|
|
|
| THIS PAGE IS UNDER-CONSTRUCTION ! |
From the playmaking genius of Netzer in 1972 and Platini in 1984, to the goals of Van Basten in 1988, and to
the goalkeeping heroics of Schmeichel in 1992 and Nikopolidis in 2004, here's our list of ten heroes from the
European Championships.
|
No.1 Michel Platini (France) Tournament: 1984
|
Aged 29, at the peak of his career, and captain of the host nation, the story of the 1984 tournament was dominated by one man
- Michel Platini.
Having unexpectedly finished fourth at the last major tournament, the 1982 World Cup in Spain, expectations in France were
now at an all-time high as the country looked to lift it's first ever international trophy.
Retaining the core of the 1982 team, the silky midfield trio of Platini, Giresse and Tigana was now joined by PSG workhorse Luis
Fernandez, creating what became known as "le carre magique" (the magic square).
Yet whilst France now boasted one of the games finest midfield's and a solid defence, it lacked star quality up front, with
the likes of Bellone, Lacombe, Six and Ferreri all willing but not as able as their midfield team-mates. Worried about who
was going to score the goals to lift the trophy, French boss Michel Hidalgo devised a 4-4-2 system that allowed Platini to
be midfield playmaker one minute and additional striker the next. It worked a treat.
A classic opening game in Paris against an up-and-coming Denmark looked to be heading for a goal-less draw until Platini popped up
with 12 minutes remaining to get the hosts off to a winning start. Four days later in Nantes, Platini would set down a marker
for the rest of the tournament, hitting a hat-trick as France demolished a much fancied Belgian team 5:0. Having just been
thrashed 5:0 by the Danes, and having also lost to Belgium, Yugoslavia were expected to be brushed aside by Platini's troops
in the final group game in St. Etienne. However, Red Star striker Milos Sestic gave the Yugoslavs an unexpected first half lead,
which they clung onto until halfway through the second half, when Platini, who else, grabbed an equaliser. An incredible 15
minutes saw the French captain score another couple to claim his second hat-trick in a row, both of which were
'perfect' hat-tricks
(left foot, right foot, header). A Dragan Stojkovic penalty
ensured a tense finale, but Platini's incredible goal-scoring run of 7 goals in 3 games, from midfield, had taken the hosts
into the semi-finals as group winners.
And what a semi-final it was. Arguably the finest match in the history of the competition, an electric atmosphere at the
Stade Velodrome in Marseille, saw Toulouse defender Jean-Francois Domergue give the hosts a first half leader against a
Portuguese team that had come through Group B undefeated. With Platini and Giresse pulling all the strings in midfield it
looked only a matter of time before the French doubled their lead, but as the second half progressed Portugal started to come
back into it, with Benfica winger Fernando Chalana wreaking havoc in the French defence and creating a number of openings. So
it was no surprise when Jordao levelled with 15 minutes to go, or when he made it 2:1 nearly 10 minutes into extra time.
Platini rallied his team for the 2nd period of extra time, and with just 5 minutes remaining their onslaught paid off, as
Domergue scored his 2nd of the game. Sensing that they could win it, Platini, Giresse and Tigana poured forward, and just one
minute away from the dreaded penalty shoot-out commentator John Motson finally lost the plot as Platini crashed home the winner.
Having defeated Denmark on penalties in the other semi-final in Lyon, it was now Spain who stood between Platini and the
chance to lift France's first football trophy. For the neutral, after the drama of the semi-finals, it was almost an
anti-climax, but for Platini he just carried on where he'd left off, scoring another goal, a curled a free kick passed
Luis Arconada, 12 minutes into the 2nd half. However, the much-vaunted French midfield was struggling for the first time
in the tournament, and when Monaco defender Yvon Le Roux was red-carded they had to scrap their normal fluent passing game as
they grimly hung on until the final minute when Bruno Bellone scored, the only goal scored by a French striker in the entire
tournament. As Platini lifted the trophy at an ecstatic Parc-des-Princes, no-one could deny the impact he'd had -
in the five games he'd played every single minute and scored an amazing 9 out of his team's 14 goals.
|
No.2 Jan Ceulemans (Belgium) Tournament: 1980
|
Jan Ceulemans was the outstanding member of a Belgian side good enough to finish second at the 1980 European Championship
and reach the semifinals in Mexico in 1986.
A tireless midfielder, Ceulemans' stamina allowed him to extend his creative influence over every square meter of the pitch.
Nothing illustrated that better than his contribution to Belgium's first round 1-1 draw with Hungary in 1982 when he would
run 80 meters with the ball to set up Alexandre Czerniatynski's equalizing goal.
Belgium impressed in Spain, beating reigning champion Argentina on its way to the second round, but it was in Mexico that
it would really catch the eye.
Ceulemans scored vital goals in a thrilling 4-3 win over the Soviet Union in the second round and in the quarterfinals,
where Belgium beat Spain on penalties after a 1-1 draw, before Maradona single-handedly ended the Red Devils' unlikely run.
In Italy, Belgium would reach the second round again, losing in cruel fashion in the second round when England scored
in the last minute of extra time after 119 scoreless minutes.
Ceulemans played 96 times for his country and consolidated his status as a national hero by turning down
AC Milan to spend 13 years with Club Bruges.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10 Heroes of the European Championships 