European Football History
The idea for a pan-European football tournament was first proposed by the French Football Federation's Henri
Delaunay in 1927, but it was not until 1958 that the tournament was
started - three years after Delaunay's death. In honour
of Delaunay, the trophy awarded to the champions is named after him. The 1960 tournament, held in France, had 4 teams competing in the finals, out of
17 that entered the competition. It was won
by the Soviet Union, beating Yugoslavia 2–1 in a tense final in Paris. Spain
withdrew from its quarter-final match against the USSR due to political protests.[9] Of the 17
teams that entered the qualifying tournament, notable absentees were England,
West Germany and Italy.
Spain
held the next tournament in 1964, which saw an increase in entries to the
qualification tournament, with 29 entering; Greece
withdrew after being drawn against Albania,
with whom they were still at war. The hosts
beat the title holders, the Soviet Union, 2–1 at the Santiago
Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid.
The tournament format stayed the same for the 1968 tournament, hosted and won by Italy. For the
first and only time a match was decided on a coin
toss (the semi-final against the Soviet Union) and the
final went to a replay, after the match against Yugoslavia finished 1–1. Italy won
the replay 2–0. More
teams entered this tournament (31), a testament to its burgeoning
popularity.
Belgium
hosted the 1972 tournament, which West Germany won, beating the
USSR 3–0 in the final in Brussels. This
tournament would provide a taste of things to come, as the German side contained
many of the key members of the 1974 FIFA World Cup Champions.
The 1976 tournament in Yugoslavia was the last in which only four teams took
part in the final tournament, and the last in which the hosts had to qualify. Czechoslovakia beat West Germany in the newly
introduced penalty shootout, with Antonín Panenka's famous chipped shot.
The competition was expanded to eight teams in the 1980
tournament, again hosted by Italy. It
involved a group stage, with the winners of the groups going on to contest the
final, and the runners-up playing in the third place play-off. West
Germany won their second European title by beating Belgium
2–1 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
France won their first major title at home in the 1984 tournament, with their captain Michel
Platini scoring 9 goals in just 5 games, including the opening goal
in the final, in which they beat Spain 2–0. The
format also changed, with the top two teams in each group going through to a
semi-final stage, instead of the winners of each group going straight into the
final. The third
place play-off was also abolished.
West
Germany hosted UEFA Euro 1988, and the Netherlands beat the hosts--and traditional rivals—2–1 in the semi-finals, which
sparked vigorous celebrations in the Netherlands. The
Netherlands went on to win the tournament, beating the USSR 2–0 at the Olympia
Stadion in Munich, a match
in which Marco van Basten scored one of the most memorable
goals in football history, a spectacular volley over the keeper from the right
wing.
UEFA
Euro 1992 was held in Sweden, and was won by Denmark,
who were only in the finals because UEFA did not allow Yugoslavia to participate
as some of the states constituting the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia were at a state of war with each other. The Danes
beat holders the Netherlands on penalties in the semi-finals, then
defeated world champion Germany 2–0. This was
the first tournament in which a unified Germany took part and also the first major
tournament to have the players' names printed on their backs.
England
hosted UEFA Euro 1996, the first tournament to use the
nomenclature "Euro [year]" and would see the number of teams taking part double
to 16. The
hosts, in a replay of the 1990 FIFA World Cup semi-final, were knocked out on
penalties by Germany, who would
go on to win in the final 2–1 against the newly-formed Czech Republic thanks to the first golden
goal ever in a major tournament, scored by Oliver
Bierhoff. This was
Germany's first title as a unified nation.
UEFA
Euro 2000 was the first tournament to be held by two countries, the
Netherlands and Belgium. France,
the reigning world champion, was favoured to win, and they lived
up to expectations when they beat Italy 2–1 after extra
time, having come from being 1–0 down: Sylvain Wiltord equalized in the very last minute of
the game and David Trezeguet scored the winner in extra time.
UEFA
Euro 2004, like 1992, produced an upset: Greece, who had only
qualified for one World Cup (1994) and one European Championship (1980) before, beat host Portugal
1–0 in the final (after having also beaten them in the opening game) with a goal
scored by Charisteas in the 57th minute to win a tournament
that they had been given odds of 150–1 to win before it began. On their
way to the final they also beat holders France as well
as the Czech Republic with a silver goal, a rule
which replaced the previous golden goal in 2003, before being abolished itself
shortly after this tournament.
The 2008 tournament, hosted by Austria and Switzerland marked the second time that two nations
co-hosted, and the first edition where the new trophy was awarded. It
commenced on 7 June and finished on 29 June. The final
between Germany and Spain was held at the Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna. Spain
defeated Germany 1–0, with a goal scored by Fernando Torres in the 33rd minute, sparking much
celebration across the country. This is
their first title since the 1964 tournament. Spain were the top scoring team,
with 12 goals, and David Villa finished as the top scorer with four
goals; Xavi
was awarded the player of the tournament, and nine Spanish players were picked
for the UEFA Euro 2008 Team of the Tournament.
The UEFA Euro 2012 tournament will be hosted by Poland and Ukraine. The UEFA Euro 2016 tournament will be hosted by
France.
