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1968 UEFA EUROPEAN FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
The 1968 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament
was held in Italy. This was the third European Football Championship,
an event held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. The final tournament
took place between June 5 and June 10, 1968.
It was in this year that the tournament changed its name from European
Nations Cup to 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.
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.
The hosts were only announced after the qualifying round, which meant
that they had to qualify along with all the others for the final stage.
Venues
Stadio
San Paolo, Naples - 72,800 capacity
Stadio Comunale, Florence - 47,000 capacity
Stadio Olimpico, Rome - 86,500 capacity
Answers.com
Italy ride their luck
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Italy defender Giacinto Faccheti.
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For the 1968 tournament the 'European Nations Cup' became
the 'European Football Championship' and 31 teams entered with the Finals
held in Italy.
In qualifying there were few surprises and the quarter-final line-up to
determine the four qualifiers was strong. Hosts Italy qualified by beating
Bulgaria 2-0 at home after losing in Sofia 3-2, whilst Yugoslavia brushed
aside France 5-1 after drawing the away leg.
The USSR lost 2-0 away to a strong Hungarian side but overturned that
deficit at home, scoring three times without reply.
England, the reigning World Champions, beat Spain home and away and qualified
for their first ever European Championship Finals. With the same squad
that had won the World Cup, hopes were high that the Three Lions could
win a second successive major championship.
The semi-finals, then, saw hosts Italy defeat the Soviet Union, remarkably
on the toss of a coin, whilst England were drawn to play Yugoslavia in
Florence.
Four days after losing by the only goal to West Germany in a Hanover friendly,
England went down by the same margin again when Dzajic scored four minutes
from time.
In a match littered with fouls, neither goalkeeper had much to do in the
first half. After a slow start, England pressed but couldn't find a way
through.
Yugoslavia looked dangerous in rare breakaways. Never more so than in
the opening minutes of the second half when twice they were within inches
of scoring. England hit back and a Bobby Charlton shot was only a foot
over the bar. Then Charlton shot into the side-netting when a pass from
Alan Ball had put him clear of the Yugoslav defence.
With four minutes to go and England piling on the pressure, Yugoslavia
broke from defence to score the only goal of the game. Dzajic chested
down a centre from Petkovic and drove it past Gordon Banks into the roof
of the net. One minute from the end, Alan Mullery was sent off for retaliating
after receiving a kick from Trivic.
Yugoslavia completely dominated the Rome showpiece and took the lead through
Dzajic five minutes before the interval. However, they were ultimately
punished for having not beaten Zoff for a second time as Domenghini, with
a free-kick, equalised nine minutes from time.
Italy made five changed for the replay just two days later and strolled
past a tired Yugoslav side, scoring two first-half goals in a 2-0 win.
England beat the USSR 2-0 to claim third place in a match which saw Tommy
Wright win his first full cap at right-back. After the Russians had controlled
most of the first twenty minutes, England went into the lead through Charlton,
when he thundered a pass from Geoff Hurst into the net.
Banks then made a wonderful save from a Logofet header before England
scored again through Hurst. Martin Peters' shot was blocked and the ball
rebounded to Hurst who dribbled it past Pshenichnikov.
thefa.com
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 eight qualifying groups of four teams each with the
exception of group 4, which only had three. 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.
1968 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP
QUALIFYING
Group winners qualified for finals.
