The UEFA European Championship, which is also commonly known as the “Euro”, is the main football (soccer) competition among the national teams of senior men of the members of the European Union of football (UEFA). From these competitions, the continental European champions are determined and these competitions are held after every four years. The Euros tournament is the second most popular sporting event after the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup.
Origins of the euro
The UEFA European Championship, informally known as the Euro, was an idea of the general secretary of the football federation Delfina in 1927. European nations were reluctant to take the idea because there was no adequate structure to facilitate competition. Delaunay had proposed a European tournament that would run concurrently with the world cup, but the competition would be held after every two years. However, at the time of Henri’s death in 1955 the tournament had not started. His son, who worked with a French newspaper, Pierre Delaunay, has finally taken a step forward, successfully planning the first European Nation in 1958. Since then, the trophy awarded to the winner of the championship is named after Delaunay in his honor. Since,
Past winners
In 1960 a true tournament of European nations was held in France with seventeen teams participating in the competition. However, only four of the 17 teams reached the final that was won by the Soviet Union in an exciting final against Yugoslavia held in the Parc des Princes in Paris. Since then, several 11 countries have won the championship with Spain and Germany to dominate. Spain won on three occasions (1964, 2008, 2012), as did Germany (1972, 1980, 1996), followed by France with (1984, 2000), and in Italy (1968), Czechoslovakia (1976), Countries Bassi (1988), Denmark (1992) and Greece (2004)
Far-Reaching Effects of UEFA Championships
Football has been known to be a unifying factor and an event worldwide. The UEFA European Championship, in particular, played a significant role alongside politics in bringing together nations that once had political and social differences. The 2012 championship, jointly hosted by Ukraine and Poland, is considered by many to be the culmination of a post-communist transformation that began in 1989. The tournament gave Poland an identity in the ‘modern’ nation. Similarly, Euro 2016 was seen as a significant step in the fight against terrorism, considering that Paris had been the target of a terrorist. This championship has also promoted tourism, especially for the host nation, literally bringing the world into the country,
Unlucky behavior for Europeans
The EUFA European Championship has a rich history of success since its inception in 1958. However, cases of hooliganism and destruction of property have been reported in most of the championship. This year’s championship saw a great deal of fighting and the destruction of property before, during and after some matches.
UEFA European Championship Winners (Euro)
Year | UEFA European Champion |
1960 | Soviet Union |
1964 | Spain |
1968 | Italy |
1972 | West Germany |
1976 | Czechoslovakia |
1980 | West Germany |
1984 | France |
1988 | Holland |
1992 | Denmark |
1996 | Germany |
2000 | France |
2004 | Greece |
2008 | Spain |
2012 | Spain |
2016 | Portugal |