Greece captain Giorgos Karagounis believes that the joy of reaching the quarter-finals of Euro 2012 rivals the feeling of when they won the tournament in 2004.
Against the odds, the Greeks defeated Russia in their final Group A match to earn their first win of the competition and advance to the last eight. Karagounis was part of the side that won Euro 2004 and has expressed his delight at reaching the knockout stages of their current campaign.
"I thank God for letting us celebrate such moments," said Karagounis.
"We did not give up. We can compare this to our cherished moments in Portugal in 2004.
"We believed all day that we would not return to Athens [after the group phase].
"We kept our promise to all. All Greeks can now celebrate. When we are united no-one can stop us."
The Greece captain earned a record-equalling 120th cap for his country in the 1-0 win over Russia but misses their quarter-final tie with Germany through suspension.
Matt Cotton
