What are the 5 biggest collapses in European Championship record?
We have already brought you our top 5 best units in Euro history, so in that same vein, a same list comes your way.
In this article, we’ll go through the five biggest collapses ever evidenced at a European Championship.
I am sure most of you can guess at least one or two that are shoo-ins on such lists, so let’s get started…
5) Iceland shaped England at Euro 2016
Was this England’s lowest instant in international biography?
In 2016, England were dumped out of Euro 2016 by Scandivanian minnows Iceland.
Iceland stupefied the Three Lions with a 2-1 triumph in Nice, smacking Roy Hodgson’s subjects out in the round of 16.
Wayne Rooney tallied for England after exclusively 4 minutes, but 120 seconds later Ragnar Sigurdsson levelled the score. Kolbeinn Sigthorsson pocketed the eventual winner in the 18 th minute.
Iceland’s triumph left a disfigure on England that remains until this day.
After the equal, Alan Shearer named it the “worst performance ever seen by an England team, ever.”
Meanwhile, match-winner Sigurdsson told the press: “( England) envisaged this would be a walk in the park.” It wasn’t.
4) Portugal’s Euro 2016 triumph
Given some of the players that have called Portugal their home, it was always surprising that Spain’s smaller Iberian brother never won a major international honor before 2016. Names like Eusebio, Luis Figo, Manuel Rui Costa, and Cristiano Ronaldo’s have represented Portugal to critical acclaim.
It was not until 1996 that Portugal became regular contenders at the Euro, but since then they have featured in six straight with Euro 2020 representing it seven on the twisting. But it was the nature of Portugal’s success in 2016 that started it so special.
Much like Lionel Messi, who has yet to win a major accolade for Argentina, Cristiano Ronaldo was in danger of claiming the same unfortunate legacy to what has otherwise been a brilliant footballing career. But with a nation on his shoulders, and a light young Renato Sanches in the engine room, Portugal’ virtually failed to get out their group following three moves from three games.
Yet, after Portugal crushed through into the knockout places, the team altered. Ultimately, Portugal beat France in the final in extra era thanks to a objective from Eder.
It was their first-ever major reputation; a tally they hope to add to this summer.
3) Czechoslovakia stuns in’ 76
It had been 16 times since Czechoslovakia had are eligible for the Euro after residence third in the first ever instalment of the tournament.
Similar luck had occurred the Bohemian nation at the World Cup, where despite their runner-up performance at the 1962 tournament, they failed to qualify for two of three tournaments during the same period, while never fixing it out of the group in 1970.
1976 took everyone for a revolve, including the Czechs. After topping a qualifying group that included England and Portugal, they then bested perennial supremacy Soviet Union in the quarterfinals before discharging the Netherlands in the semi-finals of the finals tournament.
A date with heavyweights West Germany, who came into’ 76 as Euro and World Cup purchasers and ponderous favourites to repeat their Euro success. But Czechoslovakia stood in their style, won the final 5-3 on retributions after a spirited 2-2 choose, and stopped the Germans from being the only side to earn three Euros in a row( they would go on to triumph in 1980 ).
A third-place finish in 1980 would culminate a period of considerable success for a nation that no longer exists on the map.
2) Danish Dynamite at Euro’ 92
Three Euros, three first-time winners.
The period between 1984 and 1992 find France, the Netherlands, and Denmark lift the first international awards in their history. Two of those nations have never reproduced the undertaking since, with the Danes being one of them. But 1992 would be a storybook moment in Danish footballing lore, and a hopeful benchmark that the present national back can look to repeat this summer across the continent.
With the vaunted Laudrup brethren( Brian, and Michael) pas Denmark from the breast, and the iconic Peter Schmeichel ever-so-staunch between the posts, the Danes nearly did not even aspect if it was not for Yugoslavia being are prohibited from the tournament after they beat the Danes in their qualifying group.
Taking their occasion with both entrusts, they would finish runner-up in their group behind host nation Sweden before tottering owners the Netherlands in the semi-finals on retributions, and then blanking monstrous Germany in the final by a 2-0 scoreline.
Denmark have never come close to achieving the same success again.
1) Greece and the memorable time of 2004
Greece have only qualified for seven of a combined thirty-seven international tournaments across their history between the Euro and World Cup, while hit the knockout stagecoach in only three of those expressions. Never considered a footballing nation of prominence, 2004 is truly up there as famed status in football lore.
On the back of regular scorelines that can be more attributed to the acclaimed fan choru of “1-nil to the Arsenal, ” Greece demolished multitudes Portugal in the tournament’s first radical stagecoach accord and then payed a choose against Spain soon after.
Despite losing the penultimate group pair against Russia, their higher point tally than Spain heard them contact the knockout stage. What would percolate after that offended not just Europe, but the football’s global audience.
Led by German manager Otto Rehhagel, Greece would go on to beat France, and the The czechs by 1-0 margins.
A rematch against Portugal, whom they overcame on the first day of play in Porto, would culminate on a final date in Lisbon with the same result; a Greek victory. Performances could be heard lasting long into the night from Athens to Astoria.
It was one of the biggest disturbances- if not the biggest shock- in football record. And the play will forever be the very best for it.
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