The press congratulated the Greeks on their surprising 1-0 victory over the tournament favourites - thanks to a silver goal by Traianos Dellas in the last minute of the first-half of extra-time - but also their team for playing the best football of the tournament.

"It was a match capable of inducing a heart attack," opined 'Dnes' while regretting the first-half exit because of a knee injury of the Czechs 'Lion hearted' European player of the year Pavel Nedved.

"It was a rough battle, the toughest one the Czechs had during the tournament.

"It is a tragedy for this team. But we pay homage to the opponent," it added.

The daily 'Sport' struck an almost poetic note.

"The gold medal was in our hands. But Czech euphoria was silenced on Thursday just before midnight by sadness," it wrote while adding on the positive side the team had gone further in the tournament than the so-called giants like England, France, Spain and the Germans not to mention the Italians.

"A tragic defeat in extra-time," wrote 'Lidove Noviny'.

However it added an optimistic note.

"Soon, the sadness will dissipate and we will come to appreciate our bronze medal."