We’re just three months away from Euro 2024 now, and fans worldwide are hoping to see a month of action, drama, and world-class football.
It’s a competition which always delivers, and, as this SBOTOP writer can testify, it can break your heart. Just three years ago, England blew the chance to wipe away 55 years of hurt, but the wait for a trophy drags on after Italy beat the Three Lions in a penalty shootout at Wembley.
Champions Italy will hope to defend their title, but the Euro 2024 betting odds prefer the likes of hosts Germany and Spain, who have each won three titles.
A feast of football is on the way, folks, but let’s take a moment to look back at some of the greatest memories at the Euros over the past 30 years or so. The best underdogs, the European powerhouses, and, of course, more heartbreak for England!
Greece lighting strikes Portugal 2004
It’s widely agreed to be the biggest shock in European football history, and when Greece beat Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Figo, and all, to win the Euros in 2004, their players became Greek legends. Angelos Charisteas scored the only goal of the game from Greece’s first corner after 57 minutes, when he met an Angelis Basinas centre with a thunderous header.
The Selecao laid siege to the Greece goal, but they could not beat keeper Antonios Nikopolidis, and the history writers hailed the underdogs as the kings of Europe.
Before the start of the competition, Greece had never won a game at a major tournament and had only qualified for the Euros once previously, in 1980, and they have since returned to their status as occasional visitors to the top table, reaching the quarterfinals on their last appearance in 2012.
France’s Golden Goal 2000
Les Bleus are the favourites to win the tournament this year, and, as the most attacking side, they are sure to feature heavily in the Euro 2024 highlights. France were World Champions when they headed to Euro 2000, and current manager Didier Deschamps was a key player in their midfield. But it was David Trezeguet who stole the headlines when he climbed off the bench to score a Golden Goal against Italy and make France Champions of Europe and the World.
Alessandro Delvecchio thought he had won the title for the Azzurri, but another France substitute, Silvain Wiltord, snatched an equaliser in the fourth minute of injury time, and that teed the game up for Trezeguet to win the tie in the 103rd minute.
Germany conquer England 1996
The last German Euro triumph came at Euro 96, when the whole of England believed that ‘Football was coming Home’ and a wave of patriotic fervour spread across the land. The old foes met at the semi-final stage, and Terry Venables’ England started to believe it was their year when Alan Shearer headed the hosts into a third-minute lead.
The Three Lions pressed for a second goal, but it never came, and when Stefan Kuntz levelled in the second half, the game went to extra time.
Paul Gascoigne was inches away from winning the match for England, but it went to penalties, and, just as they had in the 1990 World Cup semi-final, the Lions went down to the super-efficient German penalty takers.
Current England manager Gareth Southgate missed the deciding spot kick, so I’m sure he had words of comfort for his three players who missed their penalties in the 2021 final shootout!
Of course, Germany went on to win the tournament, beating the Czech Republic in the final thanks to two goals from Oliver Bierhoff.
King Peter leads the Great Danes 1992
There was another shock back in 1992 when Denmark, inspired by Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel, beat the best teams in Europe to win the trophy.
The Danes’ keeper made two unbelievable saves in the fina, to deny Germany’s Jurgen Klinsmann, and the Denmark forwards took their chances when they came. John Jensen had a few shots on goal, but then he hit a worldie to give the Danes a lead, and when Kim Wilfort scored a sublime second, the Scandinavians started to celebrate.
Denmark had only gotten into the competition because war-torn Yugoslavia had been expelled, and with little time to prepare, they only picked up a single point from their first two games.
But a win over France and then a semi-final victory over a quality-packed Netherlands side teed up the final against Germany. Schmeichel went on to become one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, but the whole world knew who he was after his heroics in Sweden.
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