10 Interesting Facts About The UEFA EURO before the 17th edition gets underway in Germany.
From the unqualified winner to the golden goal tales, our journalist, Hassan Afolabi takes us down the memory lane with some interesting facts about the biggest continental competition in Europe.
1. Germany; first time hosting as a unified nation
Germany has not hosted a Men’s European Football Championship since its first and only time in 1988, when it hosted the continental competition of European countries as West Germany.
EURO 2024 will see the nation host the tournament for the first time since reunification.
2. Golden goal rule was a thing in 1996 and 2000
In 1993, UEFA introduced Golden Goal rule, which was an alternative to having 30 minutes of extra time following full-time draws. If a goal was scored in extra time then the team that scored would win the game.
The rule decided the two following European Championship finals, in 1996 and 2000. Oliver Bierhoff scored a winner in 1996 to give Germany the victory over Czech Republic and four years later in 2000, David Trezeguet won the Euros for France by scoring a Golden Goal against Italy.
The Golden Goal was abolished ahead of the 2004 edition in Greece but there is no doubt that the rule was effective in 1996 and 2000.
3. Denmark the most unusual winners
In Sweden 1992, Denmark won their first and only European Championship trophy despite not qualifying for the tournament initially.
The country benefited from the disqualification of Yugoslavia due to the ongoing Yugoslav wars, resulting in a break up of the country. Denmark took the slot to complete what was an eight nation tournament.
They finished runner-up in Group A and went on to beat The Netherlands on penalties after a 2-2 draw in the semi-finals, before easing to a 2-0 win over Germany in the final.
10 Interesting Facts About The UEFA EURO
4. Otto Rehhagel the odd one
In the history of the European Championship, only once has the winning team not had a coach from its own country.
Otto Rehhagel is the only odd one, as the German won the title with Greece in 2004, beating Portugal in the final in what was a rematch of the tournament’s curtain raiser.
5. Italians overseeing affairs in Euro 2024 set a new record
Five Italian managers will be employed in the EURO 2024 this summer, setting a new record for most by a nationality in a single edition.
Luciano Spalletti will lead the Azzurri to Germany while four other Italians, Vincenzo Montella, Domenico Tedesco, Marco Rossi and Francesco Calzona will lead Turkiye, Belgium, Hungary and Slovenia respectively.
6. Six players finished joint top scorer in 2012
In the 2012 UEFA European Championship, six players finished with the same amount of goals (3), which is the most anyone managed in the course of the tournament.
Fernando Torres was named the official winner of the golden boot award having played fewer minutes compared to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Mario Balotelli, Mario Mandzukic, Alan Dzagoev and Mario Mandzukic, all of whom also finished with the same amount of goals.
7. Reason for giving the EURO trophy the name ‘Henri Delaunay Trophy’
UEFA European Championship trophy is known as “Henri Delaunay Trophy” which is named to honor UEFA’s first general secretary Henri Delaunay who proposed to start this competition for Europe continent. But Henri died five year before the first edition in 1960.
10 Interesting Facts About The UEFA EURO
8. Golden Spain the only successful title defender
In 2012, Spain became the only nation till date to win back-to-back European championship titles after successfully defending title four years after they’ve won it in 2008.
Between that period, Vincent del Busque also led the team to a FIFA World Cup title in South Africa 2010, making Spain both double winner and the only hat-trick winning national team.
9. No one has had a good outing as Michel Platini
France won their first-ever UEFA European Championship title in 1984 but that would not have been if not for the sensational performance of Michel Platini.
At the time the best player in the world, Platini scored nine goals, including one each in the semi-final and the final to help deliver the title for Michel Hidalgo side on home soil.
10. There will be ten venues for games in Euro 2024
Matches of the 2024 European Championship will be held in ten stadia across the country.
Berlin, Cologne, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich and Stuttgart are venues for games in the 17th edition of the most prestigious continental trophy in European international football.
