtones. The current squad is drawn from all over Syria, from Damascus and Aleppo to Hama and Homs, cities at the sharp end of the current struggles. Both have been subject to army bombardment and fierce crackdowns in recent months.

Aside from the likely protests, the level of attention lavished on this group of young Syrians playing football in the UK at a global event would inevitably be monumental, with their actions and words under intense scrutiny. They have the potential to become the focus for a rallying cry against the Syrian government for opponents of the regime. Will the players present a united front or would political divisions manifest themselves in their performances and words? Would any players defect or speak out against their government with the world media watching and listening? What would the consequences of any resistance be?

On the other hand, a Syrian Olympic football team might represent the manifestation of sport overcoming violence and politics, possessing the ability to become a force for good. Representative as they are of all areas of Syria and its ethnic diversity, they could provide Syria a chance to show that sectarianism can be overcome and stoke a unity overcoming political chaos, violence and division.

There are distinct parallels with Libya, whose football team’s qualification for 2012 African Cup of Nations was set against the backdrop of civil war. Their impressive performance at the tournament presents a powerful example of revolution and unrest conspiring to unite, inspire and embolden a football team. In turn the exploits of the Libyan footballers offered some measure of respite, joy and unity to a beleaguered nation suffering the effects of war.

Thus it may not be simply coincidence that this upturn in performance for the Syrians is happening in the midst of national upheaval. There are indeed similarities with the form of other Arab nations’ football sides since the start of the Arab Spring. With the exception of Egypt, every North African football side (Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Sudan and Morocco) saw their results improve in 2011 since the outbreak of their particular versions of the Arab Spring, compared with the year prior. 

Through the power of experiencing seismic events at home, footballers in these countries have shown the ability to work together during tough periods towards a common goal and success. While their country is being torn apart, the Syrian Under-23 team is clearly fostering a sense of unity and strength through adversity. The results on the field are testament to this.

One player who is highly unlikely to feature is Abdelbasset Saroot, 20-year old goalkeeper for Syria's Under-23 team, but now a leader of the revolution and a marked man on the run from the Syrian authorities in battle-scarred Homs.

Saroot recently told Al Jazeera, "It's worth it. I'm free. I've travelled all over the world to play football. But freedom is not just about me or about travelling. What about everyone else? Freedom is a big word. It's about freedom of speech and freedom of opinion. If you see something wrong being done, freedom is being able to talk about it.”

Having already lost his home, brother and friends, and survived three attempts on his life, his story will doubtless be told during the summer if his Syrian teammates are competing in the Olympics, whether he is alive or not.

Capello takes a leaf out of Mourinho’s book

The anti-football of Mourinho and Capello can reap rewards, but more is needed for England to be contenders for EURO 2012

On the face of it, it was not overly surprising. The 7^th best team in the world, England, beat the best team in the world, Spain, 1-0 at home in a friendly international. Bearing in mind that Spain also lost friendlies to Italy, Portugal and Argentina since they won the World Cup last summer, it certainly is not a result that will cause too many ripples in world football.

It was the manner of victory that was far more interesting. Some commentators have suggested the victory paid homage to Capello’s ultra-defensive catenaccio ways so successfully employed in the 1990s with Milan, with a solid back four and protection from deep lying and combative midfielders frustrating Spain. Along with much of the Spanish team, Cesc Fabregas labelled England’s gameplan as “negative tactics”, lambasting them for “lacking in talent” and setting up to defend for nearly the entire 90 minutes.

However, the whole scenario has parallels with far more recent events. Given the core of players who make both Spain and Barcelona tick and the similarities in style, to all intents and purposes it is the Barcelona influence (supplemented by the best of Real Madrid) that has made Spain both European and World champions. And the only man who has been able to find the methods to challenge the Barcelona way in the past few seasons has been a long time friend of the English, Jose Mourinho. Two series of fixtures in particular spring to mind.

Mourinho's anti-football has regularly riled Barcelona. Source: prismatico

April 2010 witnessed a Champions League semi-final between Mourinho’s Internazionale and Barcelona. The first leg demonstrated a Mourinho masterclass of defensive pressing and swift counter attack as Inter won 3-1. The 2^nd leg, despite Inter losing 1-0, was in truth even more impressive. Down to 10 men for over an hour, Inter soaked up everything Barcelona could throw at them. The statistics were bewildering. Inter managed just 67 passes as opposed to Barca’s 548 and over 80% possession. There were even charges (though denied by Mourinho) that Inter were happy to give the ball to Barcelona so as to not disrupt their own defensive shape.

Fast-forward a year to the latter end of last season. Mourinho’s Real Madrid held Barcelona to a 1-1 draw in La Liga followed swiftly by a 1-0 victory in extra time over their archrivals in the Copa del Rey. In both these matches, Mourinho operated with a ‘trivote’ system, sacrificing an attacking player in favour of a defensive midfielder.

