1996 UEFA European Football Championship
Encyclopedia
The 1996 UEFA European Football Championship (Euro 96) was hosted by England, who won the right to host the tournament ahead of bids from Austria, Portugal and the Netherlands. It was the tenth European Football Championship
, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA
. It was the first to use the "Euro" name, and the first where 16 nations competed. The tournament's final stages took place between 8 and 30 June 1996. The slogan of the tournament was "Football Comes Home", as England is where the rules of the game were first standardised. English football and popular culture has since referenced the competition fondly even though the home team did not reach the final.
Since the Taylor Report
, England now boasted enough all-seater stadia of sufficient capacity to hold an expanded tournament. Although not all the games were sold out, the tournament had the highest aggregate attendance in championship history (1,276,000) and the highest average per game of 41,158 for the revised 16 team format with 31 games. Only Germany had had a higher average attendance in championship history with an average of 56,656 in 1988 but only staged 15 games in an 8 team championship.
Fifteen teams had to go through a qualifying round to reach the final stage. England qualified automatically as hosts of the event. This was the first European Championship to introduce the current format of 16 countries competing in the final tournament. UEFA had made the decision to expand the tournament as in the late 1980s and early 1990s it was far easier for European nations to qualify for the World Cup
than their own continental championship; 14 of the 24 teams at the 1982
, 1986
and 1990
World Cups
had been European, whereas the European Championship finals still involved only eight teams. The number of UEFA members wishing to participate had also drastically increased after the recent break up of the Soviet Union
and of Yugoslavia
, from 33 teams in 1988 to 48 teams in 1996.
The qualifying round was played throughout 1994 and 1995. There were eight qualifying groups of six teams each, with the exception of group 3, which only had five. The matches were played in a home-and-away basis.
The winner and the runner-up of each group qualified automatically, with the exception of the two worst runners-up. These two teams had to play an additional playoff
between them (single match in neutral ground), to determine the 16th team to join all others in the final tournament. This was between Republic of Ireland
and the Netherlands
at Anfield
Stadium, Liverpool
which the Dutch won 2–0.
Red and yellow cards leading to suspensions in qualifying also applied to the final tournament and were not wiped off a players record, which resulted in Jürgen Klinsmann
missing the first game in England due to two yellow cards in the qualifiers, with the second one in the final qualifier against Bulgaria. Only England
as host country was not in danger of missing a player due to suspension, because bookings in friendly preparation games did have no affect on the tournament.
The following teams participated in the final tournament:
(first appearance) (first appearance)*** (first appearance)* [holders] (hosts)
(first appearance)** (first appearance) (first appearance)
* Since the break-up of Czechoslovakia
.
** Since the break-up of the USSR
.
*** Since the break-up of the Yugoslavia
.
All of the stadium capacities were correct at the time of the tournament.
Austria
Belgium
Belarus
Bulgaria
Czech Republic
Denmark
England
France
Germany
Hungary
Italy
Netherlands
Russia
Scotland
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
.
The hosts, England, got off to a slightly disappointing start in their opening match, drawing 1–1 with the Swiss when Alan Shearer
’s 23rd minute goal was equalled by a late penalty kick. However, England defeated rival Scotland 2–0 in their next game and then produced one of their finest performances ever with a 4–1 win over the Netherlands. Patrick Kluivert
’s late goal for the Netherlands secured his team second-place in the group and ensured that Scotland would exit another major competition on goal difference.
Groups C and D saw some surprising results as the Czech Republic and Croatia, whose national teams had only come into existence within the past several years, qualified for the knockout stages. The Czechs lost to Germany, the eventual group winners, in their opener but then defeated Italy and drew with Russia. Italy’s defeat meant they had to beat Germany in their final game to progress but the World Cup finalists
could only manage a 0–0 draw and were eliminated. In Group D, Croatia qualified for the quarter-finals with wins over Turkey (1–0) and Denmark (3–0). The loss to the Croats ultimately sent the Danes, the surprise champions of 1992, home earlier than expected. Turkey became the first team since the introduction of a Group Stage to be eliminated without gaining a point or scoring a goal.
