The saddest day of any football fan in Portugal. The country froze, the streets were so silent...but our Greek brothers and their fighting spirit definitely deserved that championship. Great memories still

I remember in Nigeria in Secondary School, the match against France made us all support Greece, we were celebrating Greece winning like Greece was Nigeria hahaha

When Charisteas scored I started running and found myself 2 kilometers away from the square where I was watching the game. My best friend was looking for me and I don't remember anything. Best day of my life for real.

The pirate ship of the Euro 2004 🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷 Unforgettable moments. Angelos , a true legend

I loved how Rio realized this was one of the toughest routes to a final EVER and emphasized there was NO luck involved! What they forgot to mention was...Greece won this without a single match going to penalties and only 1 match going to the extra time! So, they ABSOLUTELY DESERVED IT!

I never expected to see Angelos with Rio! Outstanding interview.

Greece is a great nation not a small one. Population is small but the nation and its history are colossal.

You have no idea what happened in greece after the final whistle.. you can't imagine.. Very lucky to live these moments.. after 1 year the national basketball team won the european championship, two years later 2nd in the world championship. 3 years top top top

Only one guy has an international trophy in this interview, and it's not Rio Ferdinand. 😆

Congrats to Rio Ferdinand for showing so much respect to Greek national team. I think that team won the respect all over the Europe with that success.

If you ask any random Greek guy off the street "who was the best greek player in 2004 ?" , you 'll get 20 different answers and most likely the name Rechagel would make the most up. Charisteas says it best here in the interview. TEAMS win tournaments. They put their egos aside and hence they lifted it.

My best football experience ever... thanks greece 🇬🇷

One of the biggest surprise runs ever for a national team along with Denmark in 92. That Greek team was amazing defensively and extremely dangerous in set pieces. Charisteas was lethal in that tournament.

As a Greek, and not even a big football fan, this was one of the happiest summers of my life. Just watching this in Athens on a TV on the roof top of a friend's house, you could literally hear the roar from the whole city everytime we scored. It was like nothing else mattered in the whole world. This was a great group, good people as well.

I'm a 43 year old grown ass man and I cried watching this

The biggest underdog success story in the history of football

Katsouranis run to the front post for the goal against France is football iq of 1000... The whole greek team had the same level of intelligence its why they are considered our golden generation

Portugal did the same as Greece in France 2016 !! You should be proud. Life brings wonderful moments and we are glad both nations did it!! VAMOS PORTUGAL VAMOS GREECE VAMOS CRISTIANO RONALDO 🙏🏻🇬🇷🇵🇹

What an amazing two years. Euro champs in both football and basketball

The road to the final was truly crazy, twice beat Portugal, Spain and France. wow. Great spirit.

Ο Άγγελος της Ελλάδας ❤️👏

These guys gave us gift of a lifetime. Otto was the perfect coach to raise their confidence. Once they reached the final they found a way to win the trophy. Thank you Angelos for these unforgettable moments. Keep in mind that Greece had one of the best football teams for the next decade.

Charisteas had also just won the Bundesliga and the Cup with Werder Bremen in 2004. Pretty good summer...

As a Greek this was the greatest night of my life. We didn't sleep that night. Everyone was out on the streets celebrating.

I love this! I spent the last 2 and a half weeks rewatching all Greece’s Euro 2004 matches on the 20th anniversary of when each match happened. Such a nice walk down memory lane and earlier I went searching for Interviews of Angelos Charisteas, not knowing about this interview. Angelos seems like such a nice person. Full marks to Rio Ferdinand for setting up this interview.

When I was 11 years old about 7 years ago, the 2004 legends came to our school for a charity event and I got to meet all the legends. It was an amazing day and we even got to play football together. One of the best days of my life, THANK YOU❤️

Thanks to Rio for pointing out that not only we achieved a miracle, but we had one of the toughest roads in the history of Euro winners

being half greek half italian it's always been hard for me to choose a side but I think this interview just did it. If somehow ever greece and italy face each other then I'm fucking Greek!!!!!!

One thing they did not mention is the atmosphere in Greece and greek media during the tournament. Everybody hoped for the best but at no point were there any kind of expectations from anybody. No comments were made like "that guy needs to be replaced by that guy" or "we need this or that to win". It was like "we trust you guys, do your best, you have already made us proud".

