The Euro 2020 tournament is being played around Europe this summer. The tournament was postponed last summer but is now being played with fans in the grounds to cheer for their national teams.
Some pundits claim the European Championships are more difficult to win than the World Cup. That may be a matter of debate. Regardless of the tournament’s difficulty in comparison to the World Cup, the tournament has produced some magical moments over the years. Here is a look at some of the most iconic moments.
3. Czechoslovakia 2-2 West Germany
The 1976 Euro Final gave us one of the most iconic penalty kicks in football, the panenka. The final was played in Belgrade with Czechoslovakia taking a 2-0 lead early on thanks to Ján Švehlík and Karol Dobiaš. Germany came back thanks to Gerd Müller and Bernd Hölzenbein to force extra time. After the 30-minute overtime period, the teams went to penalties.
The game went to the first penalty shootout in European Championship history. Seven straight penalties were converted but Uli Hoeneß was denied. Czechoslovakia /sAntonín Panenka then had the opportunity to win the final for Czechoslovakia.
Panenka delicately chipped the ball straight down the middle of the goal with Germany goalie Sepp Maier diving out the way to his left. Czechoslovakia won the final and the world learned about the Panenka.
2. Portugal 0-1 Greece
The 2004 final was supposed to be Portugal’s coming out party at the tournament. Unfortunately, the Greeks rode a strong defensive performance at the Euros to claim the trophy.
Just 22 days following Portugal and Greece playing each other in the group stage, they played once more. In the 57th minute, Greece’s Angelos Basinas sent in a corner kick that was headed into the goal by Angelos Charisteas. The goal and subsequent win shocked the continent. The final finished 1-0 and it was Greece’s third straight 1-0 victory in the tournament.
1. France 2-1 Italy
Two of Europe’s powerhouses met in the 2000 Euro Final. France were just two years removed from winning the World Cup on home soil while Italy were six years away from claiming the World Cup in Germany.
Marco Delvecchio scored to put the Italians in front early in the second half. Italy looked set to win the tournament’s trophy a first in nearly two decades. In the third minute of stoppage-time, France’s Sylvain Wiltord poked the ball past goalie Francesco Toldo to force extra-time. David Trezeguet scored a stunning volley in the 103rd minute to give France the win.