III EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP (ITALY 1968)

FINAL STAGE — GAME DETAILS

(From 5-06-1968 to 10-06-1968)

1/2 FINAL
STADIUM: San Paolo (Napoli) DATE: 5-06-1968 (18:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 68.582 REFEREE: Kurt Tschenscher (FRG) GOALS: - [Incidents: Rivera suffered an injury in minute 5 and had to leave the game, so Italy had to play with only ten men for most of the match (no substitutions yet in the European Championship). Italy qualified on a coin toss after regulation and extra-time (the penalty shoot-out had not been introduced yet in the competition).]
		Italy - Soviet Union
		0-0 (0-0;0-0)
ITALY Zoff Castano, Burgnich, Bercellino, Facchetti (c) Juliano, Rivera, Ferrini Domenghini, Mazzola, Prati COACH: Ferruccio Valcareggi			SOVIET UNION Pshenichnikov Istomin, Kaplichnyj, Shesternjov (c), Afonin Logofet, Lenev, Malofeev Byshovets, Banishevskij, Evrjuzhikhin COACH: Mikhail Yakushin
GAME SUMMARY The Soviet Union, without key players Chislenko and Khurtsilava (injured during an Olympic qualifier against Czechoslovakia played only four days earlier), faced a dangerous semifinal match against hosts Italy. The Russians were not in the least unsettled by the extremely hostile Naples crowd at San Paolo and, following Gianni Rivera’s early exit after a collision with Valentin Afonin, controlled the game and had little difficulty in containing the Italian attacks. The problem for the Soviet Union was that they too failed to score, so the match turned into one of the most defensive games ever played in the competition. The Soviets dominated the first half and forced six corners in succession just before halftime, but chances were few and far between. Pierino Prati fired only just wide from 15 metres, the impressively calm Dino Zoff saved from Al’bert Shesternjov and twice from Aleksandr Lenev (freed to go forward after Rivera’s injury). Near the end of extra-time, Domenghini hit the foot of a post. At the end of 120 minutes, with a goalless draw, the bizarre and cruel toss of a coin finally decided the winner of this match. Italy, somewhat undeservedly, qualified for their first European Championship final.

1/2 FINAL
STADIUM: Stadio Comunale (Firenze) DATE: 5-06-1968 (21:15 h) ATTENDANCE: 21.834 REFEREE: José María Ortiz de Mendíbil (SPA) GOALS: 1-0 (Džajić 86') [Incidents: Mullery was sent off (min. 89).]
		Yugoslavia - England
		1-0 (0-0)
YUGOSLAVIA Pantelić Fazlagić (c), Paunović, Holcer, Damjanović Pavlović, Osim, Trivić Petković, Musemić, Džajić COACH: Rajko Mitić			ENGLAND Banks Newton, Labone, Moore (c), Wilson Mullery, B. Charlton Ball, Hunt, Hunter, Peters COACH: Alf Ramsey
GAME SUMMARY In a bad-tempered match (punctuated by as many as 49 fouls), a young and enthusiastic Yugoslavia produced a major surprise by defeating England and qualifying for the final. The English had played a friendly against West Germany just four days earlier, as a result of which both Geoff Hurst and Nobby Stiles were ineligible. After some early tackling by Dobrivoje Trivić on Bobby Charlton and Alan Ball, Alan Mullery exacted shin-high revenge after ten minutes, and from that moment on both teams engaged in a harsh and irritable game. Norman Hunter and Ivica Osim also clashed, leaving the latter virtually immobile for the rest of the match. Just when the extra-time seemed unavoidable, Yugoslavia scored the winner. After a move by Holcer and Trivić out on the left wing, over came the high centre and for once the admirable Bobby Moore was caught the wrong side of Dragan Džajić. The Yugoslav winger—showing tremendous ball control for someone so tall and well built—chested down the ball and hammered it into the roof of the net. All England's desperate attempts to pull back this goal ended only with the sending off of Mullery, when his last piece of retaliation on Trivić (followed by a superb display of acting by the Yugoslavian midfielder) made him the first player in the history of the European Championship to be sent off.

PLACES 3-4
STADIUM: Stadio Olimpico (Roma) DATE: 8-06-1968 (18:45 h) ATTENDANCE: 68.817 REFEREE: István Zsolt (HUN) GOALS: 1-0 (B. Charlton 39'); 2-0 (Hurst 63')
		England - Soviet Union
		2-0 (1-0)
ENGLAND Banks Wright, Labone, Moore (c), Wilson Stiles, B. Charlton Hunt, Hurst, Peters, Hunter COACH: Alf Ramsey			SOVIET UNION Pshenichnikov Afonin, Shesternjov (c), Kaplichnyj, Istomin Malofeev, Lenev, Logofet Byshovets, Banishevskij, Evrjuzhikhin COACH: Mikhail Yakushin
GAME SUMMARY In perhaps the best game of the finals, England and the Soviet Union played free from the spoiling tactics employed by Italy and Yugoslavia and offered a good entertainment to the Roman crowd. Near halftime, a fluent move ended with Geoff Hurst laying the ball back for Bobby Charlton to smash it home. In the second half, when Yurij Pshenichnikov saved Martin Peters’ deflected shot, Hurst took it round him to make it 2-0. Bobby Charlton (recovering from the groin injury which had hampered him against Yugoslavia) might have had a penalty late on. Frustration rather than consolation for England, who looked the best team in the tournament when it was too late.

