2014–15 Faroe Islands v Greece football matches

UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match thumb|Jóan Símun Edmundsson scored the only goal of the 2014 match thumb|Faroese players celebrating their first goal in the 2015 match On 14 November 2014, the Greece national football team met the Faroe Islands national football team during a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match at Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus, Attica, Greece. To the surprise of many, the Faroe Islands won 1–0, with the only goal of the game coming from Jóan Símun Edmundsson, causing what many consider to be one of the biggest upsets in UEFA Euro qualifying history. It was the biggest shock in terms of FIFA World Rankings, as Greece were ranked 18th and the Faroe Islands were ranked 187th.https://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/nov/19/the-knowledge-faroe-islands-biggest-shock-ever The Guardian John Ashdown Is the Faroe Islands' win over Greece the biggest shock of all time? 19 November 2014 28 June 2019Greece 0–1 Faroe Islands, BBC Sport, 14 November 2014 On 13 June 2015, the teams met in the return match at Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn. The Faroe Islands won again with a 2–1 scoreline.https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jun/14/faroes-humiliate-greece-double-euro-2016-qualifying The Guardian Faroes humiliate Greece by sealing double in Euro 2016 qualifying 14 June 2015 29 June 2019Faroe Islands defeat Greece again, UEFA.com, 13 June 2015 The games are considered by many Greeks to be one of their most humiliating defeats in international football,Greece reeling after Faroe Islands football humiliation, Bangkok Post, 14 June 2015 while many Faroese people consider the matches to be one of their greatest triumphs. Background The Greece national team had taken part in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, reaching the round of 16 for the first time ever before being eliminated only on penalties by the surprising Costa Rica after a 1–1 draw in regulation time. Despite this, they didn't start well in the Euro qualifying, losing at home to Romania, drawing away with Finland and losing at home again to Northern Ireland.Faroe Islands snatch sensational win in Greece, Eurosport, 15 November 2014 Greece had famously won the UEFA Euro 2004 tournament as huge underdogs, although only Kostas Katsouranis was still playing for the team following the World Cup ten years later and he did not take any part against the Faroes. The Faroe Islands team started their campaign with three defeats: at home to Finland, away to Northern Ireland, and home to Hungary. They had not won a competitive international match away from home since beating Luxembourg in 2001Weekend Recap - Faroe Islands Win in Greece, Footy Fair, 2014 and had only three home wins since then. The respective populations of the countries at the time were approximately 10.93 million and 48,000. 2014 match Details Greece v Faroe Islands UEFA Euro 2016 qualifyingGroup FMatchday 4 2014 11 14 y 21:45 EET GRE 0–1 https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/season=2016/matches/round=2000446/match=2013895/index.html FRO Edmundsson 61 Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus 16,821 Nicola Rizzoli (Italy) _greece14h _greece1415h _greece14h _greece14h FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF Greece _faroe14a _faroe14a _faroe14a _hull1314a _3_stripes_white 0000FF 0000FF 0000FF 0000FF 0000FF Faroe Islands GK 1 Orestis KarnezisRB 15 Vasilis Torosidis (c)CB 4 Kostas Manolas 88CB 5 Vangelis MorasLB 3 Nikolaos Karabelas 78DM 2 Giannis ManiatisDM 22 Andreas SamarisAM 8 Panagiotis KoneAM 10 Lazaros ChristodoulopoulosCF 18 Nikos Karelis 62CF 17 Theofanis Gekas 46Substitutes:FW 23 Stefanos Athanasiadis 46DF 16 Charalampos Mavrias 62MF 9 Petros Mantalos 78Manager:ITA Claudio Ranieri GK 1 Gunnar NielsenCB 4 Atli Gregersen 57CB 7 Fróði Benjaminsen (c)CB 5 Sonni NattestadRM 2 Jónas Tór NæsCM 8 Brandur Hendriksson 33 88CM 6 Hallur Hansson 49LM 3 Viljormur DavidsenAM 10 Christian Holst 76AM 16 Sølvi VatnhamarCF 11 Jóan Símun Edmundsson 86Substitutes:MF 13 Pól Jóhannus Justinussen 76DF 18 