Hellas futebol

[Faliro]

Weirdest thing. Before the game with portugal, I was sure you would win. No doubt.

I spoke to some Greeks in Greece, they all said the same. 'Greece will win.' I was confused, I was like - how are you so sure? They were like: we will win, 100%.

Many years later I think I understood. Greeks were going to win that final whatever happened. They simply were not willing to lose having got to that position. They felt they had had a miracle to get there and there was no way they were going to let portugal win.

It is the equivalent of asking a hungry dog, if he is willing to share a piece of steak he just found.

[Festivus]

Weirdest thing. Before the game with portugal, I was sure you would win. No doubt.

I spoke to some Greeks in Greece, they all said the same. 'We will win.' I was confused, I was like - how are you so sure? They were like: we will win, 100%.

Many years later I think I understood. Greeks were going to win that final whatever happened. They simply were not willing to lose having got to that position. They felt they had had a miracle to get there and there was no way they were going to let portugal win.

It is the equivalent of asking a hungry dog, if he is willing to share a piece of steak he just found.

I think pretty much everyone here expected us to win. My mother had a very bad feeling about it, though. "We've lost to them before and Scolari doesn't seem like the kind of coach that learns with his mistakes" she told me that morning and I chuckled. If only I had known...

[Jotenko]

Weirdest thing. Before the game with portugal, I was sure you would win. No doubt.

I spoke to some Greeks in Greece, they all said the same. 'Greece will win.' I was confused, I was like - how are you so sure? They were like: we will win, 100%.

Many years later I think I understood. Greeks were going to win that final whatever happened. They simply were not willing to lose having got to that position. They felt they had had a miracle to get there and there was no way they were going to let portugal win.

It is the equivalent of asking a hungry dog, if he is willing to share a piece of steak he just found.

I had the same feeling this year in the EL final.

[Faliro]

My mother, who does not even know what football is - has never mentioned the sport to me before, told me to put €300 on Greece to win Euro 2004. I ignored her. Obviously I thought she had lost her mind. She persisted, I got pissed off and told her we don't stand a chance.

She than went to the betting shop herself - and the guy tricked her - he would not let her bet for Greece to win and convinced her after 20 mins to bet for scores rather than results...

Of course.. this is an episode I don't mention too much anymore.. 

[Jotenko]

My mother, who does not even know what football is - has never mentioned the sport to me before, told me to put €300 on Greece to win Euro 2004. I ignored her. Obviously I thought she had lost her mind. She persisted, I got pissed off and told her we don't stand a chance.

She than went to the betting shop herself - and the guy tricked her - he would not let her bet for Greece to win and convinced her after 20 mins to bet for scores rather than results...

Of course.. this is an episode I don't mention too much anymore.. 

Tell me the rest of the story?

Did Greece win?

[pcssousa]

As a youngster always supported our national team, but then I grew up.
Still prefer our NT wins rather than loses, but usually don't care much...

[Jotenko]

As a youngster always supported our national team, but then I grew up.
Still prefer our NT wins rather than loses, but usually don't care much...

I know you were fucked after 2004, you sissy.

[Festivus]

I was 13 back in June 2004. I was saddened over our loss, but overcame it quickly. I can think of a handful of Benfica games that made me feel worse afterwards.

[pcssousa]

As a youngster always supported our national team, but then I grew up.
Still prefer our NT wins rather than loses, but usually don't care much...

I know you were fucked after 2004, you sissy.

I was. Back in 2004 the National Team brought back the illusion I had when I was a young boy... Still hurts a bit.

But someone who grew up in the ashes of Saltillo can never be a NT fanatic.

[Faliro]

For some reason the 2006 basketball world cup final hurt, Spain destroyed Greece after Greece beat the 'dream team' in the semis. i didn't feel much like talking for a few weeks..

Another feeling of loss was Bordeaux beating oly in the last 16 of the cl in 2010.

[pcssousa]

Anyway, like my father says, "my heart and soul are Benfiquistas and I'm only Portuguese because I was born here".

I may sound bad, but it's how I feel.

[Fever]

I don't think agree with Festivus.

I've been known here for not liking our NT and sometimes even wanting them to lose so I might be biased but saying that half of the country is split between club and NT doesn't reflect reality at all.

There are a lot of NT fans but they are mostly people who don't really care that much about football and just "use" the NT to enjoy the sport without rivalries and discussion. It's a typical woman thing, to say that they support the NT. Portugal games in big tournaments for most people are essentially party matches where we can get friends or family together. They aren't matches where people act like maniacs sweating and crying. (that might have been me in the last EL final.)

People who really like football, every week of the year and not only once every two years, are way more passionate about their club than the NT. They wouldn't even think twice when asked that question.

[Festivus]

 I'm mostly speaking from experience. Whenever someone asks me "so, are we winning tonight?" and I tell them that I don't care about the NT, they always look disappointed or just frown. I mean, if people will almost brand you as a traitor if you tell them that you prefer Barça and Messi to Madrid and Cristiano, why wouldn't they if you tell them you don't care about the NT?

I do agree with you that people are more likely to get emotionally invested in their club than in the NT I still think that people care a lot about the NT. Maybe not as much as they did between 2004 and 2008, but they still care a lot. Also, you don't see many arguments between people regarding the NT because everyone is backing the same side, unlike in club football where you gotta defend your colors on a daily basis. And of course, gotta remember that your NT does not play as often as your club.

  And yes, I know that people who are not big football fans mostly only care about major tournaments such as the Euro and the World Cup, whether they're men or women.

[Fever]

Not at all. At least here in Porto it's very common for young guys to "support" Barça to be different from the majority and because of Messi.

I think it's obvious that portuguese feelings for our NT are very very superficial. People care when it is constantly in the news. When it's not, no one cares. No one discusses during the year who should be called, who is performing better, none of that.

Even right now, go check portuguese sports newspapers covers the day after Paulo Bento announced our NT's squad for the World Cup. Only O Jogo put that on the front page. A Bola thought Benfica being received in the city hall was more important and Record decided to discuss Sporting's new signings.

[Festivus]

 Back in 2011 there were still several confessional Barça "fans" here. But since 2012 or so onward they seem to have disappeared. I guess some "jumped shift" to Atlético de Madrid.