Greece coach sticks with regulars for England game

Greece coach Otto Rehhagel has chosen not to use next Wednesday's friendly against England at Old Trafford as a chance to blood new young players. Rehhagel has stuck with the core of the team that won Euro 2004 but subsequently failed to qualify for...

Greece coach Otto Rehhagel has chosen not to use next Wednesday's friendly against England at Old Trafford as a chance to blood new young players.

Rehhagel has stuck with the core of the team that won Euro 2004 but subsequently failed to qualify for the World Cup in Germany, including 34-year-old captain Theodoros Zagorakis.

Ten of the 22-man squad play for clubs outside Greece with the English-based players Stelios Giannakopoulos of Bolton Wanderers and Manchester City's Georgios Samaras likely starters.

Greece open the defence of their European title in a Euro 2008 qualifier against Moldova in Group C on Sept. 2. The other teams in Group C are Turkey, Norway, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Malta.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Nikopolidis (Olympiakos), Chalkias (Aris).

Defenders: Kyrgiakos (E. Frankfurt), Fyssas (Hearts), Seitaridis (Atletico Madrid), Vintra (Panathinaikos), Anatolakis (Olympiakos), Dellas (AEK Athens), Antzas (Xanthi).

Midfielders: Basinas (Real Mallorca), Giannakopoulos (Bolton Wanderers), Karagounis (Benfica), Katsouranis (Benfica), Lagos (Panathinaikos), Zagorakis (PAOK), Kafes (Olympiakos).

Forwards: Charisteas (Ajax), Amanatidis (E. Frankfurt), Samaras (Man. City), Salpigidis (PAOK), Papadopoulos (Panathinaikos), Gekas (Panathinaikos).

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