The other three quarter-finalist were Portugal (whose "Golden Generation" was competing at its first major tournament), Spain, and a France team featuring a young Zinedine Zidane
.
after he scored England’s third penalty, erasing the memory of his miss in the 1990 World Cup semi-final
. France and the Netherlands also played out a drab 0–0 draw with France winning the penalty shootout 5–4. Jürgen Klinsmann
opened the scoring for Germany in their match against Croatia. A great goal from Davor Šuker
evened the score after 51 minutes before Matthias Sammer
of Germany scored eight minutes later and the game ended 2–1 to Germany. The Czech Republic progressed after beating Portugal 1–0.
The first semi-final, featuring France and the Czech Republic, resulted in yet another 0–0 draw and penalties were required again. Reynald Pedros
was the lone player to miss in the shootout as the Czech Republic won 6–5. The other semi-final was a repeat of the 1990 World Cup semi-final between Germany and England. Alan Shearer headed in after 3 minutes to give his side the lead but Stefan Kuntz
evened the score less than 15 minutes later and the score remained 1–1 after 90 minutes. In extra-time, Paul Gascoigne
came very close to scoring a Golden Goal but missed a cross from Shearer by mere inches, Darren Anderton
hit the post and Kuntz had a goal disallowed for pushing. Neither team was able to find a second goal and another knockout game in this competition required penalties. Both sides scored their first five kicks but in the sixth round, Gareth Southgate
had his penalty saved, allowing Andreas Möller
to score the winning goal.
scored to make it 1–1, sending the game to extra-time. Five minutes into the extra frame, Bierhoff’s shot was mishandled by Czech goalkeeper Kouba and the ball ended up in the back of the net for the first Golden Goal
in the history of the competition. Germany were European champions once again, the first time as a unified country.
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3 goals Hristo Stoichkov
Jürgen Klinsmann
Davor Šuker
Brian Laudrup
2 goals Oliver Bierhoff
Matthias Sammer
Teddy Sheringham
Pierluigi Casiraghi
UEFA Tournament Golden Boot Award Alan Shearer
UEFA Player of the Tournament Matthias Sammer
(England vs Germany); Hristo Stoichkov
(Bulgaria vs Romania)
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
. It was the first to use the "Euro" name, and the first where 16 nations competed. The tournament's final stages took place between 8 and 30 June 1996. The slogan of the tournament was "Football Comes Home", as England is where the rules of the game were first standardised. English football and popular culture has since referenced the competition fondly even though the home team did not reach the final.
Since the Taylor Report
Taylor Report
The Hillsborough Stadium Disaster Inquiry report, better known as the Taylor Report is a document, whose development was overseen by Lord Taylor of Gosforth, concerning the aftermath and causes of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989. An interim report was published in August 1989, and the final...
, England now boasted enough all-seater stadia of sufficient capacity to hold an expanded tournament. Although not all the games were sold out, the tournament had the highest aggregate attendance in championship history (1,276,000) and the highest average per game of 41,158 for the revised 16 team format with 31 games. Only Germany had had a higher average attendance in championship history with an average of 56,656 in 1988 but only staged 15 games in an 8 team championship.
Qualification
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
than their own continental championship; 14 of the 24 teams at the 1982
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
, 1986
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
and 1990
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
World Cups
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
had been European, whereas the European Championship finals still involved only eight teams. The number of UEFA members wishing to participate had also drastically increased after the recent break up of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and of Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, from 33 teams in 1988 to 48 teams in 1996.
The qualifying round was played throughout 1994 and 1995. There were eight qualifying groups of six teams each, with the exception of group 3, which only had five. The matches were played in a home-and-away basis.
The winner and the runner-up of each group qualified automatically, with the exception of the two worst runners-up. These two teams had to play an additional playoff
Playoff
The playoffs, postseason, or finals of a sports league are a game or series of games played after the regular season by the top competitors, usually but not always with a single-elimination system, to determine the league champion or a similar accolade.In the U.S...
between them (single match in neutral ground), to determine the 16th team to join all others in the final tournament. This was between Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
and the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
Stadium, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
which the Dutch won 2–0.
Red and yellow cards leading to suspensions in qualifying also applied to the final tournament and were not wiped off a players record, which resulted in Jürgen Klinsmann
Jürgen Klinsmann
Jürgen Klinsmann is a German football manager and former player who is currently the coach of the United States Men's National Team. As a player, Klinsmann played for several prominent clubs in Europe and was part of the West German team that won the 1990 FIFA World Cup and the German one that...
missing the first game in England due to two yellow cards in the qualifiers, with the second one in the final qualifier against Bulgaria. Only England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
as host country was not in danger of missing a player due to suspension, because bookings in friendly preparation games did have no affect on the tournament.
