1976 UEFA Euro Championship, Yugoslavia
The 1976 UEFA European Championship, held in Yugoslavia from June 16 to June 20, was the fifth edition of the tournament
The competition retained its format with only four teams participating in the final stages: Czechoslovakia, West Germany, the Netherlands, and the host nation, Yugoslavia.
The tournament featured a dramatic and historic finale, held at the Crvena Zvezda Stadium in Belgrade. Czechoslovakia emerged as the surprise champions, securing their first European title by defeating the reigning champions, West Germany, in a thrilling final that ended in a 2-2 draw after extra time.
The match was decided by a penalty shootout, the first ever in a major international tournament. Czechoslovakia triumphed 5-3 in the shootout, with Antonín Panenka famously scoring the decisive penalty with an audacious chip down the center, a technique that has since been named after him.
The event is remembered not only for Czechoslovakia's unexpected victory but also for the introduction of the penalty shootout, which has since become a defining feature of football tournaments worldwide.
Related Pages
- UEFA Euro Home
- UEFA Euro Host Countries List
- UEFA Euro Winners List
- UEFA Euro Trivia
- The Year in Sport: 1976
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