The England-Greece match for the UEFA Nations League group stage was expected to be marked by a strange feeling after the death of George Baldock. Greece’s historic victory (2-1) on Thursday night at Wembley Stadium with a Pavlidis brace in the second half—and the dramatic fashion in which it came about—would have been enough in and of itself to warrant the numerous praises heaped on it by the international media.
But the win, Greece’s first against the Three Lions in its history, was achieved against the backdrop of the tragic death of one of the squad’s members, George Baldock, who was found drowned in his Athens house a day before the kick-off in London.
The somber event undoubtedly cast a shadow over the match and the Greek triumph. Players observed a moment of silence while the Greek team wore a black armband. The emotional moments were encapsulated in the BBC’s title, “Greece ‘gave everything’ for Baldock to win over England.”
The significance of the occasion and the impact of Baldock’s loss fueled the Greek players to leave everything out on the pitch against the two-time Euro finalists. In a stirring speech before the kickoff, team captain Tasos Bakasetas—a teammate of Baldock at Panathinaikos FC—referenced George as an example for the team to follow.
“We are aware of the special circumstances of this match. Many of us knew the kind of guy George was. He was always an example for this squad because he put the team above all and gave his soul for it. He would sacrifice himself for the team. That’s why today, in the match, he will be our guide. Every single one of us will sacrifice himself to honor him the way he deserves,” Bakasetas told his teammates in the changing room before the match.
Other British media outlets focused more on the match. “England’s Greek tragedy,” wrote the Daily Mail’s headline, while more news sites in England criticized the “failed” system employed by the Three Lions’ interim manager Lee Carsley. The Guardian wrote: “Greece record historic win over England to hand Lee Carsley (caretaker manager of England) a reality check,” while the Independent headlined, “England’s failed experiment gives one answer to Lee Carsley—but asks another about him.”