The following teams participated in the final tournament:
(first appearance) (first appearance)*** (first appearance)* [holders] (hosts)
(first appearance)** (first appearance) (first appearance)
* Since the break-up of Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
.
** Since the break-up of the USSR
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
*** Since the break-up of the Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
.
Venues
| London | Manchester Manchester Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater... |
Liverpool Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880... |
Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a... |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wembley Stadium | Old Trafford Old Trafford Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:... |
Anfield Anfield Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park... |
Villa Park Villa Park Villa Park may mean:United Kingdom* Villa Park, an association football stadium in Birmingham, EnglandUnited States* Villa Park, California, a small city in Orange County* Villa Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County... |
| 51°33′20"N 0°16′47"W | 53°27′47"N 2°17′29"W | 53°25′50.95"N 2°57′38.98"W | 52°30′33"N 1°53′5"W |
| Capacity: 76,567 | Capacity:55,000 | Capacity: 42,730 | Capacity: 40,310 |
 |
|||
| Leeds Leeds Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial... |
Sheffield Sheffield Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely... |
||
| Elland Road Elland Road Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C... |
Hillsborough Hillsborough Stadium Hillsborough Stadium is the home of Sheffield Wednesday football club, Sheffield, England. Football has been played at the ground since it was opened on 2 September 1899, when Wednesday moved from their original ground at Olive Grove. Today it is a 39,812 capacity all-seater stadium, making it the... |
||
| 53°46′40"N 1°34′20"W | 53°24′41"N 1°30′2"W | ||
| Planned capacity: 40,204 | Capacity: 39,859 | ||
 |
|||
| Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne... |
Nottingham Nottingham Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group... |
||
| St James' Park St James' Park St James' Park, known for sponsorship reasons as the Sports Direct Arena, is an all-seater stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Newcastle United Football Club and is the sixth largest football stadium in the United Kingdom with a capacity of between 52,387 and 52,409.St James'... |
City Ground City Ground The City Ground is a football stadium in the West Bridgford area of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been home to Nottingham Forest Football Club since 1898, and has a capacity of 30,602 .... |
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| 54°58′32"N 1°37′18"W | 52°56′24"N 1°7′58"W | ||
| Capacity: 36,649 | Capacity: 30,539 | ||
All of the stadium capacities were correct at the time of the tournament.
Match officials
Austria
- Gerd GrabherGerd GrabherGerd Grabher is a retired Austrian football referee. He is known for having refereed one match in the 1996 UEFA European Football Championship in England.-References:*...
Belgium
- Guy GoethalsGuy GoethalsGuy Goethals is a retired Belgian football referee. He is best known for having refereed two matches in the UEFA European Football Championship in 1992 and 1996. He is the son of Raymond Goethals.-References:*...
Belarus
- Vadim ZhukVadim ZhukVadim Zhuk is a retired football referee from Belarus.Zhuk refereed a game between Brazil and the United States at the 1991 Women's World Cup, and the 1996 UEFA Cup Final between FC Girondins de Bordeaux and FC Bayern München....
Bulgaria
- Atanas UzunovAtanas UzunovAtanas Uzunov is a notable retired Bulgarian football referee, born in the city of Plovdiv, on 10 November 1955. His career started in 1979 and ended in the year 2000...
Czech Republic
- Václav KrondlVáclav KrondlVáclav Krondl is a retired Czech football referee. He is known for having refereed one match in the 1996 UEFA European Football Championship in England.-References:**...
Denmark
- Peter Mikkelsen
- Kim Milton NielsenKim Milton NielsenKim Milton Nielsen is a former international football referee. An IT manager by trade, Nielsen is noted for his impressive height of 1.96m, making him taller than most players. Nielsen began refereeing at 15 years of age, as he wanted to know the Laws of Football...
England
- David EllerayDavid EllerayDavid Roland Elleray , is an English former football referee, who officiated in the Football League, the FA Premier League and for FIFA.-Career:...
- Dermot GallagherDermot GallagherDermot J. Gallagher is a retired English-based association football referee, who lives in Banbury, Oxfordshire. He refereed in the Premier League of English football until May 2007.-Career:...
