Greece's four-year reign as European champion officially ended yesterday after a 1-0 loss to Russia eliminated the team from the tournament.

The Greeks needed at least a draw to stay in contention in Group D, but Konstantin Zyryanov's 33rd-minute goal, combined with Spain's 2-1 win over Sweden, left the surprise 2004 champions with nothing to play for in their third and final match. The result also put Spain into the European Championship quarter-finals.

Zyryanov's third international goal in 14 appearances came after Sergei Semak had acrobatically collected a long cross from Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and sent it back across goal, with goalkeeper Antonis Nikopolidis chasing the loose ball.

Greece nearly equalised in the 87th when Angelos Charisteas knocked the ball into an empty net, but Fanis Gekas had been whistled for offside.

Spain lead Group D with six points, and are assured of playing in the knockout round irrespective of what happens against Greece on Wednesday in Salzburg. Russia and Sweden play at the same time in Innsbruck with one of the two advancing.

Greece became the fourth defending champions to be eliminated from the first round of the European Championship. Germany were knocked out at the same stage in both the 1984 and 2000 tournaments, and Denmark followed up its remarkable run to the title in 1992 by going out in the first round in '96.

The Greeks dropped their five-man defence from the opening match in favour of a more attacking formation. And even though the defenders were playing far more forward than usual, the Greeks failed to create any great opportunities to score in the first half.

The introduction of Giorgos Karagounis for the injured Giourkas Seitaridis late in the first half sparked some more forward movement, but most of Greece's chances were barely a threat to Russia and their goalkeeper Igor Akinfeyev.

Russia, despite playing without the suspended Andrei Arshavin or the injured Pavel Pogrebnyak, still attacked relentlessly, with Roman Pavlyuchenko leading the way.

Pavlyuchenko had been questionable for the match with a right thigh injury, but he started and had shots early in each half that Nikopolidis had to save, one by tapping over the bar in the 14th.

Greece's best chance for a goal came in the 20th when captain Angelos Basinas sent in a free kick. Charisteas missed a chance to head the ball from close range, but Igor Semshov almost scored an own-goal as the ball went off his foot and then his chest before just missing wide while Charisteas gave chase.

Ioannis Amanatidis had a chance in the 50th, but he couldn't reach Basinas' free kick.

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Greece: Antonis Nikopolidis, Giourkas Seitaridis (Giorgos Karagounis, 40), Traianos Dellas, Vassilis Torossidis, Sotiris Kyrgiakos, Costas Katsouranis, Christos Patsatzoglou, Angelos Basinas, Ioannis Amanatidis (Stelios Giannakopoulos, 80), Angelos Charisteas, Nikos Lymberopoulos (Fanis Gekas, 61).

Russia: Igor Akinfeyev, Denis Kolodin, Sergei Semak, Sergei Ignashevich, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov (Ivan Saenko, 70), Konstantin Zyryanov, Yuri Zhirkov (Vasily Berezutsky, 87), Roman Pavlyuchenko, Igor Semshov, Dmitri Torbinski, Aleksandr Anyukov.

Referee: Rosetti (Italy)

Scorer: Zyrianov (Russia)

The Greek team's one shot on goal in the first half came from Christos Patsatzoglou, whose effort from the centre of the field went straight at Akinfeyev.