There’s been a one-year delay and the merchandise might be twelve months out of date, but Euro2020
is finally here – and it will be the sixteenth running of a competition which dates back to 1960.
Only 17 teams took part in the qualification for what was then known
as the European Nations’ Cup. The Soviet Union,
Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia emerged to join host nation France in a final four,
for two games across five days, with the Soviets – who had the legendary Lev Yashin in goal – winning
the final 1-0 against Yugoslavia, in front of barely 17,000 fans at the Parc des Princes.
In ’64, Spain became the first side to the host and win the tournament.
This time, when Marcelino scored the winning goal in 2-1 final win
over the defending Soviet Union, it was with 79,000 watching inside the Santiago Bernabeu.
In 1968 the Nations Cup became the European Championship.
Like Spain four years before, Italy would host and win, but only after getting through their
semi-final on a coin toss. Their game with the Soviet Union had finished goalless after
extra-time, so the two captains descended to the dressing rooms of Napoli’s San Paolo stadium.
In front of two UEFA officials, Giaccinto Facchetti correctly called heads and Italy
were through to the final, where they’d beat Yugoslavia.
In 1972, the tournament moved to Belgium – and West Germany made their first appearance,
immediately winning behind the goals of Gerd Muller and with a
team that included Franz Beckenbauer, Paul Breitner and Jupp Heynckes.
In 1976 penalties were used to decide a game – famously so. Czechoslovakia and West Germany
had drawn 2-2 in the final and it was 4-3 from the spot when Uli Hoeness blasted his
effort over the bar into the Belgrade night. Antonin Panenka took fifth for the Czechs,
and his impudent chip not only won the match, but made Panenka an immortal.
In 1980, four teams became eight and a group stage was used for the first time. West Germany
won the second of their titles, beating Belgium in a final in Rome, but hooliganism blighted the
tournament. 100s of Italian and English fought on the streets of Turin, before
tear gas had to be used to disperse fighting supporters during England’s game with Belgium.
1984 saw the tournament return to France, where the regal Michel Platini led the hosts to the
trophy. Nine goals from centre-midfield; a captain’s performance from comfortably the
best player in the world. He’d win the second of his three consecutive Ballons d’Or that year.
1988 had its emblem, too, when Marco van Basten scored his
impossible volley to complete a 2-0 win over the Soviet Union.
The Soviets would never be seen again as the eastern bloc fractured. The Netherlands would
never win anything again, either. This remains the first and only trophy won in their history.
1992 would be all about Denmark. They weren’t even supposed to be in the tournament
and had only made it as a last-minute replacement for Yugoslavia, who were disqualified after the
country’s collapse. Peter Schmeichel would save a van Basten penalty in the semi-final shootout,
before John Jensen and Kim Vilfort goals in the final against Germany would complete a fairytale.
1996 was groundbreaking: beyond Paul Gascoigne’s goal against Scotland and Gareth Southgate’s
penalty miss, it was the first time golden goal extra time had been used in a major competition.
Reliably, the Germans took advantage, with Olivier Bierhoff scoring that
sudden-death tiebreaker past Czech ‘keeper Petr Kouba at Wembley.
And it would happen again four years later: this time, David Trezeguet’s volley won the
final for France, after Sylvain Wiltord had denied Italy with a 93rd minute equaliser.
In 2004, 80-1 outsiders Greece shocked the world. Otto Rehhagel’s stubborn, disciplined team
overcome the Czech Republic and France 1-0 in the quarter and semi-finals respectively,
before Angelos Charisteas’ header defeated host nation Portugal in a stunning upset.
2008 was a magnificent tournament, full of comebacks and late goals. Spain won,
beginning a dominance at that level that would culminate at the World Cup two years later.
Fernando Torres was the difference over Germany in the Vienna final,
but it was a competition full of comebacks and late goals.
2012 took us to Poland and Ukraine, where Spain were – again - much too good for everyone,
becoming the first team in history to successfully defend a European Championship
and also the first in history to win three international tournaments back-to-back-to-back.
In the 2016, the Euros returned to France. Russian and English supporters fought on the
streets of Marseille, Wales marked their debut at the tournament with an unlikely run to the
semi-finals, and Antoine Griezmann scored twice as many goals as any other player (6).
France wouldn’t win it, though. Eder’s extra-time thunderbolt stunned Hugo Lloris, winning Portugal
their first international title, despite Cristiano Ronaldo limping off lame in the first half.
Ronaldo will be back again in 2021. So will France, who are arguably more talented than they
were 5 years ago, and are deservedly favourites for this anniversary edition of the tournament,
which tour through 11 different European cities on its way to a London final.