France
- Marc BattaMarc BattaMarc Batta is a former football referee from France. He is mostly known for supervising two matches in the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France.-References:*...
Germany
- Bernd HeynemannBernd HeynemannBernd Reinhold Gerhard Heynemann is a former German football referee and now a German politician.-External links:*...
- Hellmut KrugHellmut KrugHellmut Heinz Krug is a retired German football referee. Krug officialed both the 1994 World Cup and the Euro 96. In 1998 he refereed the Champions League final between Real Madrid-Juventus and 2000 UEFA Cup Galatasaray-Leeds United semi final first leg match...
Hungary
- Sándor PuhlSándor PuhlSándor Puhl is a retired football referee from Hungary. He is mostly known for supervising four matches in the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA, including the final between Brazil and Italy....
Italy
- Piero CeccariniPiero CeccariniPiero Ceccarini is a retired Italian football referee. He is known for having refereed one match in the 1996 UEFA European Football Championship in England.-References:*...
- Pierluigi PairettoPierluigi PairettoPierluigi Pairetto is an Italian former football referee. Among the many prestigious games he officiated were the Euro 96 final between Germany and the Czech Republic at Wembley, and the classic USA 94 second-round clash between Romania and Argentina in Pasadena.He held the position of Italian...
Netherlands
- Mario van der EndeMario van der EndeMario van der Ende Mario van der Ende Mario van der Ende (born March 28, 1956 in Den Haag, Zuid-Holland. His hometown is Naarden.Mario van der ende is a retired football referee and coordinator from the Netherlands. He is mostly known for supervising five matches in the FIFA World Cup, three in...
Russia
- Nikolai LevnikovNikolai LevnikovNikolai Vladislavovich Levnikov is a retired Russian football referee. He is known for having refereed one match in the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. He also refereed one match in the 1996 UEFA European Football Championship in England. He refereed two matches in the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup...
Scotland
- Leslie MottramLeslie MottramLeslie "Les" William Mottram is a retired football referee from Scotland best known for supervising two matches in the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA.Mottram turned to refereeing after a brief professional playing career at Airdrie....
Spain
- Antonio López NietoAntonio López NietoAntonio Jesús López Nieto is a Spanish football referee, who has officiated at one FIFA World Cup and during the UEFA Champions League....
- Manuel Díaz VegaManuel Díaz VegaManuel Díaz Vega is a Spanish retired football referee. He officiated one match in both the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the 1996 UEFA European Football Championship. He also refereed the Champions League final in 1996 between Juventus and Ajax.-References:*...
Sweden
- Anders FriskAnders FriskAnders Frisk is an insurance agent by trade and a former football referee. Frisk chose to go into early retirement from refereeing due to pressure from death threats made against him and his family. These death threats were made by Chelsea fans because Frisk sent off Didier Drogba in the first...
- Leif SundellLeif SundellLeif Sundell is a retired Swedish association football referee. Sundell refereed a total of 262 Allsvenskan games, the Swedish top tier in football, in 22 years. He also refereed 100 international games during his career; two of those were matches played during the 1996 UEFA European Football...
Switzerland
- Serge MuhmenthalerSerge MuhmenthalerSerge Muhmenthaler is a retired Swiss football player and referee. He played as a midfielder and defender during the 1970s and 1980s...
Turkey
- Ahmet ÇakarAhmet ÇakarAhmet Çakar is a famous Turkish sportscaster and a former football referee. He is famous for the abrasive manner in which he presents the Show TV sports programme Altıpas, being described as "Turkey's most controversial football pundit". He also writes sports articles for Sabah newspaper. He is a...
Seeding
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| (hosts) (defending champions) |
Squads
For a list of all squads that played in the final tournament, see 1996 UEFA European Football Championship squads1996 UEFA European Football Championship squads
These are the squads for the 1996 European Football Championship tournament in England, that took place between 8 June and 30 June 1996. The players' listed ages is their age on the tournament's opening day .- England :Head coach: Terry Venables...
.
First round
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...
’s 23rd minute goal was equalled by a late penalty kick. However, England defeated rival Scotland 2–0 in their next game and then produced one of their finest performances ever with a 4–1 win over the Netherlands. Patrick Kluivert
Patrick Kluivert
Patrick Stephan Kluivert is a former Dutch footballer, currently head coach of the youth side of FC Twente. He played as a striker for AFC Ajax, A.C. Milan, FC Barcelona, Newcastle United, Valencia CF, PSV Eindhoven, and Lille OSC. Kluivert played for the Dutch national team from 1994 to 2004. He...