Group 1
23/10/1966 Ireland 0 - 0 Spain (0-0)
16/11/1966 Ireland 2 - 1 Turkey (0-0)
07/12/1966 Spain 2 - 0 Ireland (2-0)
01/02/1967 Turkey 0 - 0 Spain (0-0)
22/02/1967 Turkey 2 - 1 Ireland (2-0)
21/05/1967 Ireland 0 - 2 Czechoslovakia (1-0)
31/05/1967 Spain 2 - 0 Turkey (0-0)
18/06/1967 Czechoslovakia 3 - 0 Turkey (1-0)
01/10/1967 Czechoslovakia 1 - 0 Spain (0-0)
22/10/1967 Spain 2 - 1 Czechoslovakia (1-0)
15/11/1967 Turkey 0 - 0 Czechoslovakia (0-0)
22/11/1967 Czechoslovakia 1 - 2 Ireland (0-0)
Team P W D L GF GA GDIF PTS %
1 SPAIN 6 3 2 1 6 2 +4 8 66.7
2 Czechoslovakia 6 3 1 2 8 4 +4 7 58.3
3 Ireland 6 2 1 3 5 8 -3 5 41.7
4 Turkey 6 1 2 3 3 8 -5 4 33.3
Group 2
13/11/1966 Bulgaria 4 - 2 Norway (3-0)
13/11/1966 Portugal 1 - 2 Sweden (1-1)
01/06/1967 Sweden 1 - 1 Portugal (0-1)
08/06/1967 Norway 1 - 2 Portugal (1-1)
11/06/1967 Sweden 0 - 2 Bulgaria (0-1)
29/06/1967 Norway 0 - 0 Bulgaria (0-0)
03/09/1967 Norway 3 - 1 Sweden (1-1)
05/11/1967 Sweden 5 - 2 Norway (2-0)
12/11/1967 Bulgaria 3 - 0 Sweden (2-0)
12/11/1967 Portugal 2 - 1 Norway (1-1)
26/11/1967 Bulgaria 1 - 0 Portugal (0-0)
17/12/1967 Portugal 0 - 0 Bulgaria (0-0)
Team P W D L GF GA GDIF PTS %
1 BULGARIA 6 4 2 0 10 2 +8 10 83.3
2 Portugal 6 2 2 2 6 6 0 6 50.0
3 Sweden 6 2 1 3 9 12 -3 5 41.7
4 Norway 6 1 1 4 9 14 -5 3 25.0
Group 3
02/10/1966 Finland 0 - 0 Austria (0-0)
16/10/1966 Greece 2 - 1 Finland (1-0)
10/05/1967 Finland 1 - 1 Greece (1-1)
11/06/1967 U.S.S.R. 4 - 3 Austria (3-1)
16/07/1967 U.S.S.R. 4 - 0 Greece (0-0)
30/08/1967 U.S.S.R. 2 - 0 Finland (1-0)
06/09/1967 Finland 2 - 5 U.S.S.R. (2-3)
24/09/1967 Austria 2 - 1 Finland (1-0)
04/10/1967 Greece 4 - 1 Austria (2-0)
15/10/1967 Austria 1 - 0 U.S.S.R. (0-0)
31/10/1967 Greece 0 - 1 U.S.S.R. (0-0)
05/11/1967 Austria 1 - 1 Greece (1-0)
Team P W D L GF GA GDIF PTS %
1 U.S.S.R. 6 5 0 1 16 6 +10 10 83.3
2 Greece 6 2 2 2 8 9 -1 6 50.0
3 Austria 6 2 2 2 8 10 -2 6 50.0
4 Finland 6 0 2 4 5 12 -7 2 16.7
Group 4
08/04/1967 West_Germany 6 - 0 Albania (2-0)
03/05/1967 Yugoslavia 1 - 0 West_Germany (0-0)
14/05/1967 Albania 0 - 2 Yugoslavia (0-1)
07/10/1967 West_Germany 3 - 1 Yugoslavia (1-0)
12/11/1967 Yugoslavia 4 - 0 Albania (1-0)
17/12/1967 Albania 0 - 0 West_Germany (0-0)
Team P W D L GF GA GDIF PTS %
1 YUGOSLAVIA 4 3 0 1 8 3 +5 6 75.0
2 West_Germany 4 2 1 1 9 2 +7 5 62.5
3 Albania 4 0 1 3 0 12 -12 1 12.5
Group 5
07/09/1966 Netherlands 2 - 2 Hungary (1-0)
21/09/1966 Hungary 6 - 0 Denmark (5-0)
30/11/1966 Netherlands 2 - 0 Denmark (0-0)
05/04/1967 East_Germany 4 - 3 Netherlands (0-2)
10/05/1967 Hungary 2 - 1 Netherlands (2-0)
24/05/1967 Denmark 0 - 2 Hungary (0-1)
04/06/1967 Denmark 1 - 1 East_Germany (0-1)
13/09/1967 Netherlands 1 - 0 East_Germany (0-0)
27/09/1967 Hungary 3 - 1 East_Germany (1-0)
04/10/1967 Denmark 3 - 2 Netherlands (1-0)
