Galery

2

1

Victoria Mindova

The first match of the European Football Championship started in Warsaw between the teams of Poland and Greece. The host prevailed from the outset and after a series of attacks, Greece scored the first goal in the 17^th minute. The threat came from the right of the Greek door. Karagounis failed to master the situation and Lewandowski scored a goal for Poland. In an attempt to stop the ball flying to the Greek door, Papadopoulos got a trauma and had to leave the match a little later. In the 24^th minute, Kartsouranis shot to the Polish door but highly inaccurately and ineffectually. The rapid development led to a corner for Poland, carried out by Branyak in the 26^th minute, followed by a foul with tension, but without consequences for either of the two teams. Papastathopoulos received a yellow card in the 35^th minute and Kyriakos Papadopoulos entered the match in the 36^th minute to replace Abraham. After a massive attack by the Poles in the 43^rd minute, Sokartis Papastathopoulos made a second foul and got a red card for pushing his Polish opponent with his hand. The Greeks continued with 10 players. A minute later, Holebas got a yellow card for his irreconcilable nature, insisting that there was a foul. Referee Karpayo was adamant. After the first half, the coach of the Greek national team Fernandos Santos looked very disappointed.

In the 51^st minute, with ten players, Dimitirs Salpigidis scored the first goal for Greece. The star of Thessaloniki’s PAOK, who had sent Greece to FIFA in 2009, gave hope to the Mediterraneans.

In the 63^rd minute, Samaras missed an excellent opportunity to score. In the 68^th minute, Gekas was replaced with Fortounis aged 20, who passed to Salpigidis and won a penalty kick. The Poles changed their goalkeeper but Karagounis’ shot fell just into the hands of the goalkeeper Titon. The match ended in a draw, 1:1 and the Polish fans were obviously disappointed.

The Greeks have set great hopes on the national team this year, which won the European Championship in 2004. Much water has run under the bridge since then and prospering Greece during that period seems only a distant memory today. The average economic growth of 5% of GDP is replaced by a deep, almost hopeless recession and Elena Paparizo’s first place in Eurovision seems an unattainable success after the 18^th place Eleutheria Eleutheriou took (despite her brocade underwear). The next opponents of Greece will be the Czech Republic on 12 June and Russia on 16 June.  

The taste of the financial crisis has spread out to the European Football Championship, the comments being mainly about the position of German Chancellor Angela Merkel to countries in need. After one penalty of the Greeks was not respected, the economic analyst, but obviously a zerohedge football fan, wrote on Twitter with irony, "Penalty rejected. Merkel’s fault." Another user of the social network posted in the network a picture of Irish football fans, who are in Warsaw now, holding their national flag with the inscription on it: "Angela Merkel thinks we are at work". Ireland like Greece is also in disgrace after being forced to take financial assistance from the European rescue mechanism in order not to not fail with a bang. Unlike Greece, however, Ireland managed to meet the terms of its Memorandum but it does not mean that it appeals to its citizens.