IN SPAIN, they are beginning to think the unthinkable. Not that their perennially underachieving national team could end their 40-year wait to win a leading tournament but, no less shocking, that Spanish football may be better served without Raúl, its golden boy.
Iñaki Sáez, the coach, will not hear of it. Although the Real Madrid forward failed to impress as Spain opened their European Championship finals campaign with a 1-0 victory over Russia on Saturday, Raúl has been confirmed as a definite starter tonight against Greece, surprise conquerors of Portugal in their opening game. “Always from the start; always,” Sáez said when asked whether he planned to leave out Raúl.
The player himself was similarly outraged by the calls for his omission. “It seems that, to some people, if I don’t score, I don’t do anything,” Raúl said. “Some people in football have a very short memory.”
Even those Spaniards with short memories, though, will recall that the team were beaten 1-0 at home by Greece in the qualifying campaign. The supposed whipping boys of group A, Greece will not be underestimated by Spain, whose neighbours, Portugal, were beaten 2-1 in the tournament’s opening game.
Otto Rehhagel, the Greece coach, is expected to stick with the team that beat Portugal, but Sáez is expected to make at least one change, with Fernando Torres, left, who impressed as a substitute against Russia, in contention to start alongside Raúl in attack.
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Greece (possible; 4-4-2): 1 A Nikopolidis — 2 G Seitaridis, 5 T Dellas, 19 M Kapsis, 14 P Fyssas — 8 S Giannakopoulos, 20 G Karagounis, 7 6 A Basinas, 10 V Tsartas — 9 A Charisteas, 15 Z Vryzas.
Spain (4-4-2): 23 I Casillas — 5 C Puyol, 6 I Helguera, 3 C Marchena, 15 Raúl Bravo — 17 J Etxeberría, 16 Xabi Alonso, 4 D Albelda, 14 Vicente — 9 Fernando Torres, 7 Raúl.
Referee: L Michel (Slovakia).