1980 Italy

Euro 2008 Ads

Italy 1980

The sixth European Football Championship was held in Italy. This was the first time the hosts were announced before the qualifying stages and recieved automatic qualification to the Finals. The Championship also saw an expansion, from four teams to eight. Due to the expanded format, the tournament went through some serious changes which two groups of four were created. Each team would play the other teams within their group. The winners of the groups would go straight to the final (there were no semi-finals), while the runners-up will play for third place. 14 games were played in total, compare to 1976, where only four were played.

The most disappointing tournament in history

However, the tournament generally failed to draw media attention and TV viewers. Attendance was poor, except for matches involving the host nation, Italy. The teams involved used a rather defensive style of play which led to dull matches. Hooliganism, was a rising problem in the 1970s, and the first-round match between Belgium and England, riot police had to use tear gas, delaying the start of play.

West Germany were outstanding throughout the competition, with young rising stars such as Horst Hrubesch, Hansi Müller and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. They met the unexpected Belgium in the final. West Germany won the competition for the second time after Hrubesch netting in the 88th minute, to win 2-1 on the night