Review: King Otto

DVD & Digital: King Otto (2021)

I’m not a fan of football (at time of writing the Euro 2020 quarter finals have just concluded and I haven’t watched a single game), but I’m a big fan of documentaries, and this is a great one.

20 years ago the Greek national football team was something that even the inhabitants of Greece had little time for. Never having won a single match or even scored a goal in a major tournament, they were not even a blip on the sporting radar of fans and commentators of the game.

All of that changed however when Otto Rehhagel was appointed manager and not only got them through the qualification rounds for Euro 2004, he took them all the way to winning the tournament.

An inauspicious 1st game in charge (a 2002 World Cup qualifier against Finland which ended in a 5-1 defeat) almost saw his tenure ended before it had begun, but thankfully there were people in charge who had confidence in him and ignored the critics.

A German manager who speaks no Greek, a Greek team that speaks no German, two conflicting attitudes towards work and life, not the best combination when trying to build a cohesive team, but one, which despite all the odds against it, came together in the most perfect way.

A true “underdog story”, King Otto shows what can be achieved in life with determination and a true belief in oneself…and you don’t even have to be a football fan to enjoy it.

Review by Dave from a disc supplied by 101 Films via Aim Publicity.