UEFA Euro 1968

Infobox International Football Competition
tourney_name = UEFA European Football Championship
year = 1968
other_titles = Italia '68


size = 120px
caption = UEFA Euro 1968 official logo
country = Italy
dates = June 5 – June 10
num_teams = 4
venues = 3
cities = 3
champion = Italy
count = 1
second = Yugoslavia
third = England
fourth = USSR
matches = 5
goals = 7
attendance =
top_scorer = flagicon|YUG Dragan Džajić (2 goals)
player = 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 Olimpico, Rome - 86,500 capacity
*Stadio San Paolo, Naples - 72,800 capacity
*Stadio Comunale, Florence - 47,000 capacity

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.

The following teams participated in the final tournament:

*fb|ENG
*fb|ITA
*fb|URS|1955
*fb|YUG

quads

For a list of all the squads that took part in the 1968 tournament, go to UEFA Euro 1968 squads.

Final tournament

Round4-with third
5 June – Naples (Stadio San Paolo)|fb|URS|1955|0|fb|ITA (coin toss)|0
5 June - Florence (Stadio Comunale)|fb|ENG|0|fb|YUG|1
8 June – Rome (Stadio Olimpico) (replayed 10 June)|fb|ITA|2 (1)|fb|YUG|0 (1)
8 June - Rome (Stadio Olimpico)|fb|ENG|2|fb|URS|1955|0

emi-finals

footballbox
date=1968-06-05
time=18:00
team1=fb-rt|ITA
score=0 – 0 (a.e.t.) [Match decided by toss of coin: USSR captain Albert Shesternyov called incorrectly.]
team2=fb|URS|1955
goals1=
goals2=
stadium=Stadio San Paolo, Naples
attendance=68,582
referee=Kurt Tschenscher (West Germany) ----footballbox
date=1968-06-05
time=21:15
team1=fb-rt|YUG
score=1 – 0
team2=fb|ENG
goals1=Džajić goal|87
goals2=
stadium=Stadio Comunale, Florence
attendance=21,834
referee=José María Ortiz de Mendíbil (Spain)

Third place play-off

footballbox
date=1968-06-08
time=16:45
team1=fb-rt|ENG
score=2 – 0
team2=fb|URS|1955
goals1=Charlton goal|39
Hurst goal|63
goals2=
stadium=Stadio Olimpico, Rome
attendance=68,817
referee=István Zsolt (Hungary)

Final

footballbox
date=1968-06-08
time=21:15
team1=fb-rt|ITA
score=1 – 1 (a.e.t.)
team2=fb|YUG
goals1=Domenghini goal|80
goals2=Džajić goal|39
stadium=Stadio Olimpico, Rome
attendance=85,000
referee=Gottfried Dienst (Switzerland)

Replay

footballbox
date=1968-06-10
time=21:15
team1=fb-rt|ITA
score=2 – 0
team2=fb|YUG
goals1=Riva goal|12
Anastasi goal|31
goals2=
stadium=Stadio Olimpico, Rome
attendance=55,000
referee=José María Ortiz de Mendíbil (Spain)

tatistics

Top scorers

;2 goals
*flagicon|YUG Dragan Džajić ;1 goal
*flagicon|ITA Luigi Riva
*flagicon|ITA Angelo Domenghini
*flagicon|ITA Pietro Anastasi
*flagicon|ENG Geoff Hurst
*flagicon|ENG Bobby Charlton

Fastest goal

12 minutes: Luigi Riva (Italy vs Yugoslavia, Replay)

Average goals

1.4 goals per game

References