’s late goal for the Netherlands secured his team second-place in the group and ensured that Scotland would exit another major competition on goal difference.
Groups C and D saw some surprising results as the Czech Republic and Croatia, whose national teams had only come into existence within the past several years, qualified for the knockout stages. The Czechs lost to Germany, the eventual group winners, in their opener but then defeated Italy and drew with Russia. Italy’s defeat meant they had to beat Germany in their final game to progress but the World Cup finalists
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
could only manage a 0–0 draw and were eliminated. In Group D, Croatia qualified for the quarter-finals with wins over Turkey (1–0) and Denmark (3–0). The loss to the Croats ultimately sent the Danes, the surprise champions of 1992, home earlier than expected. Turkey became the first team since the introduction of a Group Stage to be eliminated without gaining a point or scoring a goal.
The other three quarter-finalist were Portugal (whose "Golden Generation" was competing at its first major tournament), Spain, and a France team featuring a young Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
.
Quarter-finals and semi-finals
The knockout stages were characterised by negative, defensive play and as result only 9 goals were scored in the seven games and four of the matches were decided on penalties. The first quarter-final between the hosts and Spain ended goalless, although England had several major calls go their way as the Spanish had two goals disallowed and two valid claims for a penalty denied. The English progressed 4–2 on spot kicks. The shootout is still remembered for the emphatic reaction of Stuart PearceStuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce OBE is an English football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the England national under-21 team and the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic football team...
after he scored England’s third penalty, erasing the memory of his miss in the 1990 World Cup semi-final
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
. France and the Netherlands also played out a drab 0–0 draw with France winning the penalty shootout 5–4. Jürgen Klinsmann
Jürgen Klinsmann
Jürgen Klinsmann is a German football manager and former player who is currently the coach of the United States Men's National Team. As a player, Klinsmann played for several prominent clubs in Europe and was part of the West German team that won the 1990 FIFA World Cup and the German one that...
opened the scoring for Germany in their match against Croatia. A great goal from Davor Šuker
Davor Šuker
Davor Šuker , is a retired Croatian footballer. He played as a striker for a number of European clubs as well as the Croatian national team, where he is the all-time top goal scorer with 45 goals....
evened the score after 51 minutes before Matthias Sammer
Matthias Sammer
Matthias Sammer is a retired German football player and coach who is now working as technical director of the DFB . He played as a midfielder, and later in his career as a sweeper....
of Germany scored eight minutes later and the game ended 2–1 to Germany. The Czech Republic progressed after beating Portugal 1–0.
The first semi-final, featuring France and the Czech Republic, resulted in yet another 0–0 draw and penalties were required again. Reynald Pedros
Reynald Pedros
Reynald Pedros is a retired French footballer of Portuguese descent.- Career :Pedros is a left-footed attacking midfielder, formed in Nantes. He was part of the magic trio of FC Nantes with Patrice Loko and Nicolas Ouédec...
was the lone player to miss in the shootout as the Czech Republic won 6–5. The other semi-final was a repeat of the 1990 World Cup semi-final between Germany and England. Alan Shearer headed in after 3 minutes to give his side the lead but Stefan Kuntz
Stefan Kuntz
Stefan Kuntz is a former German professional footballer and since April 2008 chairman of the German football team 1. FC Kaiserslautern....
evened the score less than 15 minutes later and the score remained 1–1 after 90 minutes. In extra-time, Paul Gascoigne
Paul Gascoigne
Paul John Gascoigne , commonly referred to as Gazza, is a retired English professional footballer.Playing in the position of midfield, Gascoigne's career included spells at Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, Rangers, Middlesbrough, Everton and Gansu Tianma, where he scored at least a goal...
came very close to scoring a Golden Goal but missed a cross from Shearer by mere inches, Darren Anderton
Darren Anderton
Darren Robert Anderton is a retired English footballer who spent most of his career with Tottenham Hotspur as a midfielder. He played 30 times for the England national football team, scoring 7 goals.-Career:...
hit the post and Kuntz had a goal disallowed for pushing. Neither team was able to find a second goal and another knockout game in this competition required penalties. Both sides scored their first five kicks but in the sixth round, Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate in Crawley, West Sussex is a retired English footballer and ex-manager. He is known as the "Penalty Misser of '96." He served as manager of Middlesbrough from June 2006, until he was dismissed in October 2009...
had his penalty saved, allowing Andreas Möller
Andreas Möller
Andreas Möller is a retired German footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He was a playmaker known for his range of passing and goalscoring ability...
to score the winning goal.
