Northern Ireland v Greece (02/06/2022)

• Many of Greece’s most capped players were in the Euro 2004 squad, including Giorgos Karagounis, who holds the record with 139 appearances. • With 29 goals in 74 games, Nikos Anastopoulos is the country’s all-time top scorer. Angelos Charisteas, who scored the winner at Euro 2004, is second on the list . • Greece are currently ranked 55th in the world, one place below Northern Ireland. They came into this international window having won just one of their previous five matches.

DOMESTIC • The Super League is the 14-club Greek top f light which runs from August to May each season. • In the most recent UEFA ranking of leagues, the Super League was placed 15th, sandwiched between the main divisions in Switzerland and Czech Republic. • An official Greek championship was first founded in 1927 and, in the 95 years since, only six clubs have won the title – Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, AEK, Aris, PAOK and AEL . • Last month Olympiacos won the title for the third successive season. Olympiacos have won the competition a record 47 times and have been the dominant side since the mid- 1990s. They have won 22 out of the past 26 championships. • Ex-Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde, Brazil great Zico, former Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim and current Fulham manager Marco Silva have all been in charge of the club since 2009, while World Cup winners Rivaldo and Christian Karembeu, and former Northern Ireland internationals Derek Spence and Roy Carroll , are among their ex-players. • Despite Olympiacos’ dominance domestically, it is their great rivals Panathinaikos who have enjoyed more success on the European stage. The legendary Ferenc Puskas was in charge when Panathinaikos made it all the way to the European Cup final in 1971, but an Ajax team featuring the great Johan Cruyff beat the Greek side 2-0 at Wembley. • More recently Panathinaikos reached the European Cup semi-finals in the 1984-85 season, knocking out Linfield along the way, but they were beaten in the last four by Liverpool . • There was more semi-final heartbreak in the 1995-96 Champions League for Panathinaikos as another great Ajax side ousted the Greek club.

IRISHFA.COM

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