Mourinho used Pepe, a natural central defender, as a midfield enforcer alongside Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira, all focusing on defensive tasks and keeping Barcelona largely at bay. The use of Phil Jones in a side also containing James Milner, Frank Lampard and the imperious Scott Parker on Saturday bore considerable resemblance to this strategy.

Parker clashes with the Spanish midfield. Source: nrssmith

Over these two fixtures, Real Madrid registered a mere 22% possession and 65% pass success as opposed to Barca’s 78% possession and 90% pass success. Yet it reaped dividends for Mourinho – and almost continued to work in the Champions League semi-final between the clubs until Madrid were reduced to 10 men and Messi ran riot.

To anyone who watched England soak up the Spanish possession (71%) and pressure continuously on Saturday evening, this may make familiar reading. This is not to suggest this is the way football should be played all the time. It is definitely not what England should look to repeat too often. And it certainly will not work every time it is tried. But under the right circumstances the methods employed by Capello on Saturday can be very effective.

Ultimately the most important question is whether England can be contenders at EURO 2012. Much has been made of England’s ongoing attempts to emulate the Spanish style, assurance on the ball and technique with the next generation of players. Nevertheless to be contenders in the short term, England must not necessarily look to Spain. The gulf in class is too great at present. In fact we should look to Germany for inspiration.

Germany in South Africa - showing England the way forward. Source: liznn7

England should build on the defensive prowess and determination that they have long been renowned for and personified by Scott Parker against Spain. The challenge for England is to add the power, pace and counter-attacking devastation of the type displayed by Germany at the last World Cup to a steely defence. If Bent and Walcott are not the answer, then the likes of Sturridge, Welbeck, Adam Johnson, Ashley Young and Aaron Lennon could well have parts to play in the absence of Wayne Rooney and the increasingly injury plagued Steven Gerrard and Jack Wilshere. If Capello manages to blend the right personnel before EURO 2012, England might be able to compete with the top nations next summer.

England are number one, but the real test is ahead

Tough battles on the Subcontinent and with the South Africans will be the true measure of this England side

English cricket is scaling dizzy heights. The England cricket team are now officially ranked the best side in the world. They are currently demolishing the previous holders of that position, India, in a manner so ruthless and comprehensive that it is scarcely believable to an English media and public unaccustomed to watching such scintillating performances.

Listening to post match interviews following the 3^rd Test at Edgbaston, the England players were at their media-trained best, although the joy was evident. However, it was Kevin Pietersen who offered the most revealing insight, when he implied that England must learn the lessons from the 2005 Ashes and not allow this summer to be a high watermark before a fall.

The England team cannot afford to, nor are they likely to, get caught up in the hype, which will inevitably go into overdrive. To justify claims of being “the best England side ever”, or to be mentioned in the same sentence as the West Indians of the 1980s or the Australians of the Taylor/Waugh/Ponting eras, this England side must maintain their current dominance and form for at least the next 18 months. They must beat Sri Lanka and India in the Subcontinent and overcome the mighty South Africans at home, all significant tasks confronting them.

Strauss is still a long way off emulating Ponting. Source: pj_in_oz

It would be much easier to assess where exactly this England side rates at the present time if Sehwag, Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan had all been fit for the entirety of this series. Regardless of the problems of the Indian side, the England bowling displays have been magnificent, the fielding generally top class. Borderline faultless. Nevertheless some concerns still remain with the batting, particularly against quality seam bowling.

It seems to have been quickly forgotten that during two of their first three innings this series, England had collapsed to 62-5 and 124-8 in the face of good seam bowling from Khan, Kumar and Sharma, before Broad and Prior came to our rescue. Cook, Strauss and Morgan were all struggling and not many would have been predicting a 4-0 series whitewash.

While you could argue that the fact we won from these positions shows the best qualities of this side, it is hardly a case of complete domination. In fact, it should raise concerns about how we fare when South Africa and their attack of Morkel, Steyn, Kallis, Parnell and Tsotsobe arrive here next summer. Let us not forget that the only series we have not won in the past nine was in South Africa. And we escaped with a 1-1 draw only when Graham Onions twice held off the South African pace attack with the South Africans requiring only one more English wicket for victory. Anyone remember Friedel de Wet in Centurion?

 The last time the South Africans toured in 2008. Source captainsticky

This is not to advocate any changes, far from it. England must stick with their trusted players and formula for success. It is only to serve warning that everything might not be so rosy against Pakistan or South Africa in the coming 12 months.

To highlight some key examples. Alastair Cook, England’s most prolific batsman of the past year and now 3^rd in the ICC Rankings, still has some problems in home Tests when the ball is swinging, as exhibited against Pakistan last summer and against India in the first two Tests. It seems bizarre to say this in the aftermath of a wonderful 294, but it comes as no surprise that Cook averages 55 away from home in Test cricket as opposed to ‘only’ 45 in English conditions. The South Africans may well see Cook and Strauss as presenting good opportunities to strike early.