11/10/1967 East_Germany 3 - 2 Denmark (1-2)
29/10/1967 East_Germany 1 - 0 Hungary (0-0)
Team P W D L GF GA GDIF PTS %
1 HUNGARY 6 4 1 1 15 5 +10 9 75.0
2 East_Germany 6 3 1 2 10 10 0 7 58.3
3 Netherlands 6 2 1 3 11 11 0 5 41.7
4 Denmark 6 1 1 4 6 16 -10 3 25.0
Group 6
02/11/1966 Romania 4 - 2 Switzerland (4-0)
26/11/1966 Italy 3 - 1 Romania (2-1)
03/12/1966 Cyprus 1 - 5 Romania (1-0)
22/03/1967 Cyprus 0 - 2 Italy (0-0)
23/04/1967 Romania 7 - 0 Cyprus (3-0)
24/05/1967 Switzerland 7 - 1 Romania (3-0)
25/06/1967 Romania 0 - 1 Italy (0-0)
01/11/1967 Italy 5 - 0 Cyprus (2-0)
08/11/1967 Switzerland 5 - 0 Cyprus (2-0)
18/11/1967 Switzerland 2 - 2 Italy (1-0)
23/12/1967 Italy 4 - 0 Switzerland (3-0)
17/02/1968 Cyprus 2 - 1 Switzerland (1-0)
Team P W D L GF GA GDIF PTS %
1 ITALY 6 5 1 0 17 3 +14 11 91.7
2 Romania 6 3 0 3 18 14 +4 6 50.0
3 Switzerland 6 2 1 3 17 13 +4 5 41.7
4 Cyprus 6 1 0 5 3 25 -22 2 16.7
Group 7
02/10/1966 Poland 4 - 0 Luxembourg (0-0)
22/10/1966 France 2 - 1 Poland (1-0)
11/11/1966 Belgium 2 - 1 France (0-0)
26/11/1966 Luxembourg 0 - 3 France (0-3)
19/03/1967 Luxembourg 0 - 5 Belgium (0-3)
16/04/1967 Luxembourg 0 - 0 Poland (0-0)
21/05/1967 Poland 3 - 1 Belgium (2-0)
17/09/1967 Poland 1 - 4 France (1-2)
08/10/1967 Belgium 2 - 4 Poland (2-2)
28/10/1967 France 1 - 1 Belgium (0-1)
22/11/1967 Belgium 3 - 0 Luxembourg (0-0)
23/12/1967 France 3 - 1 Luxembourg (1-0)
Team P W D L GF GA GDIF PTS %
1 FRANCE 6 4 1 1 14 6 +8 9 75.0
2 Belgium 6 3 1 2 14 9 +5 7 58.3
3 Poland 6 3 1 2 13 9 +4 7 58.3
4 Luxembourg 6 0 1 5 1 18 -17 1 8.3
Group 8
Group doubled as British International Championship.
22/10/1966 Northern_Ireland 0 - 2 England (0-1)
22/10/1966 Wales 1 - 1 Scotland (0-0)
16/11/1966 England 5 - 1 Wales (3-1)
16/11/1966 Scotland 2 - 1 Northern_Ireland (2-1)
12/04/1967 Northern_Ireland 0 - 0 Wales (0-0)
15/04/1967 England 2 - 3 Scotland (0-1)
21/10/1967 Northern_Ireland 1 - 0 Scotland (0-0)
21/10/1967 Wales 0 - 3 England (0-1)
22/11/1967 England 2 - 0 Northern_Ireland (1-0)
22/11/1967 Scotland 3 - 2 Wales (1-1)
24/02/1968 Scotland 1 - 1 England (1-1)
28/02/1968 Wales 2 - 0 Northern_Ireland (0-0)
Team P W D L GF GA GDIF PTS %
1 ENGLAND 6 4 1 1 15 5 +10 9 75.0
2 Scotland 6 3 2 1 10 8 +2 8 66.7
3 Wales 6 1 2 3 6 12 -6 4 33.3
4 Northern_Ireland 6 1 1 4 2 8 -6 3 25.0
Quarter Finals
03/04/1968 England 1 - 0 Spain (0-0)
08/05/1968 Spain 1 - 2 England (0-0)
06/04/1968 Bulgaria 3 - 2 Italy (1-0)
20/04/1968 Italy 2 - 0 Bulgaria (1-0)
06/04/1968 France 1 - 1 Yugoslavia (0-0)
24/04/1968 Yugoslavia 5 - 1 France (4-1)
04/05/1968 Hungary 2 - 0 U.S.S.R. (1-0)
11/05/1968 U.S.S.R. 3 - 0 Hungary (1-0)
Statistics
Team P W D L GF GA GDIF PTS %
1 Italy 8 6 1 1 21 6 +15 13 81.2
2 England 8 6 1 1 18 6 +12 13 81.2
3 U.S.S.R. 8 6 0 2 19 8 +11 12 75.0
