World Cup preliminary draw - Europe; Greece in Group 2
ANA-MPA
Monday, 26 November 2007 Issue No: 2758
The World Cup preliminary draw for Europe was held on Sunday and Greece
has been placed in Group 2.
Group 2 also consists of Israel, Switzerland, Moldova, Latvia and
Luxembourg.
Thirteen nations qualify for the finals.
There are nine Groups in the preliminary draw
Nine group winners qualify for the finals. The eight best runners-up go
into direct playoffs from which the four winners qualify for the
finals.
Results of the Greek Super League soccer matches played over the
weekend:
"Agamemnon" <agamemnon@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:w_ydnSpFduA8ydbanZ2dnUVZ8****nZ2d@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> 26/11/2007 02:11
>
> Greece: Rehhagel Insists It Will Not Be Easy
>
> While most of the media back home considered Greece's FIFA World Cup
draw
> as perhaps the easiest possible, Otto Rehhagel told re****ters in Durban
> that he didn't think so. The German also said that he was only "joking"
> about taking over England next summer.
>
> "It may seem easy, but we should be careful. No team has ever qualified
> only by means of a draw. We must be consistent and prepare ourselves
> properly in order to make it to South Africa in the summer of 2010," the
> European champions' coach told public broadcaster NET.
>
> "If we perform by our usual standards there is a large possibility that
> we'll go through. It makes me very happy to see Greece among the top
> seeds, a status that my players have earned on the field of play."
>
> "Right now we're only thinking about the UEFA European Champion****p
finals
> and perhaps it's that draw that should have been staged first. The
outcome
> of Sunday's draw may have a positive effect on my players, but we'll
deal
> with the World Cup later on." the 69-year-old coach stressed, adding
that
> the Greeks should not underestimate the weaker opponents, such as
Moldova,
> Latvia and Luxembourg.
>
> "The press made it up"
>
> Greek football association president Vasilis Gagatsis insisted that
> Rehhagel's link with the England job is fictitious. "Foreign journalists
> made it up. I know Otto very well and he would never do that to us. He
> always honours the people he works with."
>
> The German himself laughed in front of the cameras when asked about the
> article published by "The Times" and "The Daily Mirror". "On our way
from
> the air****t to our hotel I joked about it with several re****ters. But it
> seems that you can't even joke when talking to the press." he said.
>
> Panos Bletsos, Goal.com
>
> http://goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=493050
>
>
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