UEFA Euro 1976 Final

The UEFA Euro 1976 Final was the final match of UEFA Euro 1976, the fifth UEFA European Football Championship, UEFA's top football competition for national teams. The match was played at Stadion Crvena Zvezda, Belgrade, on 20 June 1976. The match was contested by Czechoslovakia and West Germany.

After extra time, the result was 2–2, and so the first penalty shootout in a European Championships final ensued. The first seven kicks were converted, until West Germany's fourth penalty taker, Uli Hoeneß, ballooned his shot over the bar. With the score 4–3, Antonín Panenka stepped up to take the fifth Czechoslovakian penalty, to win the match under immense pressure. German goalkeeper Sepp Maier dived to his left, while Panenka chipped the ball straight in the middle of the net. The sheer cheek of the goal led a watching French journalist to dub Panenka "a poet", and to this day his winning kick is one of the most famous ever, making Panenka's name synonymous with that particular style of penalty kick.

UEFA Euro 1976

The 1976 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in Yugoslavia. This was the fifth European Football Championship, held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. The final tournament took place between 16 and 20 June 1976.

At the time, only four countries could play the final tournament which meant that there were only the semi-finals, the final and the third place match. This was the last tournament to have this format, as the tournament was expanded to include eight teams four years later.

It was the first and only time that all four matches in the final tournament were decided after extra time, either on penalties or by goals scored.

This was also the last tournament in which the hosts had to qualify for the final stage.

Czech player Antonin Panenka gained fame for his delicately chipped penalty that gave his country victory in the tournament's final against holders West Germany.

Venues

Qualifying round

The qualifying round was played throughout 1974 and 1975 (group phase) and 1976 (quarter-finals). There were eight qualifying groups of four teams each. The matches were played in a home-and-away basis. Victories were worth two points, draws one point, and defeats no points. Only group winners could qualify for the quarter-finals. The quarter-finals were played in two legs on a home-and-away basis. The winners of the quarter-finals would go through, to the final tournament. This was the first time the Soviet Union did not qualify for the finals tournament.