4 Bulgaria 8 5 2 1 13 6 +7 12 75.0
5 Hungary 8 5 1 2 17 8 +9 11 68.8
6 France 8 4 2 2 16 12 +4 10 62.5
7 Yugoslavia 6 4 1 1 14 5 +9 9 75.0
8 Scotland 6 3 2 1 10 8 +2 8 66.7
9 Spain 8 3 2 3 7 5 +2 8 50.0
10 Belgium 6 3 1 2 14 9 +5 7 58.3
11 Poland 6 3 1 2 13 9 +4 7 58.3
12 Czechoslovakia 6 3 1 2 8 4 +4 7 58.3
13 East_Germany 6 3 1 2 10 10 0 7 58.3
14 Romania 6 3 0 3 18 14 +4 6 50.0
15 Portugal 6 2 2 2 6 6 0 6 50.0
16 Greece 6 2 2 2 8 9 -1 6 50.0
17 Austria 6 2 2 2 8 10 -2 6 50.0
18 West_Germany 4 2 1 1 9 2 +7 5 62.5
19 Switzerland 6 2 1 3 17 13 +4 5 41.7
20 Netherlands 6 2 1 3 11 11 0 5 41.7
21 Sweden 6 2 1 3 9 12 -3 5 41.7
22 Ireland 6 2 1 3 5 8 -3 5 41.7
23 Turkey 6 1 2 3 3 8 -5 4 33.3
24 Wales 6 1 2 3 6 12 -6 4 33.3
25 Norway 6 1 1 4 9 14 -5 3 25.0
26 Northern_Ireland 6 1 1 4 2 8 -6 3 25.0
27 Denmark 6 1 1 4 6 16 -10 3 25.0
28 Finland 6 0 2 4 5 12 -7 2 16.7
29 Cyprus 6 1 0 5 3 25 -22 2 16.7
30 Albania 4 0 1 3 0 12 -12 1 12.5
31 Luxembourg 6 0 1 5 1 18 -17 1 8.3
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1968 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP
- ITALY
Semi Finals
05/06/1968 Italy 0 - 0 U.S.S.R. (0-0) Italy won on toss of coin
05/06/1968 Yugoslavia 1 - 0 England (0-0)
3rd/4th Playoff
08/06/1968 England 2 - 0 U.S.S.R. (1-0)
Final
08/06/1968 Italy 1 - 1 Yugoslavia (0-1)
10/06/1968 Italy 2 - 0 Yugoslavia (2-0) Replay
1 Italy
2 Yugoslavia
3 England
4 U.S.S.R.
Statistics
Team P W D L GF GA GDIF PTS %
1 Italy 3 1 2 0 3 1 +2 4 66.7
2 Yugoslavia 3 1 1 1 2 3 -1 3 50.0
3 England 2 1 0 1 2 1 +1 2 50.0
4 U.S.S.R. 2 0 1 1 0 2 -2 1 25.0
world-results.net
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Tournament Statistics
Top Scorers
2 Goals: Dragan Dzajic; 1 Goal: Luigi Riva, Angelo Domenghini, Pietro
Anastasi, Geoff Hurst, Bobby Charlton
Fastest goal
12 Minutes: Luigi Riva (Italy vs Yugoslavia, Replay)
Average goals
1.4 Per Game
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EURO' 1968 LEGENDS
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Dragan Dzajic
Yugoslavia
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Giacinto Faccheti
Italy
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Eduard Streltsov
U.S.S.R.
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Martin Peters
England
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Luigi Riva
Italy
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Bobby Moore
England
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Dino Zoff
Italy
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Sandro Mazzola
Italy
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Anatoly Byshovets
U.S.S.R.
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RSSSF statistics:
1968-overview |
1968-details final tournament
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