Eoin Morgan, a class act against spin and when the ball is more than 30 overs old, will have a testing 12 months ahead of him. He has scored well in less pressurised periods (a similar charge to the one Ian Bell faced for a number of years), but is not as prolific against the new ball, either after a spate of early wickets or at the 80 over replacement mark, as was witnessed by two ducks and Kumar dismissing him with his second ball after a new ball was taken at Trent Bridge. Andy Flower would no doubt like to see a big innings under pressure when England are 30-4.

England have a testing 12 months ahead. Source gareth1953

Although these seem minor issues, there is just a small sense that the wonderful bowling and fielding performances have masked over the fact that the English batting has been under pressure at key points. Pakistan will be a big test this winter (I can see a number of low scoring matches, with the ball dominating), as will playing in the tough conditions of Sri Lanka and India (and how we fare at accommodating a second spinner).

Yet it is South Africa next summer that should mark the time at which we are either confirmed as the best cricket side of a generation and worthy of comparison with great sides in history, or a side that reached its high point during 2010-11.

AV and the Great Olympic Ticket Debate

The endless debate and general negativity surrounding the Olympic ticketing process for London 2012 has also been marked by a curious lack of credible alternatives being put forward.

At the outset I must reveal that I was fortunate enough to receive Olympic tickets for Hockey, Handball, Football and Beach Volleyball (14 tickets in all) from the opening ballot. Very lucky yes, but I would also claim I played the system fairly well with my initial choices.

It is also worth pointing the overall success of the initial sale, with 23 sports sold out a year in advance. To quote the former IOC Director Michael Payne, “In the 115-year history of the Games, there has not been such a successful Olympic ticket programme” with a “democratic ticket distribution process…that will become a model for future Games.”

Compare this to the swathes of empty seats in Athens 20004, the Beijing 2008 ticket queues and questionable distribution process, or even Sydney 2000, which sold 92% of tickets.

Worse still, we might even look at the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup (the ICC are currently investigating how thousands of World Cup tickets allegedly ended up on the black market or in the hands of VIPs, police or politicians) or the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which just months before the tournament had only sold 2.1m of 2.9m tickets, and 60,000 of 308,000 hospitality packages.

2011 ICC Cricket World Cup fans

Nevertheless, amidst the furore and attempts by LOCOG to ensure as many people get a chance in the second and third round of London 2012 ticket sales, it is worth asking; could there have been a better way? 

The answer may lie with 2011’s second most divisive process, the Alternative Vote (AV), the proposed change to the UK voting system that was so comprehensively crushed earlier this year. Or at least a version of it - I can hear electoral experts finding many flaws in my definition.

AV involves choosing your candidates in order of preference. AV when applied to the Olympic ticketing process could have seen the public choose their events by priority order.

 AV champion. Source: Liberal Democrats

An explanation: Apply for your Olympics tickets in rank order. The ballots for everyone’s first choice are held. Anyone who is unsuccessful is moved down into their second choice tickets ballot. And so on to third, fourth, fifth choice…

For example, you may have chosen four tickets to the 100m Final Athletics session as your first choice (along with 1m other people). If unsuccessful in this ballot (likely), you would drop down to the ballot for your second choice, four tickets to the Beach Volleyball. If you were unlucky enough to miss out on this (also very popular) sport, your third choice of the Basketball may have come up trumps. Otherwise, worst-case scenario, your fourth and fifth choices of Handball and Football are for you.

The main advantage of this system is that, rather than a random, scattergun approach, more people would actually have ended up with the tickets they really wanted. I am sure there are Swimming or Equestrian enthusiasts exasperated with a system that may have provided them with Gymnastics, Archery or Volleyball tickets, when in fact just one session at the Aquatic Centre or Greenwich Park would have sufficed.

Under the AV system, a good proportion of people would have got his or her first or second choice tickets (excepting those seeking ridiculously oversubscribed top level Athletics, Cycling and Swimming sessions).

 Will you be there? Source: Gerry Balding

Clearly plenty of people may still have missed out on their top choices, but by working down through their preferences would have ended up with at least some tickets. And clearly if the demand is not strong in certain sports, you could end up with plenty of tickets as you would be placed in every ballot you applied for until all the tickets are sold.

The chief problem with the process was the message of ‘Plan Your Games’ that the public was given by LOCOG, who probably never quite envisaged the surge of demand that took place. By encouraging people to aim high, to give them nothing in return was bound to cause some ill feeling.

If proof is required for the ability of my system to have worked, it was the numbers being provided by LOCOG that sparked off my thinking.

Around 6m tickets were available, 1.8m people applied. My mathematics suggests that to be 3-4 tickets per person. And often to that person’s first or second choice sport. Not too many would have complained.