UEFA Euro 1968

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1968 UEFA European Football Championship
Campionato europeo di calcio
Italia 1968
UEFA Euro 1968 logo.svg
Tournament details
Host countryItaly
Dates5–10 June
Teams4
Venue(s)3 (in 3 host cities)
Final positions
ChampionsFlag of Italy.svg  Italy (1st title)
Runners-upFlag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg  Yugoslavia
Third placeFlag of England.svg  England
Fourth placeFlag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
Tournament statistics
Matches played5
Goals scored7 (1.4 per match)
Attendance260,916 (52,183 per match)
Top scorer(s) Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Dragan Džajić (2 goals)
← 1964
1972 →

The 1968 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was hosted and won by Italy. This was the third UEFA European Championship, an event held every four years and organised by UEFA. The final tournament took place between 5 and 10 June 1968.

Contents

It was in this year that the tournament changed its name from the "European Nations' Cup" to the "European Championship". [1] There were also some changes in the tournament's qualifying structure, with the two-legged home-and-away knock-out stage being replaced by a group phase.

Four countries played in the final tournament, which consisted of the semi-finals, a third place play-off, and the final. The host nation for the finals was selected from the four qualified nations. [2]

Qualification

The qualification competition was played in two stages: a group stage (taking place from 1966 until 1968) and the quarter-finals (played in 1968). There were seven groups of four teams and one of three, with matches played in a home-and-away basis. The eight group winners qualified for the quarter-finals, which were played in two legs, home and away. The winners of the quarter-finals went through to the final tournament.

This remains to this day the only World Cup or European Championship where a West or reunified German team was eliminated in the qualifying stages (they didn’t enter the 1930 FIFA World Cup, were banned from 1950 and didn’t enter the qualifying stages of UEFA Euro 1960 or 1964 for unknown reasons)

Qualified teams

TeamQualified asQualified onPrevious appearances in tournament [A]
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy (host) Quarter-final winner20 April 19680 (debut)
Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg  Yugoslavia Quarter-final winner24 April 19681 (1960)
Flag of England.svg  England Quarter-final winner8 May 19680 (debut)
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Quarter-final winner11 May 19682 ( 1960 , 1964)
  1. ↑ Bold indicates champion for that year.

Venues

Rome Naples Florence
Stadio Olimpico Stadio San Paolo Stadio Comunale
Capacity: 80,000Capacity: 82,000Capacity: 52,000
Stadio Olimpico 2008.JPG Stadio San Paolo Serie A.jpg Soccer in Florence, Italy, 2007.jpg

Squads

Match officials

CountryReferee
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Switzerland Gottfried Dienst
Flag of Spain (1945-1977).svg Spain José María Ortiz de Mendíbil
Flag of Germany.svg West Germany Kurt Tschenscher
Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary István Zsolt

Final tournament

1968 UEFA European Football Championship finalists Euro 1968.png
1968 UEFA European Football Championship finalists

In all matches but the final, extra time and a coin toss were used to decide the winner if necessary. If the final remained level after extra time, a replay would be used to determine the winner. Coin toss was as a matter of fact used in the semi final between Italy and Soviet Union.

All times are local, CEST (UTC+2).

Bracket

 
 Semi-finals Final
 
        
 
5 June – Naples
 
 
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy (coin toss)0
 
8 and 10 June – Rome
 
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union 0
 
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy (replay)12
 
5 June – Florence
 
Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg  Yugoslavia 10
 
Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg  Yugoslavia 1
 
 
Flag of England.svg  England 0
 
 Third place play-off
 
 
8 June – Rome
 
 
Flag of England.svg  England 2
 
 
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union 0

Semi-finals

Italy  Flag of Italy.svg 0–0 (a.e.t.)
Italy won on coin toss 		Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
Report
Stadio San Paolo, Naples
Attendance: 68,582
Referee: Kurt Tschenscher (West Germany)
Yugoslavia  Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg 1–0 Flag of England.svg  England
  • Džajić Soccerball shade.svg86'
 Report
Stadio Comunale, Florence
Attendance: 21,834
Referee: José María Ortiz de Mendíbil (Spain)

Third place play-off

England  Flag of England.svg 2–0 Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
Report
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Attendance: 68,817
Referee: István Zsolt (Hungary)

Final

Italy  Flag of Italy.svg 1–1 (a.e.t.)Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg  Yugoslavia
Report
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Attendance: 68,817 [3]
Referee: Gottfried Dienst (Switzerland)
Italy  Flag of Italy.svg 2–0 Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg  Yugoslavia
Report
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Attendance: 32,886 [4]
Referee: José María Ortiz de Mendíbil (Spain)

Statistics

Goalscorers

There were 7 goals scored in 5 matches, for an average of 1.4 goals per match.

2 goals

1 goal

Awards

UEFA Team of the Tournament [5]
GoalkeeperDefendersMidfieldersForwards
Flag of Italy.svg Dino Zoff Flag of England.svg Bobby Moore
Flag of Italy.svg Giacinto Facchetti
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Albert Shesternyov
Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Mirsad Fazlagić 		Flag of Italy.svg Angelo Domenghini
Flag of Italy.svg Sandro Mazzola
Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Ivica Osim 		Flag of England.svg Geoff Hurst
Flag of Italy.svg Gigi Riva
Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Dragan Džajić

References

  1. ↑ Brewin, John; Williamson, Martin (29 April 2012). "Euro 2012: European Nations Cup 1968". ESPN FC . ESPN. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
  2. ↑ Sheringham, Sam (12 May 2012). "Euro 1968: Alan Mullery's moment of madness". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
  3. ↑ "European Football Championship 1968 FINAL". Union of European Football Associations. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
  4. ↑ "European Football Championship 1968 FINAL Replay". Union of European Football Associations. Archived from the original on 29 August 2000. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
  5. ↑ "1968 team of the tournament". Union of European Football Associations. 1 April 2011. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
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