Theodoros Vlachos is one of the head coaches who left the decision about the European Championships roster for the last day of 2023.
However, Vlachos’ announcement surprised nobody.
Greece started the preparations with 23 players. Only one debutant is among the 15 picked by Vlachos – Efhstatios Kalogeropoulos, who has played at the World Championships.
There is only one change compared to the team that won silver at the 2023 World Championships. Angelos Vlachopoulos, who didn’t play in Fukuoka for personal reasons, is back. He replaced Aristidis Chalyvopoulos.
Each player of the Greek team, except Kalogeropoulos, has played at the European Championships at least once. Ioannis Fountoulis has seven appearances at the continental championships behind him (he debuted in Belgrade in 2006 but didn’t play in Split last year because of an injury). Angelos Vlachopoulos and Georgios Dervisis played at five European Championships, etc.
But none of them has reached the podium. Greece still hasn’t won a medal at the European Championships. A medal is Greece’s only goal in Croatia because it has secured the World Championships and Olympic Games berths.
Greece didn’t play in the preparation tournaments this winter but achieved good results in several friendly games.
Greece at the 2024 European Championships
Goalkeepers: Emmanouil Zerdevas (Olympiacos), Panagiotis Tzortzatos (Vouliagmeni).
Field players: Ioannis Fountoulis, Konstantinos Genidounias, Dimitrios Nikolaidis, Nikos Gkillas, Georgios Dervisis, Alexandros Papanastasiou, Ioannis Alafragkis (all Olympiacos), Efhstatios Kalogeropoulos, ( Vouliagmeni), Kostas Gkiouvetsis (Panionios), Angelos Vlachopoulos, Dimitrios Skoumpakis (both Novi Beograd), Stylianos Argyropoulos (Ferencvaros), Konstantinos Kakaris (Pro Recco).
On Day 1 of the European Championships (January 4), Greece will play against Hungary. It will be a replay of the World Championships final. However, Greece will be the favorite this time because Hungary arrives with a rejuvenated team. The finalists of the 2023 World Championships play in Group B (Zagreb), with Italy and Georgia.
The winner and the 2nd-placed team will go to the quarterfinals and the 3rd-placed and 4th-placed to the crossover round.
