The Italian team

Long before penalty shoot-outs or the golden goal, Italy beat the USSR in one memorable semi-final on the toss of a coin, the game having ended in a 0-0 stalemate even after extra time.

Italy captain Giacinto Facchetti emerged from the dressing room, where the toss had taken place, and ran out onto the pitch to alert the fans to this wildly celebrated but rather hollow victory.

In the final against Yugoslavia the teams again could not be separated and after extra time the match finished 1-1, though this time the contest went to a replay.

Two days later in the same Olympic stadium in Rome and with only 32,886 spectators, as compared to the 68,817 for the first final, Italy lifted the European Nations Cup with a 2-0 win.

For the third edition of the competition, the countries of the ‘Old Continent’ picked up the momentum of four years earlier, this time with 31 countries taking part in the eliminators with, for the first time and following in the footsteps of the World Cup, the introduction of eight groups. From these groups one team would qualify.

They would be among Spain, Bulgaria, the USSR, Yugoslavia (who eliminated West Germany), Hungary, Italy, England and France.

The semi-finals featured the Yugoslavia of Ivica Osim and Dragan Dzajic, the Soviets (for the third time in a row), Bobby Charlton’s England – with Charlton arriving on the heels of European Cup victory with Manchester United – and host nation Italy.

In the first semi-final in Florence, world champions England found their match, and subsequent conquerors, in a superb Yugoslav team inspired by Dzajic, who scored in the final minute of play.

Playmaker Osim had unceremoniously been deprived of all creativity by Nobby Stiles and his accomplices.

For their part, the Azzurri made the most of a favourable draw in Rome with that toss of the coin.

In the final Yugoslavia controlled much of the game and scored first through Dzajic five minutes before half-time.

A young and inspirational goalkeeper Dino Zoff kept Italy in it before an Angelo Domenghini free-kick 12 minutes from time provided relief and an equaliser for the Italians, sending the final to a first-ever replay. In the replay Gigi Riva and Pietro Anastasi effectively handed Italy their first European nations Cup.

Though at times lucky, Italy, inspired by playmaker Sandro Mazzola, largely merited the home win.

THE STARS

Dragan Dzajic

As the long-time record-holder for international appearances (85), the former captain of Yugoslavia Dragan Dzajic left an indelible mark on the history of football in his country. During two spells with Red Star Belgrade, but also at Corsican side Bastia, where he spent his only two footballing seasons abroad on the idyllic isle, he made his mark on the European football scene.

He was much loved because of his kindly nature and easy-going manner, while on the pitch he won admiration for being an exceptional left-winger who could both score goals and deliver defence splitting passes with fantastic precision. The left wing was his domain. Regarded as a national hero in his native country, Dzajic wore Yugoslavia’s colours with pride for 15 years (1964 to 1979), and decided to end his career with Red Star after his Corsican adventure with Bastia.

Giacinto Facchetti

Vice-President of Inter Milan (November 2001 to January 2004), President of Inter Milan (since January 2004) Giacinto Facchetti, veteran of three World Cups and one of the greatest defenders Italy has produced, began his sporting career in athletics before switching to football. His destiny was decided when fabled Inter Milan coach Helenio Herrera plucked him from his local club Treviglio and began coaching him in the black arts of the ‘catenaccio’. One of his greatest achievements on the international stage was winning the European Championship in 1968, but he also appeared in three World Cups, including the 1970 meet in Mexico where Italy reached the final before falling at the last hurdle against Brazil.

SIDE-KICKS

Gigi Riva

DRACULA: During the third-place match between England and the USSR, the Italian public quickly began to support the Soviets. Each time England, the reigning world champions, kicked the ball they were met with cat-whistles.
Manchester United’s rugged midfielder, Nobby Stiles, was one of the players picked out for special treatment. Already nicknamed ‘Dracula’ by the Italian press, Stiles, who was in the habit of taking his teeth out before each game, reciprocated the gesture by waving to the crowd, and offering them a big, toothless smile.

MASS COLLECTION: ‘Gigi’ Riva, one of the two players who scored for Italy in the replayed final against Yugoslavia, was a Sardinian idol. Since his arrival on the island he helped Cagliari to promotion into Serie A. As the European champions the previous year, Cagliari’s supporters went as far as taking a mass collection to prevent the big-money clubs from the north coming in for their prized asset.

SERVICE INCLUDED: The Swiss referee during the first final was far from being neutral. Indeed, partiality and provocative gestures towards the Yugoslav players made it clear on which side of the fence Dienst was sitting.
He even went as far as refusing Yugoslavia an indisputable penalty in the first half. Having been dominated the whole match, the Italians hung on for a draw (1-1 after extra time), and the refereeing was deemed “scandalous”.

CONSOLATION: During numerous competitions at the European level in 1968, many French teams had been knocked out at one stage or another by the finalists.
Saint-Etienne by Benfica in the European Cup, Lyon by Hamburg in the Cup Winners’ Cup and the French national team by Yugoslavia in the quarter finals of the European nations Cup.

(AFP)