Delaunay in 1927, but it was not until 1958 that the tournament was
started - three years after Delaunay's death. In honour
of Delaunay, the trophy awarded to the champions is named after him. The 1960 tournament, held in France, had 4 teams competing in the finals, out of
17 that entered the competition. It was won
by the Soviet Union, beating Yugoslavia 2–1 in a tense final in Paris. Spain
withdrew from its quarter-final match against the USSR due to political protests.[9] Of the 17
teams that entered the qualifying tournament, notable absentees were England,
West Germany and Italy.
Spain
held the next tournament in 1964, which saw an increase in entries to the
qualification tournament, with 29 entering; Greece
withdrew after being drawn against Albania,
with whom they were still at war. The hosts
beat the title holders, the Soviet Union, 2–1 at the Santiago
Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid.
The tournament format stayed the same for the 1968 tournament, hosted and won by Italy. For the
first and only time a match was decided on a coin
toss (the semi-final against the Soviet Union) and the
final went to a replay, after the match against Yugoslavia finished 1–1. Italy won
the replay 2–0. More
teams entered this tournament (31), a testament to its burgeoning
popularity.
Belgium
hosted the 1972 tournament, which West Germany won, beating the
USSR 3–0 in the final in Brussels. This
tournament would provide a taste of things to come, as the German side contained
many of the key members of the 1974 FIFA World Cup Champions.
The 1976 tournament in Yugoslavia was the last in which only four teams took
part in the final tournament, and the last in which the hosts had to qualify. Czechoslovakia beat West Germany in the newly
introduced penalty shootout, with Antonín Panenka's famous chipped shot.
The competition was expanded to eight teams in the 1980
tournament, again hosted by Italy. It
involved a group stage, with the winners of the groups going on to contest the
final, and the runners-up playing in the third place play-off. West
Germany won their second European title by beating Belgium
2–1 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
France won their first major title at home in the 1984 tournament, with their captain Michel
Platini scoring 9 goals in just 5 games, including the opening goal
in the final, in which they beat Spain 2–0. The
format also changed, with the top two teams in each group going through to a
semi-final stage, instead of the winners of each group going straight into the
final. The third
place play-off was also abolished.
West
Germany hosted UEFA Euro 1988, and the Netherlands beat the hosts--and traditional rivals—2–1 in the semi-finals, which
sparked vigorous celebrations in the Netherlands. The
Netherlands went on to win the tournament, beating the USSR 2–0 at the Olympia
Stadion in Munich, a match
in which Marco van Basten scored one of the most memorable
goals in football history, a spectacular volley over the keeper from the right
wing.
UEFA
Euro 1992 was held in Sweden, and was won by Denmark,
who were only in the finals because UEFA did not allow Yugoslavia to participate
as some of the states constituting the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia were at a state of war with each other. The Danes
beat holders the Netherlands on penalties in the semi-finals, then
defeated world champion Germany 2–0. This was
the first tournament in which a unified Germany took part and also the first major
tournament to have the players' names printed on their backs.
England
hosted UEFA Euro 1996, the first tournament to use the
nomenclature "Euro [year]" and would see the number of teams taking part double
to 16. The
hosts, in a replay of the 1990 FIFA World Cup semi-final, were knocked out on
penalties by Germany, who would
go on to win in the final 2–1 against the newly-formed Czech Republic thanks to the first golden
goal ever in a major tournament, scored by Oliver
Bierhoff. This was
Germany's first title as a unified nation.
UEFA
Euro 2000 was the first tournament to be held by two countries, the
Netherlands and Belgium. France,
the reigning world champion, was favoured to win, and they lived
up to expectations when they beat Italy 2–1 after extra
time, having come from being 1–0 down: Sylvain Wiltord equalized in the very last minute of
the game and David Trezeguet scored the winner in extra time.
UEFA
Euro 2004, like 1992, produced an upset: Greece, who had only
qualified for one World Cup (1994) and one European Championship (1980) before, beat host Portugal
1–0 in the final (after having also beaten them in the opening game) with a goal
scored by Charisteas in the 57th minute to win a tournament
that they had been given odds of 150–1 to win before it began. On their
way to the final they also beat holders France as well
as the Czech Republic with a silver goal, a rule
which replaced the previous golden goal in 2003, before being abolished itself
shortly after this tournament.
The 2008 tournament, hosted by Austria and Switzerland marked the second time that two nations
co-hosted, and the first edition where the new trophy was awarded. It
commenced on 7 June and finished on 29 June. The final
between Germany and Spain was held at the Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna. Spain
defeated Germany 1–0, with a goal scored by Fernando Torres in the 33rd minute, sparking much
celebration across the country. This is
their first title since the 1964 tournament. Spain were the top scoring team,
with 12 goals, and David Villa finished as the top scorer with four
goals; Xavi
was awarded the player of the tournament, and nine Spanish players were picked
for the UEFA Euro 2008 Team of the Tournament.
The UEFA Euro 2012 tournament will be hosted by Poland and Ukraine. The UEFA Euro 2016 tournament will be hosted by
France.