Hail 'King Otto'

Down and out a few years ago, on top of the world today.

Otto Rehhagel's extraordinary return to international prominence mirrors the recovery of the Greece team he steered to the European title on Sunday.

It has been a miracle run, a fairy-tale come true, according to 'King Otto' who deserves the lion's share of the credit for their successful three-week campaign.

The 65-year-old German was unemployed when the Greek FA, one of Europe's less illustrious associations, hired him in 2001 after the national team failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup.

Rehhagel's contract was seen in Germany, and in Greece, as a last cheque to pay for his retirement.

True, he had won three titles with Werder Bremen and Kaiserslautern but his abrupt departures from Bayern Munich and Kaiserslautern were fresher in the collective memory.

He had been brutally dismissed by Bayern on the eve of the 1996 UEFA Cup final, which the team went on to win without him. Most Germans considered the abrasive Rehhagel well past his prime.

However, the Greek FA recognised what made Rehhagel special -- his knack of taking over a disorganised side with inherent talent, imposing his own rule of law and building success on a team ethic of hard work and mutual trust.

"You have to accept the rules in a group of 30 people. When I came into this squad the players did what they liked, now they do what they have to," said Rehhagel, who calls his style of management "democratic dictatorship".

His first match in charge was a 5-1 defeat in Finland and Greece lost their first two qualifiers for Euro 2004.

UNBEATEN STREAK

The team then put together a 15-match unbeaten streak and six consecutive victories in their Euro qualifiers, including a victory in Spain, and Greece finished top of their group.

No one took much notice, however, and they were quoted at 80-1 to win the title before the opening game of Euro 2004 against hosts Portugal. Greece had never won a match in the World Cup or European Championship finals before.

Their 2-1 defeat of Portugal made the soccer world sit up and they have demonstrated in their six matches here that they are the best organised team in European soccer.

Greece were already the first side to beat the hosts and champions -- France -- in the same tournament and booked their place in the final with an extra-time victory over the highly fancied Czech Republic. They then held off Portugal again on Sunday to win 1-0 and cap their extraordinary run.

"This is the result of three years' work. The Greeks are normally known as individuals but you are only strong as a team. We have been working day and night for this," Rehhagel said before the final.

"We have performed with passion and a lot of fighting spirit, and my players kept to the strategy we had agreed on."

DELICIOUS IRONY

The question now is whether Rehhagel will be coaching the Greeks or the hosts at the 2006 World Cup.

In a delicious irony, Germany is in desperate need of a dose of Rehhagel soccer therapy ahead of its staging of the 2006 tournament.

Coach Rudi Voeller resigned after Germany were knocked out in Euro 2004's first round, no one else seems to want the post and many German fans are saying: "Why not give Otto a chance?"

However, Rehhagel's relationship with his native country is delicate to say the least.

Not one to hide his light under a bushel, Rehhagel believes he was never given enough credit for his achievements with unfashionable Werder and Kaiserslautern and the wounds from his sacking by Bayern's Franz Beckenbauer are still raw.

Asked whether a place in the European Championship final was his biggest personal success, Rehhagel glanced over to the German media, smiled and said: "This is special, yes. But all my successes have had their own special value."

Rehhagel will have taken great satisfaction from being the only German left in the tournament on Sunday, apart from referee Markus Merk.

The question now is whether he would get more pleasure from turning Germany down or leading out his home nation on the biggest soccer stage of them all, the World Cup finals.