World Cup 2010: Greece pick Patsatzoglou & Seitaridis

Advertisement

Greece's World Cup qualifying highlights

Christos Patsatzoglou and Giorgos Seitaridis have been included in Greece's provisional 30-man squad for this summer's World Cup.

Both players have had injury problems but coach Otto Rehhagel has given them the chance to prove their fitness.

Seitaridis made only eight league appearances for double champions Panathinaikos in the season just gone.

Utility man Christos Patsatzoglou missed most of the World Cup qualifying campaign due to a knee injury.

There were few other surprises in the 71-year-old's selection, which included 10 players from Panathinaikos and nine foreign-based players.

WORLD CUP PHOTO ALBUM Do you have a photo with yourself and a star from Greece? Send us your photos to be in our World Cup Photo Album

Among the Greeks' overseas-based players are Liverpool's Sotiris Kyrgiakos, Celtic's Giorgos Samaras and Theofanis Gekas of Hertha Berlin, who was the top scorer in qualifying with 10 goals.

Greece's preparations will start at the Swiss municipality of Bad Ragaz on 17 May with Rehhagel to select his final 23-man squad on 1 June.

Greece lost 2-0 to Senegal in their final home friendly in March, and Rehhagel will be hoping for an improvement when they continue their World Cup build-up with matches against North Korea on 25 May and Paraguay on 2 June before kicking off their South Africa 2010 campaign against South Korea on 12 June.

The Greeks also face Nigeria and Argentina in Group B.

---

Goalkeepers: Michalis Sifakis (Aris Salonika), Alexandros Tzorvas (Panathinaikos), Kostas Chalkias (PAOK Salonika).

Defenders: Giorgos Seitaridis (Panathinaikos), Loukas Vintra(Panathinaikos), Evangelos Moras (Bologna), Socrates Papastathopoulos (Genoa), Sotiris Kyrgiakos (Liverpool), Avraam Papadopoulos (Olympiakos), Vasilis Torosidis (Olympiakos), Nikos Spiropoulos (Panathinaikos), Stelios Malezas (PAOK Salonika), Giorgos Tzavellas (Panionios), Kostas Manolas (AEK Athens), Giorgos Galitsios (Olympiakos), Stergos Marinos (Panathinaikos).

Midfielders: Kostas Katsouranis (Panathinaikos), Alexandros Tziolis (Siena), Giorgos Karagounis (Panathinaikos), Sotiris Ninis (Panathinaikos), Christos Patsatzoglou (Omonia), Grigoris Makos (AEK Athens), Sakis Prittas (Aris Salonika), Lazaros Christodoulopoulos (Panathinaikos).

Forwards: Angelos Charisteas (Nuremberg), Dimitris Salpigidis (Panathinaikos), Pantelis Kapetanos (Steaua Bucharest), Theofanis Gekas (Hertha Berlin), Giorgos Samaras (Celtic), Kostas Mitroglou (Olympiakos).