Greece coach Fernando Santos has warned that they will be no pushovers in Euro 2012 while a repeat of their success at the tournament eight years ago could lift an ailing nation desperately in need of a boost.

“The players deserve to be in the Euro competition and they give me confidence that we can please the Greek people,” he said.

“I know we will show will and desire. It will be very difficult for any opposing team to beat us. Nobody is very much better than us,” he added.

Greece, the surprise winners of the 2004 tournament in Portugal, have been drawn in Group A and play the opening match of the tournament against co-hosts Poland in the capital on Friday. They also face the Czech Republic and Russia.

The squad:

Goalkeepers: Costas Chalkias (PAOK), Michalis Sifakis (Aris), Alexandros Tzorvas (Palermo)

Defenders: Vassilis Torosidis (Olympiakos), Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Werder Bremen), Avraam Papadopoulos (Olympiakos), Jose Holebas (Olympiakos), Stelios Malezas (PAOK), Giorgos Tzavelas (Monaco), Yiannis Maniatis (Olympiakos), Kyriakos Papadopoulos (Schalke)

Midfielders: Giorgos Karagounis (Panathinaikos), Costas Katsouranis (Panathinaikos), Giorgos Fotakis (PAOK), Costas Fortounis (Kaiserslautern), Yiannis Fetfatzidis (Olympiakos), Sotiris Ninis (Panathinaikos), Grigoris Makos (AEK Athens)

Forwards: Georgios Samaras (Celtic), Dimitris Salpigidis (PAOK), Costas Mitroglou (Atromitos), Nikos Lymberopoulos (AEK Athens), Fanis Gekas (Samsunspor)

Coach: Fernando Santos