Greece s football
Otto Raphael sits on a golden chair somewhere in Greece. The camera is directed to him, but he does not understand the first question.
He looks around in the huge hall and finds his former co-trainer Ioannis Tonalities. Whether he could not ask the questions in German? But that does not work. So retail goes into the offensive. But I can also Greek too, he says smile and pushes an unintelligible sentence. In the background somebody claps behavior of applause, shortly afterwards the scene breaks off. The language of the Greeks has never dominated 83-year-old, in their hearts he managed anyway.
The short detail is the prelude of the new movie King Otto, which celebrates his premiere on this Wednesday in Retail s birthplace. For more than 17 years, it is now that German coach legend provided Greece for one of the largest sensations in world football. The qualification for the European Championship 2004 alone was a success for the Greeks. That she won the tournament in Portugal then was like a miracle. If one told me what one day is happening here, that would not have believed that, says Raphael in the film. We were outsider in the whole soccer world.
Like these outer ladders a bit unique, the film of the director Christopher André Marks recorded in a gripping manner. Who looks at the pictures, feels quickly backed into one at least from the Greek perspective still incredible football summer 2004. While the German crew in Portugal already leaves in the preliminary round, the Greeks amazed a whole continent. Already the opening game against the host wins Retailer team with 2: 1 and cares at the then Young Cristiano Ronaldo for tears. Greece wins again in the final. A whole people dance on the streets. Ronaldo is already crying again.
Heart of a Greek
I ve engaged Otto Raphael because he is German. But I never thought that this German has the heart of a Greek, says Greece s association President Vassilis Gagarin in retrospect. However, when he surprisingly committed Raphael in the summer of 2001, but initially developed anything but harmonious relationship. Gagarin rented the German extra a villa, but Raphael wants to live further in his homeland. Greek he does not speak. And then the first game is lost under the new coach with 1: 5 against Finland. A little later, the Greek press Mr. Raphael would like to chase away.
It was said he was only here because of the Acropolis here, says the then defenses Trains Dallas. Mr. Raphael spoke German, but no one of us spoke German. Only the commitment of co-trainer Tonalities leads to the turn. Tonalities speaks perfect Greek and German, between the team and trainer arises in the episode a close connection. And if Raphael criticizes a player a bit too hard, Totaled translates a bit in his way. So if there were hard criticism, I crossed a bit of frosting, he says laughing.
It is the beginning of a unique connection, which is crowned with a probable forever a success on July 4, 2004, in Lisbon. The pictures of the final and the way there will immerse the viewer in a long pastime. Powered as Raphael, Tonalities, Della s and many other players parallel to memories at that time. And they try to explain what can not be explained today: that Greece was actually football champion.