International Career
Chalkias made his debut on 10 November 2001, in a frienly 4–2 home win against Estonia, as he replaced Antonis Nikopolidis at half time. In the summer 2004 he was part of the squad which won Euro 2004, although he was only the reserve 'keeper. Otto Rehhagel called him also for the qualification of Euro 2008. Chalkias played as the first goalkeeper for the Greek national team during most of the qualification for the World Cup 2010, after the retirement of the legendary goalkeeper Antonis Nikopolidis and he is the only goalkeeper from the Euro 2004.
In Euro 2012 Chalkias was the oldest player at the tournament at 38 years of age and one of just three players remaining from the victorious 2004 Greek squad. On 12 June 2012, he started the second group stage match against Czech Republic – at the 21st minute of the match, and having conceded two goals in 6 minutes, he was substituted with Michalis Sifakis due to injury. After Greece's lost quarterfinal to Germany on 22 June, a game which Chalkias watched from the bench, he announced his withdrawal from the national team alongside Nikos Liberopoulos.
Read more about this topic: Kostas Chalkias
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“From a hasty glance through the various tests I figure it out that I would be classified in Group B, indicating “Low Average Ability,” reserved usually for those just learning to speak the English Language and preparing for a career of holding a spike while another man hits it.”
—Robert Benchley (1889–1945)