Two moments will always stay in my heart and memory..as a Greek man i had the pleasure to live the legend of '87 and the miracle of '04...Nothing will ever compare to those two moments in Greek sports history..😊

20 years later , i dont think the goosebumps will ever stop....what a ride that was, cant make stuff like that up

Great interview! Unbelievable achievement by the Greeks

I'm from Cyprus and to say the least, the country went fucking wild Every city, every village went up in flames People were celebrating everywhere, in bars, squares, even hospitals The 4th of July 2004 will forever be in the memory of those who have witnessed it in all of Greece and Cyprus κ. Χαριστέα είσαι ένας ΘΡΥΛΟΣ Γεννήθηκα την ημέρα που έβαλες το Θρυλικό γκολ εναντίων της Γαλλίας Μακάρι να το είχα δει και να ζούσα ό,τι ζουσαν όλοι τότε

Of all the Euro stories, this one is definitely the most special. It’s brilliant that the Greeks won; anyone complaining about a lack of attacking football doesn’t understand the beauty of the game and the beauty of the winning underdog. Glorious story, fantastic.

That team was not a fluke,it was undefeated for two straight years. Nithing happens by chance. Also those great players come second when they where teens,in the European championship against spain.

Great interview Rio. Still gives me the chills after 20 years. Those were memories that will never fade in our minds. A small nation that never before celebrated a win, managed to do the impossible and inspire generations to come to always dream BIG and never lose hope. Thank you 🇬🇷 Ευχαριστούμε ομαδάρα!

I was 17 now 37 It still the best moment of my life

Charisteas... i'm portuguese. Your goal in the 2004 final, i hated it like no other... But hey, 20 years later,i forgive you... You scored and we didn't... That's life... As Humphrey Bogart said in Casablanca : We'll always have Paris (2016 ) We ended up doing to France, in Paris, exactly what you did to us, in Lisbon....

I've still got the team photo from one of the greek newspapers the day after we won euro framed behind me. 20 years already gone..

The pirate ship of 2004... The greatest underdog story ever in any sport.

He had scored 3 goals in Euro 2004, when Mbappe or CR7 yet to score in Euro 2024.

I remember that one Greek player ( seitaridis i think) had to postpone his marriage cause Greece ended up progressing way more than expected. Imagine being this dudes woman and straight up being told i can't marry you i have a Euro to win.

Charisteas was always sympathic for me, weather it be in Bremen, Greece or else. He is also a calm guy

I could listen to them all day talk football. Legends the both of them!

I still cry everytime I watch the highlights. I was 10 years old back then and still remember everything.

Brilliant interview. He was so lethal in those Euros. Handful

Fantastic fantastic interview and watch. Rio was really respectful and insightful and had authentic appreciation for one of the legends of our game. Hats off to production and hosts, you cannot tell the story of Euros without Greece.

It was such a shock😮Otto Rehhagel made it possible⚽️

I'm Greek.. summer of 2004.. I was 25 years old.. before the start of the Euro I made a bet (first and last time I ever did).. 20€ that my favorites, the Czech Republic will win the trophy.. it was a triumph for our team just to qualify and go to Portugal.. our expectations was to score a goal, or to make a win (could you imagine?) after every achievement our team did in the group stage, I always had my eye on that GREAT CZECH team.. Nedved, Poborsky, Barros, Rositski, Koller, Smicer, Jankulofski and more.. we play against France (euro and previous world champions at that period) at the quarter finals.. my thoughts and I guess of every Greek was: "ok, it was a gun run.. time to pack our bags and head back home.. I mean, there's no way.. how could we possibly pass France?" after the miracle of going past the French, we play against "my bet", "my team" the Czechs.. I was like "there's no way, these things happen only in cinema, in Disney films, this is real life.. there's no way".. the Czechs came in giving 100% of their ability.. only team that didn't underestimated us.. we were suffering for 90 straight minutes.. I was like "we are so lucky, but there is really no chance for us, no way.. no, how?" I had this exact attitude through the whole first half of overtime.. I had this exact pessimistic attitude even when we won that last corner kick.. BUT WHEN WE SCORED THAT GOAL.. I KNEW! I swear to any gods there are out there.. ask any Greek you may know.. the time Dellas scored that goal everyone knew.. WE ARE CHAMPIONS! WE'VE JUST WON THE CUP! it was beyond certain (can't really explain it, you have to be Greek to understand).. the final game was the easiest of them all.. everyone was expecting the end to celebrate.. we would have won that final game even if the best players of Europe unite and play against us.. we would have won that final game even if we played against Jesus, Buddha, Mohammad and Dalai Lama.. IT WAS DONE!! the craziest celebrations in Greece was when we went past the Czechs.. because everyone understood/realized that we were European Champions.. the final game with the Portuguese was just the... "coronation"! ps1. it's crazy how in a split second you can go from absolute certainty of failure to absolute certainty of success! (definition of Greece in a sentence) ps2. best 20€ I've ever spend!

