Greece hope for a farewell party

'Celebration of football'
A 2-0 defeat by Sweden and a 1-0 loss to Russia ended the champions' title defence, but they are determined to finish with a flourish against section leaders Spain at the Stadion Salzburg Wals-Siezenheim. "We haven't performed well but we want to go home with our heads held high," said Gekas, who misses the match because of a fractured cheekbone sustained against Russia. "UEFA EURO 2008™ is over for us after the Spain game, but I assure you we were glad to be participating in this celebration of football. I wish we had something more to show for it." Fellow forward Nikos Liberopoulos agreed. "I hope we can perform well and finish on a high note," he said.

Out of luck
Another striker, Giannis Amanatidis, expects a much-changed Spain from the side that trounced Russia 4-1 and then scraped a 2-1 win against Sweden. "Spain will field a different lineup, with fringe players starting," he said. "However, they are a top-quality team and we will need to be at our best to beat them." Reflecting on the tournament, he added: "In the second match against Russia, we didn't get the breaks. We played better than in our opening game and we deserved more. We were not satisfied with our performance. After Sweden, we had a conversation in the dressing room and changed our approach. But this is a top tournament and every team can beat you on a given day."

Next generation
If some senior players are looking no further than Wednesday, Liberopoulos, 32, is taking a long view. "The national team doesn't belong to the 23 people who are here, but to everybody and especially to the younger boys, our successors in the future. The main goal of this team should be to qualify for the finals of every major tournament." Midfielder Alexandros Tziolis, 23, added: "Any emotions should be quickly forgotten so we can move on. What we need now is to show our worth on the pitch, even if we are out. I am really glad to be part of this team. It has been a great experience for me."