Euro 76 - European Football Championship in Yugoslavia

The 1976 UEFA European Football Championship (Euro 76) 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 June 16 and June 20, 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 edition 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 three matches in the final tournament were decided after extra time, either on penalties or by goals scored.
This was also the last edition in which the hosts had to qualify for the final stage.

In the quarter-finals Czechoslovakia beat the USSR, the mighty Holland knock out neighbours Belgium and West Germany get past Spain. Yugoslavia also made it through, beating Wales 3-1 on aggregate, thereby denying the Welsh a first major finals appearance since 1958.

The Czechs pulled off the biggest surprise when they beat favourites Holland in extra–time.After a 1-1 draw in the two sides' semi-final they won. Just two years before the Dutch had been so near to becoming world champions, and with many of their players peaking, they were expected to at least reach the final.

However it wasn't to be as Ondrus put the Czechs ahead but was then unlucky to gift Holland.Ondrus accidently deflected a shot into his own net.
Holland couldn't capitalise on their fortune and, in a manner that would come to symbolise their performances at major finals, they self-destructed.
Feyenoord's Wim van Hanegem was sent off along with Pollak from the Czech side and when it came to extra-time, the Dutch missed their player more.
Nehoda headed the Czechs in front and, just before the whistle, the win was made sure by Moder.
The Yugoslavs virtually destroyed the plans of West Germany in the first-half of their semi. Oblak laid on a perfect pass for Popivoda and when Maier punched the ball straight to Dzajic, who finished calmly, it looked all over for the World Cup holders at 2-0.

Aided by substitutes Heinz Flohe and Dieter Muller, they pounced on a Yugoslav defence that committed the cardinal error of sitting back on a two-goal lead.
Flohe sent Petrovic the wrong way when his shot cannoned off the chest of Holzenbein into the Yugoslav net before Muller levelled the scores with ten minutes left.
In the extra-time, Muller was on hand to score two more goals to give West Germany a victory which, at half-time, had seemed an impossibility.
The Germans trailed by two goals once again after 25 minutes of the Final. Svehlik and Dobias's goals had the Germans on the ropes but Muller got one back before half-time and Holzenbein equalised in the last minute.

Czechoslovakia were the first side to win a major international tournament by a penalty shoot-out, defeating holders and world champions West Germany 5-4 after extra-time had failed to add to the 2-2 scoreline.Two goals in half an hour had put the Czechs ahead, after they had already dispatched Holland after extra-time in a physical semi-final, and USSR and England in the qualifying stages. But Dieter Muller pulled one back on 28 minutes and a last-minute equaliser from Bernd Holzenbein ensured the game went to extra-time, and the historic penalty shoot-out.
Antonin Panenka, under immense pressure, stepped up and amazingly chipped the ball past Maier. It was Czechoslovakia who won the Henri Delaunay Trophy.

Venues
Crvena Zvezda Stadium, Belgrade - Capacity: 54,000
Maksimir Stadium, Zagreb - Capacity: 45,000

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 2 points, draws 1 point, and defeats 0 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.

The following teams participated in the final tournament:

• Czechoslovakia
• Netherlands
• West Germany
• Yugoslavia

Final tournament of EURO 1976.

Semi-finals
1976-06-16 Czechoslovakia - Netherlands 3 – 1(a.e.t.), Maksimir Stadium, Zagreb
Referee: Clive Thomas (Wales)

Ondruš 19' Nehoda 114' Veselý 118'/ Ondruš 77' (o.g.)
1976-06-17 Yugoslavia - West Germany 2 – 4 (a.e.t.),Crvena Zvezda Stadium, Belgrade
Referee: Alfred Delcourt (Belgium)

Popivoda 19' Džajić 30'/ Flohe 64' Müller 82' 115' 119'

Third place play-off

1976-06-19 Netherlands - Yugoslavia 3 – 2 (a.e.t.), Maksimir Stadium, Zagreb
Referee: Walter Hungerbühler (Switzerland)

Geels 27' 107' van de Kerkhof 39'/ Katalinski 43' Džajić 82'

Final of EURO 1976

1976-06-20 Czechoslovakia - West Germany, 2 – 2 (a.e.t.) Crvena Zvezda Stadium, Belgrade
Referee: Sergio Gonella (Italy)

Svehlik 8' Dobias 25'/ Müller 28' Hölzenbein 89'

Penalties

Euro 1976 Champions - Czechoslovakia first title

Statistics of the 1976 UEFA European Football Championship (Euro 76) final tournament:

Top scorers
4 goals - Dieter Müller
2 goals - Dragan Džajić Ruud Geels

Fastest goal
8 minutes: Jan Svehlik (Czechoslovakia vs West Germany)