I am greek and I was living in the UK at the moment. I was on my own, crying on the floor of my living room like a baby. Outside across the window a peaceful scenery, a local lake with some swans swimming in, whilst in Greece people were throwing their tellies off their balconies from joy.

Damn i remember it like yesterday. Hard to realise 20 years have passed since then when it's so fresh in memory i even remember what i was drinking back then during the Euro. We started being happy just for being in Euro and then these dudes gave us moments we'll always remember. Damn i was a kid back then and now I'm about to start a family for Christ's sake. How time flies is truly amazing. Crazy thing is once we got to the final we were absolutely certain this trophy is ours. It felt like story ended after we beat Czechia with that silver goal banger.

The moment Dellas scored against the Czech Republic is still the happiest moment of my life. I remember violently hugging with a friend of mine and shouting in each other's ears at the top of our lungs, we almost lost our hearing right there. Then we grabbed our flags and stormed to the streets, we celebrated like crazy, got back home in the morning and bought all the newspapers to read about our triumph over and over... And it was "just" the semifinal. Ecstatic days that we will never forget... Thank you guys 💙🤍

We want more videos like this with legends. Άγγελε είσαι στην καρδιά μας. Excellent job Rio.

Thank you Angele, such a legend.🇬🇷 PS I’ll never let you pay a meal man, taking notes from Rio

This was a great Greece team. It was silly of everyone to underestimate them when they finished top of their qualification group with Spain. They did the same with England. A great team.

I was so young but the way it was celebrated it really was special. Our win is one of my earliest memories.

When legends of the sport like Rio Ferdinand recognize your abilities, honor you and interview you, then you know you are something special. The tragic irony is that Rio along with the rest of England's golden generation never won such a trophy.

i never forgot, this guy made a hole country cry, i cannot forget.

As a Greek I followed the Greek national team since I was a child in the 80s. I am so grateful that I lived this moment in 2004. I still cannot believe we won it. Much love to Portugal, happy you won it in 2016.

THAT GREEK TEAM SHOULD HAVE STATUES BUILD IN GREECE, THE MOMENTS OF PASSION THAT TEAM GAVE US WERE OUT OF THIS WORLD. XARISTEAS MAN I SWEAR TO GOD YOU ARE MY FAVOURITE PLAYER OF ALL TIME!

Summer of 2004! I had just turned 11! What I remember about the Euro 2004 experience as a Greek is that we as a family were ordering pizzas and watching the mach, something we never did prior to that! And every single game we were surprised we were winning, but then again after a certain point there was a common belief among every Greek that.. give it some time and a goal will come! It was such a belief that even though the odds were against us we felt the opposite, like there's no way the goal isn't coming! And the final.. oh man! I just remember taking the Greek flag inside our car and cruising while screaming! Such an amazing memory to have! I'm so grateful for what those guys gave as a nation, and also gave me as a kid! Thanks so much guys!

Thank you so much Charisteas and rest of Greece team. You blessed us with beautiful emotions and an amazing adventure.

Τότε που μπορούσαμε... 💙🇬🇷💙🇬🇷💙

A lot of friends called me but I don't remember anything, I wasn't on Earth anymore. I know when I'll die, I'll see Aggelos' header. One of the greatest achievement in the sport. A big lesson of resilience, of strength, of life, of friendship, of humility. Thanks for our pride, thanks for my father's happiness (and he hates football!), thanks for everything. Euxaristw Aggelos ! 🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷

Hello, great Αngelε Charistea You make us all Greece 2004 proud, thank you all, the national team 🇬🇷👋

People cant imagine what happened when the match finally ended. And We had won the Euro. I vividly remember my entire family starting to fling chairs from our balcony, which for some bizzare reason, all the neighbors saw, and started doing too. The whole street was full of broken chairs in a wall of shouting and celebrating. From 10 yr olds to 90yr olds. Tears and everything 😂👌

Bravo Angelos Getting Goosebumps watching these Rippers go in! Epic Victory against the Best in the Game... Drink&Eat for Free said Rio and thats 100% True

those days are carved in my memory for ever. the feelings we had during the tourney was so powerful...the streets filled with people celebrating like crazy!"so proud for my Country thats year. well done again.

Actually now it's easier for a small team to do something huge,because tactics then didn't play as big of a role as they play now and the talented players of the good teams were more free to shine. That Greek team was something else, the friendship, the connection, the passion.

wow, euro 2004 legend

20 years have passed and I am still crying. Proud to be Greek.

Ανατρίχιασα όταν ειδα την γαλανόλευκη στο τέλος . Θυμήθηκα που ήμουν 6 ετών και βλέπαμε τον αγώνα στην πλατεία της πόλης μας στην Τρίπολη … τι ωραίες στιγμές ζήσαμε εκείνο το καλοκαίρι !

