Under-pressure Greece coach Claudio Ranieri was publicly backed by Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) president Giorgos Sarris yesterday amid doubts over the Italian’s future after his team’s dire start to the Euro 2016 qualifiers.

Ranieri, who has been in charge for three matches since succeeding the Portuguese Fernando Santos following the World Cup, has come under intense scrutiny from the Greek media after a 2-0 home defeat by Northern Ireland.

The result left the Greeks, the 2004 European Champions, second bottom in Group F with just one point gleaned from their opening three games.

“In my personal opinion, he must stay,” Sarris said.

Sarris and other EPO officials held a meeting with Ranieri following Tuesday’s defeat at the Georgios Karaiskakis stadium.

“Some of the players he had put his trust in didn’t produce the expected level of performance that they are capable of. He felt very disappointed and is thinking very differently now,” Sarris added.

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