Euro ’76: UEFA now shares Czechoslovakia’s title with Slovakia | OneFootball

Nearly half a century later, the story of Euro 1976 is being rewritten. UEFA has officially decided to update its roll of honor, recognizing the victory not only for Czechoslovakia—a country that split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993—but also for Slovakia itself, which from today can consider itself, in all respects, European champion.

Euro ’76, UEFA also recognizes the title for Slovakia: The European Championship won by Czechoslovakia becomes “shared”

The triumph of Czechoslovakia in Belgrade remains etched in collective memory thanks to Antonín Panenka’s “spoon” penalty against West Germany, a technical gesture destined to enter the history of world football. Since then, the European trophy has always been displayed in Prague as a heritage of the Czech Republic.

However, as early as 1993, Bratislava had begun to claim recognition for that victory, backed by a significant fact: in that final, 7 starters came from what is now Slovakia. After years of waiting, UEFA has accepted the request, establishing that the 1976 title belongs to both federations.

The context of that European Championship

The European Championship of the 1970s was very different from today’s. The final phase was a four-team tournament hosted in Yugoslavia. Czechoslovakia overcame the Netherlands in the semifinals with a surprising 3-1 win, before defeating reigning world champions West Germany in the final.

The victory came on penalties, after a hard-fought and spectacular match. Panenka’s “spoon” was not just the perfect conclusion to that tournament, but also the invention of a move that would forever change the way penalty kicks are understood.

Bratislava celebrates

UEFA’s decision comes at a special moment for Slovakia, fresh off a historic victory over Germany in the World Cup qualifiers. Leading the celebrations in the locker room was Marek Hamsik, a football symbol of the country and a Napoli legend.

Now Slovakia officially enters the European Championship roll of honor with a shared title, joining national teams such as the Netherlands, Greece, Denmark, the Soviet Union, and Portugal. For Bratislava, it is the consecration of a long historical and identity battle.

Better late than never

The 1976 European Championship will always be remembered for Panenka’s penalty. But from today, it will also be remembered as the tournament that, almost fifty years later, united two nations in a shared memory, dividing a title that rightfully belongs to both.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.