One more thing that echoes in eternity for Greece.

This is your best interview so far

Amazing interview. Brought back so many wonderful memories. Thanks Rio!

Eternally proud for what you did for us Angelos and the rest of our team, 🏆🇬🇷

I wasn't expecting this interview to happen, kudos!

I was just 10 when we clinched the Euro victory. I remember I was watching the game with my little brother and cousin. After winning the Euro we were celebrating like crazy. We were so proud of the Greek national team not only because they won the Euro but the Greek qualities they showed on the pitch like team spirit , the courage , selfless and the spirit of never give up like Spartans and play with passion which something our national basketball team has shown a lot of times.

The guy is like a god here in Greece

I have the ticket from that game, i was little left from the goalpost when charisteas put the goal. It was unbelievable experience for my life, i never forget it. 🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🏆🏆🏆

This was an amazing watch thank you Rio and ANGELOOOOS!

Thank you Angelos for these incredible moments! 🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷

One of the best day of my life... how Greece 🇬🇷 done the impossible possible...so proud and honoured for my country to achieve the European cup... ah Ellada mou...

During the final I was in my car driving home from work to see the game.All the streets in Greece at the time of the final are are empty.Just as I arrived I heard this shout "goaaaal" coming out from everywhere. Suddenly there is this guy coming out from a store and starts banging a road barrier (due to some roadworks).I say wtf? Great memories !

Story time from a Greek, a very vivid memory in my life. I was 10 years old watching the game ( the silver goal). My father had a TV out in our garden and the whole neighbourhood was there. I was in the living room with a friend watching the game on another TV. It was one of the final moments and it was a corner. I tell my friend, “If we score now don’t scream because my sister is sleeping”. We scored, header from Christeas, I start screaming out of my lungs, the whole neighbourhood lights up (I get goosebumps writing this), my poor friend looks at me, wants to scream but doesn’t. I gave him the affirmative look, he starts screaming also, my sister wakes up 😂. My uncle was a trucker, we jump into the truck and drive downtown honking and screaming. The whole city was there, a fucking sea of people all in blue. The whole country united in a single moment. Absolutely insane. Those were the days of unity. Those were glorious days.

11:33 This tells you how much tactical genius was in Greece's game. You just don't win a EURO by being lucky, and still there are "pundits" out there who say that team didn't deserve to win it.

Angelos's goal was nicknamed God's Goal or the Goal blessed by God , miracles happened in the country after that goal in the final , i specificly have a story from this. My parents had been trying to have a kid for 5 years with no result they had lost hope but 9 months after that Euro final i was born

Beating the hosts Portugal on opening day. Forcing a draw to Spain. Beating defending champions France (with zidane, viera, Henry) in the quarter finals. Beating tournament favourites Czechia (with current ballon d’or winner Nedved) in the semis. And when everyone expected Portugal to win an easy final, Greece prove that the opening game wasn’t a fluke, and beat the hosts once again. This is why we love football, what a story.

Thank you rio! In 2004 we lived our dreams. I hope in the future English fans will live these moments, and all fans of small countries too!

Still the happiest day of my life. Thank you so much.

What a great interview Rio ! An amazing tournament for Greece 🇬🇷 💙

Rio, thanks for the interview!What a wonderful idea to make this interview 20 years after! Historical event of Greek football but here is more than that. To show the people and the young generations to remember, that even when everything seems impossible can be possible if you believe in yourself and put all your efforts everything can be achievable. That's the lesson that these guys teach us in 2004! The hope! And we are gratefull and thank them for this!

Impossible is nothing! Believe it or not , many Greeks were sure back then that this team can and will get this trophy! The maestro was Konig Otto Rehhagel ! Two things to remember if you watch closely back at his press conferences , he used 2 translators (english to greek and german to greek ) and isolated the whole team from everyone else at the hotel. He knew what his team can do and he was saying that the tournament will end before they realize how we play.

Mad interview gave me goose bumps 🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷❤❤❤

For the greek football this title would be colossal. Many years later this is very appreciated

Crazy GREEKS🙏🙏🙏🙏

I loved Charisteas whilst he was playing. but to now see him in this light & talking openly & reminiscent - what a fantastic gentleman . as a Greek, he added to the best moment of my life

been there as a suporter against france and then went again in the final, was verry lucky with the tickets thanks to my brother , they made a mistake when he went to buy the tickets for him and two of his friends they gave him 4 tickets , so one for free, i was the lucky one, i was in the nethterlands and flew bach to lisabon for the final,

Legend 🇬🇷

Great motivation for all the underdogs and great sport story! Congratulations to Greece for making history!