Rehhagel calls up Fotakis for Greece squad
PAOK midfielder Giorgos Fotakis was a surprise inclusion on the Greece squad which was named yesterday for the World Cup qualifiers against Switzerland and Moldova. The 27-year-old has been brought in to cover for injured player Giorgos Karagounis, who has been included on the 22-man team but is not expected to be fit until the match against the Moldovans. Under-21 internationals Sotiris Ninis and Vassilis Pliatsikas have again been promoted to the men’s squad. There is no place on manager Otto Rehhagel’s squad for Angelos Basinas, Giourkas Seitaridis and injured Vassilis Torosidis. «I’m delighted to be a part of the national team family and I would like to thank Mr Rehhagel for giving me this opportunity,» said Fotakis on his call-up. Rehhagel’s side faces Switzerland in Basel on Saturday and then Moldova in Chisinau four days later. The Greek squad consists of goalkeepers Costas Chalkias (PAOK), Alexandros Tzorvas (Panathinaikos) and Michalis Sifakis (Aris); defenders Loukas Vintra (Panathinaikos), Christos Patsatzoglou (Omonia), Vangelis Moras (Bologna), Avraam Papadopoulos (Olympiakos), Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Genoa), Sotiris Kyrgiakos (Liverpool); midfielders Costas Katsouranis, Alexandros Tziolis, Giorgos Karagounis, Sotiris Ninis (all Panathinaikos), Grigoris Makos (AEK), Giorgos Fotakis (PAOK), Vassilis Pliatsikas (Schalke); and strikers Dimitris Salpingidis (Panathinaikos), Angelos Charisteas (Nuremberg), Fanis Gekas (Bayer Leverkusen), Giorgos Samaras (Celtic), Nikos Liberopoulos and Ioannis Amanatidis (both at Eintracht Frankfurt).