FINAL
STADIUM: Stadio Olimpico (Roma) DATE: 8-06-1968 (21:15 h) ATTENDANCE: 68.817 REFEREE: Gottfried Dienst (SWI) GOALS: 0-1 (Džajić 39’); 1-1 (Domenghini 80’)
		Italy - Yugoslavia
		1-1 (0-1;1-1)
ITALY Zoff Castano, Burgnich, Guarneri, Facchetti (c) Juliano, Lodetti Ferrini, Domenghini, Anastasi, Prati COACH: Ferruccio Valcareggi			YUGOSLAVIA Pantelić Fazlagić (c), Paunović, Holcer, Damjanović Trivić, Pavlović Aćimović, Petković, Musemić, Džajić COACH: Rajko Mitić
GAME SUMMARY The Yugoslav coach fielded the same team who beat England in the semifinal, except for the introduction of 19-year-old Jovan Aćimović for the injured Ivica Osim. On the other side, Valcareggi was forced to make a number of changes, amongst which the absence of playmaker Gianni Rivera, in particular, unbalanced the home attack. Despite the partisan support of a large Italian crowd, Yugoslavia controlled the game right from the kick-off and completely outplayed Italy. The renowned Italian defense was in tatters and, time and again, the Yugoslavian attackers literally walked through it. Yugoslavia might have had a penalty when Giorgio Ferrini pushed Miroslav Pavlović in the box. Dragan Džajić was again the star of the game, pushing Dobrivoje Trivić’s pass across Ernesto Castano and Dino Zoff for the opening goal. The Yugoslavians defended their lead with tackling that incurred four bookings. Things were looking increasingly desperate for Italy until Angelo Domenghini was at last rewarded for all his efforts. After hitting a post in the semifinal, he did the same with a free kick here in the first half, then got it right with another near the end, crashing the ball to Ilija Pantelić’s left after Blagoje Paunović had fouled Giovanni Lodetti. It was a controversial goal, as the Swiss referee Dienst was ordering the Yugoslavian wall back and Domenghini shot before the whistle. To everyone’s amazement (not least the Italians), this goal against the run of play was allowed to stand and the match went into extra-time. The additional half-hour produced nothing but tiredness, which worked to Italy’s advantage two days later in the replay of the final (penalty shoot-outs hadn’t been introduced yet in the competition).

FINAL (REPLAY)
STADIUM: Stadio Olimpico (Roma) DATE: 10-06-1968 (21:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 32.886 REFEREE: José María Ortiz de Mendíbil (SPA) GOALS: 1-0 (Riva 12’); 2-0 (Anastasi 31’)
		Italy - Yugoslavia
		2-0 (2-0)
ITALY Zoff Burgnich, Guarneri, Facchetti (c) Rosato, Salvadore Domenghini, Mazzola, Anastasi, De Sisti, Riva COACH: Ferruccio Valcareggi			YUGOSLAVIA Pantelić Fazlagić (c), Holcer, Damjanović Trivić, Paunović Pavlović, Aćimović, Musemić, Hošić, Džajić COACH: Rajko Mitić
GAME SUMMARY Italy introduced five new players (including Sandro Mazzola) and Yugoslavia fielded the same team as in the original final (with the exception of Idriz Hošić for Ilija Petković, who was sidelined by an ulcer). In the replay, the Balkanic enthusiasm soon evaporated as sheer tiredness took its toll, and only goalkeeper Ilija Pantelić could be described as having a good game. After struggling so much in the first final, Italy were amazed to be given so much space, and wasted little time in putting pressure on the Yugoslavian goal. Luigi Riva added tremendous punch to the Italian attack and had a superb shot saved after only eleven minutes. Almost immediately, Angelo Domenghini’s poorly hit shot from the right turned into a through-ball, Luigi Riva turned and hit it low across the keeper. Then Pietro Anastasi flipped up Giancarlo de Sisti’s angled pass and volleyed in splendidly from the edge of the area. The game then petered out as both sides strolled aimlessly around. Italy redeemed themselves for their awful performance in the 1966 World Cup finals by becoming European champions, but they did it in a quite unimpressive way.

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