EURO 1960 (FRANCE)

The Soviet Union were the first winners of what was to become the UEFA European Championship in 1960, coming from behind against Yugoslavia in Paris to prevail 2-1 in extra time. Viktor Ponedelnik, aged 23, scored the winner seven minutes from the end but even half a century on, after a long career in journalism, the memory remained fresh.


FINAL :      USSR 2-1 Yugoslavia






EURO 1964 (SPAIN)

For so long regarded as international football's great underachievers, Spain could always hold up their 1964 UEFA European Championship triumph as an argument to the contrary. Nearly 80,000 fans turned out at the Santiago Bernabéu to watch the hosts defeat holders the Soviet Union 2-1 in the final. Chief among the Spain team was talismanic midfielder Luis Suárez, who had already helped FC Internazionale Milano to the first of back-to-back European Cups that season and later went on to coach his nation at the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Here, though, he focuses solely on 1964.


FINAL : SPAIN 2-1 USSR




EURO 1968 (ITALY)

The defining moment of Dino Zoff's career may have been lifting the 1982 FIFA World Cup for Italy aged 40, but 14 years earlier he had been part of another major triumph as the Azzurri won the 1968 UEFA European Championship on home soil. The goalkeeper made his Italy debut in the two-legged quarter-final versus Bulgaria and kept a clean sheet in the semi-final against the Soviet Union at the home of his club side SSC Napoli, the Azzurri going through on the toss of a coin. Zoff was beaten in the 1-1 final draw with Yugoslavia in Rome, yet two days later Italy triumphed 2-0 in the replay to land the trophy. He recalls it here.



FINAL : Italy 1-1 Yugoslavia / Final Replay : Italy 2-0 Yugoslavia


EURO 1972(BELGIUM)


The 1972 UEFA European Championship was pivotal for West Germany. Beforehand they had won just one international trophy and played in two finals; since their triumph in Belgium they have won two FIFA World Cups, EURO crowns in 1980 and 1996, and reached six other major finals. The hero of 1972 was Gerd Müller, who scored both goals in the 2-1 semi-final win against the hosts and two more as West Germany beat the Soviet Union 3-0 for the title. However, the modest Müller, whose 62 caps brought 68 goals, puts it down to luck.


FINAL : West Germany 3-0 USSR




EURO 1976 ( Yugoslavia)


There have been many penalty shoot-outs in major tournaments over the years, but perhaps the most famous was the very first: in the 1976 UEFA European Championship showpiece in Belgrade. Twice Czechoslovakia led; twice world and European champions West Germany equalised, the second in the last minute. A half-hour later penalties were needed, and after Uli Hoeness had struck West Germany's fourth effort over the bar, Antonín Panenka sensationally chipped the ball past Sepp Maier to seal a 5-3 shoot-out win.