Odmar Færø 86FW 15 Klæmint Olsen 88Manager:DEN Lars Olsen Match rules 90 minutes. Maximum of three substitutions. Aftermath The result caused the sacking of head coach Claudio Ranieri,Greece sack Claudio Ranieri after Faroe Islands humiliation, Eurosport, 15 November 2014 whose next job would be manager of English club Leicester City the following July. In his first season, the club would go on to win the 2015–16 Premier League in what is also considered to be one of the biggest shocks in the sports.https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/soccer/soccer-news/leicester-fans-need-thank-faroe-7453110 Irish Mirror Will Magee Why Leicester fans need to thank the Faroe Islands for their stunning season 1 March 2016 28 June 2019https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/35988673 Leicester City win Premier League title after Tottenham draw at Chelsea 2 May 2016 2 May 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160502223012/http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/35988673 2 May 2016 live BBC Sport Before the return fixture, the Faroe Islands suffered an away defeat to Romania, while Greece got a goalless away draw against Hungary. 2015 match Details Faroe Islands v Greece UEFA Euro 2016 qualifyingGroup FMatchday 6 2015 6 13 y 19:45 WEST FRO 2–1 https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/season=2016/matches/round=2000446/match=2013958/index.html GRE Hansson 32 Hendriksson 70 Sokratis 84 Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn 4,731 Tom Harald Hagen (Norway) _faroe14h _faroe14h _faroe14h _faroe14h _color_3_stripes_blue FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF Faroe Islands_greece14a _greece1415a _greece14a _greece14a _greece14a 0000FF 0000FF 0000FF 0000FF 0000FF Greece GK 1 Gunnar NielsenCB 4 Atli Gregersen 76CB 7 Fróði Benjaminsen (c) 27CB 5 Sonni Nattestad 5RM 22 Bárður Hansen 55CM 8 Brandur Hendriksson 84CM 6 Hallur HanssonLM 9 Gilli Rólantsson 13AM 10 Christian Holst 74AM 14 Sølvi VatnhamarCF 11 Jóan Símun Edmundsson 90+2Substitutes:DF 2 Jóhan Troest Davidsen 13DF 15 Odmar Færø 74MF 20 René Joensen 90+2Manager:DEN Lars Olsen GK 1 Orestis KarnezisRB 15 Vasilis Torosidis (c) 57CB 4 Kostas ManolasCB 19 Sokratis PapastathopoulosLB 3 Kostas StafylidisDM 22 Andreas SamarisRM 18 Giannis Fetfatzidis 71CM 8 Panagiotis Kone 81CM 10 Lazaros Christodoulopoulos 46LM 14 Nikos Karelis 90CF 9 Kostas MitroglouSubstitutes:MF 7 Sotiris Ninis 46MF 17 Dimitris Kolovos 71FW 20 Taxiarchis Fountas 81Manager:URU Sergio Markarián Match rules 90 minutes. Maximum of three substitutions. Seven Greek players (goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis, Kostas Manolas, Panagiotis Kone, Lazaros Christodoulopoulos, Nikos Karelis, captain Vasilis Torosidis and Andreas Samaris) took part in both matches; on the Faroese side, nine players (goalkeeper Gunnar Nielsen, Atli Gregersen, Sonni Nattestad, Hallur Hansson, captain Fróði Benjaminsen, Brandur Hendriksson, Christian Holst, Jóan Símun Edmundsson and substitute Odmar Færø) took part in both. Aftermath Greece national team coach Sergio Markarián resigned in the following month, having lasted only two matches in charge.https://www.espn.com/soccer/greece/story/2529813/sergio-markarian-quits-as-greece-coach ESPN.com Associated Press Greece coach Sergio Markarian quits after poor Euro 2016 qualifying form 21 July 2015 29 June 2019 The six points taken from the Greece fixtures were the only ones gained by the Faroese in the campaign. Greece got an away draw with Romania in September 2015 and finally won their first match on the last matchday, beating Hungary 4–3 at home, but it wasn't enough to avoid bottom place. Both teams finished with six points, the Faroes having the advantage on the head-to-head record. References External links Category:UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Category:2014–15 in Greek football Category:2014 in Faroe Islands football Category:2015 in Faroe Islands football Category:UEFA European Championship matches Greece Faroe Islands Category:November 2014 sports events in Europe Category:June 2015 sports events in Europe Category:Football competitions in Athens Category:Sport in Tórshavn 2014