UEFA Euro 1968

1968 UEFA European Football Championship
Campionato europeo di calcio
Italia 1968
Tournament details
Host countryItaly
Dates5–10 June
Teams4
Venue(s)3 (in 3 host cities)
Final positions
Champions Italy (1st title)
Runners-up Yugoslavia
Third place England
Fourth place Soviet Union
Tournament statistics
Matches played5
Goals scored7 (1.4 per match)
Attendance260,916 (52,183 per match)
Top scorer(s)Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Dragan Džajić (2 goals)
← 1964
1972 →

The 1968 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in Italy. This was the third UEFA European Championship, an event held every four years and organised by UEFA. The final tournament took place between 5 and 10 June 1968.

It was in this year that the tournament changed its name from the "European Nations' Cup" to the "European Championship".[1] 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.[2]

Qualification

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Main article: UEFA Euro 1968 qualifying

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.

As of 2024, this is the last European Championship finals not to feature a Germany team (united or West), and the only World Cup or European Championship tournament where the team was eliminated in the qualifying stages.

Qualified teams

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Team Qualified as Qualified on Previous appearances in tournament[A]
 Italy (host) Quarter-final winner 20 April 1968 0 (debut)
 Yugoslavia Quarter-final winner 24 April 1968 1 (1960)
 England Quarter-final winner 8 May 1968 0 (debut)
 Soviet Union Quarter-final winner 11 May 1968 2 (1960, 1964)
  1. ^ Bold indicates champion for that year.

Venues

[edit]
 Rome Naples Florence
Stadio Olimpico Stadio San Paolo Stadio Comunale
Capacity: 80,000 Capacity: 82,000 Capacity: 52,000

Squads

[edit]
Main article: UEFA Euro 1968 squads

Match officials

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Country Referee
Switzerland Switzerland Gottfried Dienst
Spain Spain José María Ortiz de Mendíbil
West Germany West Germany Kurt Tschenscher
Hungary Hungary István Zsolt

Final tournament

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Main article: UEFA Euro 1968 final tournament
1968 UEFA European Football Championship finalists

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.

All times are local, CEST (UTC+2).

Bracket

[edit]
 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
        
 
5 June – Naples
 
 
 Italy (coin toss)0
 
8 and 10 June – Rome
 
 Soviet Union0
 
 Italy (replay)12
 
5 June – Florence
 
 Yugoslavia10
 
 Yugoslavia1
 
 
 England0
 
Third place play-off
 
 
8 June – Rome
 
 
 England2
 
 
 Soviet Union0

Semi-finals

[edit]
Italy 0–0 (a.e.t.)
Italy won on coin toss		 Soviet Union
Report
Attendance: 68,582
Yugoslavia 1–0 England
  • Džajić 86'
 Report
Attendance: 21,834

Third place play-off

[edit]
England 2–0 Soviet Union
 Report
Attendance: 68,817

Final

[edit]
Main article: UEFA Euro 1968 final
Italy 1–1 (a.e.t.) Yugoslavia
 Report
Attendance: 68,817[3]
Italy 2–0 Yugoslavia
 Report
Attendance: 32,886[4]

Statistics

[edit]

Goalscorers

[edit]

There were 7 goals scored in 5 matches, for an average of 1.4 goals per match.

2 goals

1 goal

Awards

[edit]
UEFA Team of the Tournament[5]
Goalkeeper Defenders Midfielders Forwards
Italy Dino Zoff England Bobby Moore
Italy Giacinto Facchetti
Soviet Union Albert Shesternyov
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Mirsad Fazlagić 		Italy Angelo Domenghini
Italy Sandro Mazzola
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Ivica Osim 		England Geoff Hurst
Italy Gigi Riva
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Dragan Džajić

References

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  1. ^ Brewin, John; Williamson, Martin (29 April 2012). "Euro 2012: European Nations Cup 1968". ESPN FC. ESPN. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
  2. ^ Sheringham, Sam (12 May 2012). "Euro 1968: Alan Mullery's moment of madness". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
  3. ^ "European Football Championship 1968 FINAL". Union of European Football Associations. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
  4. ^ "European Football Championship 1968 FINAL Replay". Union of European Football Associations. Archived from the original on 29 August 2000. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
  5. ^ "1968 team of the tournament". Union of European Football Associations. 1 April 2011. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
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