Final
The final saw the upstart Czech Republic hoping to repeat the dramatics of Euro 76 when Czechoslovakia defeated West Germany; the Germans were aiming to secure their third European Championship. A repeat of 1976 looked possible when Patrick Berger scored from a penalty in 59th minute to put the Czech ahead. However, German substitute Oliver BierhoffOliver Bierhoff
Oliver Bierhoff is a retired German former football striker, who scored the first golden goal in the history of major international football, for Germany in the Euro 96 final...
scored to make it 1–1, sending the game to extra-time. Five minutes into the extra frame, Bierhoff’s shot was mishandled by Czech goalkeeper Kouba and the ball ended up in the back of the net for the first Golden Goal
Golden goal
The golden goal is a method used in association football, field hockey, ice hockey and korfball to decide the winner of games in elimination matches which end in a draw after the end of regulation time. It is a type of sudden death. Golden goal rules allow the team that scores the first goal during...
in the history of the competition. Germany were European champions once again, the first time as a unified country.
Results
In the group stage, for the first time three points were awarded for a win, one for a draw.Group A
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 7 | ||
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 4 | |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 4 | |
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 1 |
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Group B
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 7 | ||
| 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 5 | ||
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 4 | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 0 |
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Group C
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | ||
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 4 | |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | |
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | −4 | 1 |
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Group D
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 7 | ||
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | −5 | 0 |
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Knockout stage
Quarter-finals
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Semi-finals
----Final
Goalscorers
5 goals Alan ShearerAlan Shearer
Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...
3 goals Hristo Stoichkov
Hristo Stoichkov
Hristo Stoichkov Stoichkov , sometimes Stoitchkov; born 8 February 1966 in Plovdiv) is a retired Bulgarian footballer. He is regarded as one of the best footballers of his generation and the greatest Bulgarian footballer of all time. Nicknamed The Dagger , The Dog , The Modern Left...
Jürgen Klinsmann
Jürgen Klinsmann
Jürgen Klinsmann is a German football manager and former player who is currently the coach of the United States Men's National Team. As a player, Klinsmann played for several prominent clubs in Europe and was part of the West German team that won the 1990 FIFA World Cup and the German one that...
Davor Šuker
Davor Šuker
Davor Šuker , is a retired Croatian footballer. He played as a striker for a number of European clubs as well as the Croatian national team, where he is the all-time top goal scorer with 45 goals....
Brian Laudrup
Brian Laudrup
Brian Laudrup is a Danish former football player and current football commentator, pundit and analyst on TV3+. Along with former international goalkeeper Lars Høgh, Laudrup manages a football academy for marginalized youth...
2 goals Oliver Bierhoff
Oliver Bierhoff
Oliver Bierhoff is a retired German former football striker, who scored the first golden goal in the history of major international football, for Germany in the Euro 96 final...
Matthias Sammer
Matthias Sammer
Matthias Sammer is a retired German football player and coach who is now working as technical director of the DFB . He played as a midfielder, and later in his career as a sweeper....
Teddy Sheringham
Teddy Sheringham
Edward Paul "Teddy" Sheringham MBE is a retired English footballer, and the father of footballer Charlie Sheringham. Sheringham played as a striker, and had a successful career at the club level, winning almost every domestic honour available with his clubs, most notably the Treble with Manchester...
