1968 UEFA European Championship

Lore & Background

It was in this year that the tournament changed its name from the 'European Nations' Cup' to the 'European Championship'. 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.

In Their Own Story

The atmosphere in Rome was electric as the crowd gathered for the replay. The sun beat down on the Stadio Olimpico, casting long shadows across the pitch. As Luigi Riva stepped up to receive the ball, the world held its breath. With a deft touch and a surge of speed, he broke through the Yugoslav defense, setting up Sandro Mazzola for the opening goal. Moments later, Riva scored again, sealing Italy's destiny in a sea of blue and white flags.

Reader's Guide

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. 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. A coin toss was used in the semi-final between Italy and the Soviet Union.

Did You Know?

• This tournament remains, to this day, the only World Cup or European Championship in which a West German or unified German team was eliminated in the qualifying stages.
• There were only 7 goals scored in 5 matches, for an average of 1.4 goals per match.