To beat holders France, Zinedine Zidane and all, in a European Championship quarterfinal was a veritable sporting earthquake.

So there was no false modesty in evidence when Otto Rehhagel, the German coach of Greece, surveyed the international media after his team's staggering 1-0 success over holders France to note that: "This story will wing its way around the world, from New York to Rio. It's a sensation."

The Greeks had never even been past the group phase of a major tournament until "King" Otto arrived, a traditionally brittle defence previously living up to the adage that they should bear gifts - including to rival football teams.

But that was then, and this is 2004, and Rehhagel's team have been cast in a teutonic mould -- one which his native county might do well to return to with the German national side currently on the scrapheap.

Rehhagel, 65, lorded it in his own inimitable style over Werder Bremen, winning a shoal of silverware as a result over 14 years before landing a third league title with modest Kaiserslautern and then heading to Greece in 2001.

In three years he has transformed the game in his adopted country, with the result that he has come up with a startling blend of sometimes headstrong Greek individuality coupled with efficiency German-style.

That the man who downed the French with a flying header should have been Angelos Charisteas, who won the Bundesliga with Bremen last season, only added to the Greco-teutonic tale.

"This has been a step by step development. We have worked night and day for three years. The Greeks already had some superb individual players.

"I have just tried to imbue them with team spirit," Rehhagel explained.

He adds he is the Man Whose Rules Must Be Obeyed -- and asks only that his players judge him by the result.

"In a group of 30-odd players rules have to be respected.

"When you succeed people believe in your methods. It is not what an individual wants but what he can do. We have to work for each other.

"What counts is the group. That is paramount."

It was as a group that the whole team raced towards their 10,000 fans huddled in a corner of the Alvalade Stadium to bask in their adulation.

Rehhagel eschews tactical talk in public, and is no respecter of egos, switching his team around as he feels -- a strategy that backfired in an unhappy few months at Bayern Munich where a player revolt ended his tenure nine years ago.

But with his current team the strategy works to a tee -- as France have found out to their complacent cost.

Asked what France had done wrong Rehhagel was adamant.

"How well you play depends on how well your opponents let you play.

"We did not let France play today."