Rehhagel to decide Greece future after final qualifier

Greece look likely to miss out on next year's World Cup after losing to Denmark on Saturday but things could get even worse for the European champions.

Their German coach Otto Rehhagel has yet to accept an offer to stay on with the team he led from complete obscurity to winning the second biggest trophy in international football.

Rehhagel, whose contract officially ends after tomorrow's final qualifier at home to Georgia, could step down after more than four years at the helm.

"We will see," Rehhagel said following Saturday's 1-0 defeat in Copenhagen. "We still have one game and we need to focus on this. After that I will talk with the (FA) president and decide."

Greece still have a slim chance of clinching the second spot in Group Two, which has already been won by Ukraine, and a place in the play-offs should other results go their way.

Rehhagel's side must beat Georgia but that would still only be enough if Denmark fail to win in Kazakhstan, who have earned just a point from their entire qualifying campaign, and Turkey lose.

A Turkey draw theoretically opens the door but would need Greece to win by eight goals.

Rehhagel's departure would mark the end of an era for the Greek team as several players, many of them over 30 years old, would be unlikely to feature in the squad under a new coach.

Rehhagel plucked Greece out of the shadows in September 2001 and catapulted them to the biggest upset in world soccer history when they beat hosts Portugal to win the 2004 European Championship.

While both the FA and the players want to continue working with him, the German has not yet made up his mind.

"I will continue coaching, that's for sure. I just don't know where," Rehhagel told German television. "I will discuss it with the FA and I don't know what will come out of these discussions."

Asked whether he had anything left to prove in Greece, he said: "I have nothing to prove to anyone anyway, only to my wife."

FA chief Vassilis Gagatsis was optimistic Rehhagel would stay.

"I am waiting for his answer of our offer to stay on until 2008 and I think it will be positive," he said.