Pierluigi Casiraghi
UEFA Team of the Tournament
| Goalkeepers | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Seaman David Seaman David Andrew Seaman MBE is a former English football goalkeeper who played for several clubs, most notably Arsenal. He retired from the game on 13 January 2004, following a recurring shoulder injury... Andreas KöpkeAndreas Köpke Andreas Köpke is a former German football goalkeeper who was in the German squad that won the 1990 FIFA World Cup, and was also part of the 1994 FIFA World Cup squad... |
Radoslav Látal Radoslav Látal Radoslav Látal is a former Czech football player and current football manager of FK Baník Sokolov. He played for the Czech Republic, for which he appeared in 47 matches and participated at the Euro 1996 and Euro 2000... Laurent BlancLaurent Blanc Laurent Robert Blanc is a French association football manager and former player. He is the head coach of the French national team, having replaced Raymond Domenech in the wake of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He was previously the manager of Bordeaux... Marcel DesaillyMarcel Desailly Marcel Desailly is a retired Ghanaian born French footballer and star of the France national football team squad, with whom he won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000... Matthias SammerMatthias Sammer Matthias Sammer is a retired German football player and coach who is now working as technical director of the DFB . He played as a midfielder, and later in his career as a sweeper.... Paolo MaldiniPaolo Maldini Paolo Cesare Maldini is an Italian former footballer who played as a left or central defender. He spent all 25 seasons of his career at Serie A club Milan, before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009, becoming a symbol and a legend of the club... |
Didier Deschamps Didier Deschamps Didier Claude Deschamps is a retired French footballer and current manager of Marseille. He played as a defensive midfielder. As an international, he assisted France with victories in the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000... Steve McManamanSteve McManaman Steven McManaman is a retired English footballer who played as a midfielder, winger and playmaker. Having spent his playing career at two of European football's most successful clubs of the 20th century, Liverpool and Real Madrid, as well as a spell at Manchester City, McManaman is the most... Paul GascoignePaul Gascoigne Paul John Gascoigne , commonly referred to as Gazza, is a retired English professional footballer.Playing in the position of midfield, Gascoigne's career included spells at Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, Rangers, Middlesbrough, Everton and Gansu Tianma, where he scored at least a goal...  Rui CostaRui Costa Rui Manuel César Costa, OIH is a former Portuguese football player and current Director of Football for Sport Lisboa e Benfica. An attacking midfielder also capable of playing as a deep-seated defensive midfielder, he most recently played for Portuguese club Benfica... Karel PoborskýKarel Poborský Karel Poborský is a former Czech footballer. A right winger, Poborský is the all-time leader in appearances for the Czech national team, and was most noted for his technical ability.-Club career:... Dieter EiltsDieter Eilts Dieter Eilts was an acclaimed German footballer and was last the trainer of Hansa Rostock. His nickname was the Alemão of East Frisia, for his similarity with to Brazilian midfielder Alemão... |
Alan Shearer Alan Shearer Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team... Hristo StoichkovHristo Stoichkov Hristo Stoichkov Stoichkov , sometimes Stoitchkov; born 8 February 1966 in Plovdiv) is a retired Bulgarian footballer. He is regarded as one of the best footballers of his generation and the greatest Bulgarian footballer of all time. Nicknamed The Dagger , The Dog , The Modern Left...  Davor ŠukerDavor Šuker Davor Šuker , is a retired Croatian footballer. He played as a striker for a number of European clubs as well as the Croatian national team, where he is the all-time top goal scorer with 45 goals.... Youri DjorkaeffYouri Djorkaeff Youri Raffi Djorkaeff is a former French international footballer who played as a forward or as an attacking midfielder. With the French national team, Djorkaeff won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000... Pavel KukaPavel Kuka Pavel Kuka is a former Czech football forward.Kuka started and finished his career at Slavia Praha, playing with the club from 1989–93 and then from 2000–05. He has also played for 1. FC Kaiserslautern , 1. FC Nuremberg , and VfB Stuttgart... Jurgen KlinsmannJürgen Klinsmann Jürgen Klinsmann is a German football manager and former player who is currently the coach of the United States Men's National Team. As a player, Klinsmann played for several prominent clubs in Europe and was part of the West German team that won the 1990 FIFA World Cup and the German one that... |
UEFA Tournament Golden Boot Award Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...
UEFA Player of the Tournament Matthias Sammer
Matthias Sammer
Matthias Sammer is a retired German football player and coach who is now working as technical director of the DFB . He played as a midfielder, and later in his career as a sweeper....
Fastest goal
3 minutes : Alan ShearerAlan Shearer
Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...
(England vs Germany); Hristo Stoichkov
Hristo Stoichkov
Hristo Stoichkov Stoichkov , sometimes Stoitchkov; born 8 February 1966 in Plovdiv) is a retired Bulgarian footballer. He is regarded as one of the best footballers of his generation and the greatest Bulgarian footballer of all time. Nicknamed The Dagger , The Dog , The Modern Left...
(Bulgaria vs Romania)