| European Football Championship 1988
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UEFA EURO 88
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Number of nations
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8 (of 33 applicants)
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European champion
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Netherlands Netherlands (1st title)
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venue
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Germany Federal Republic BR Germany
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Opening game
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June 10, 1988 in Düsseldorf
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Endgame
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June 25, 1988 in Munich
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Games
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15th
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Gates
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34 (⌀: 2.27 per game)
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spectator
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849,844 (⌀: 56,656 per game)
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Top scorer
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Netherlands Marco van Basten (5)
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 yellow cards
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32 (⌀: 2.13 per game)
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The final round of the 8th European Football Championship was held from June 10th to 25th, 1988 in the Federal Republic of Germany . The Netherlands became European champions in the final in Munich against the Soviet Union . Host Germany failed in the semi-finals to the Netherlands. Defending champions France , like the GDR , Austria and Switzerland, already failed in the qualification. The top scorer was Marco van Basten from the Netherlands , who was subsequently named Europe's Footballer of the Year , with five goals.
Award
In addition to the Federal Republic of Germany, England and the Scandinavian countries Norway , Sweden and Denmark had applied for the tournament in a joint application. The UEFA European Championship committee decided with five out of six votes in favor of the Federal Republic of Germany as the host.
Qualification of the German-speaking teams
The Federal Republic of Germany was automatically qualified to host the EM. The GDR team started with the desire to take part in an international tournament again, as in 1974 in West Germany. In Group 3, the GDR played against the USSR, defending champions France, Iceland and Norway. In this group, the GDR fought relatively successfully and only lost its away game in the USSR, which eventually qualified. The East Germans' 1-0 win on the last matchday against European champions France was no longer enough and the GDR was second in the table. After Austria's successful participation in the World Cup in 1978 and 1982 , the Alpine republic was still waiting to participate in a European Championship. In group 1 they were in competition with vice-European champions Spain, Romania and Albania. Austria could only win its games against Albania and finished third. The Switzerland had in Group 2 as a hard classified group with Italy, Sweden, Portugal and Malta. Since she could only win one game at home against Malta, she was not qualified for the European Championship.
Venues
Due to the differing views on West Berlin's membership of the Federal Republic of Germany, the DFB decided not to host games in Berlin at an early stage, thus facilitating the approval of the Eastern Bloc associations for the German EM application. In early April 1988 there was a four-country tournament in the Berlin Olympic Stadium with the national teams of the FRG, the USSR, Argentina and Sweden.
Attendees
Preliminary round
Group 1
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Pl.
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country
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Sp.
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S.
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U
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N |
Gates
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Diff.
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Points
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| 1.
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Germany Federal Republic BR Germany
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3
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2
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1
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0
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005: 100
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+4
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05: 10
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Italy Italy
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3
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2
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1
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0
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004: 100
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+3
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05: 10
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Spain Spain
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3
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1
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0
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2
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003: 500
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−2
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02: 40
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| 4th
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Denmark Denmark
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3
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0
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0
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3
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002: 700
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−5
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00: 60
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For placement 1 and 2, the better goal difference from all group matches is decisive.
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| June 10, 1988 in Düsseldorf (Rheinstadion)
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| BR Germany |
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Italy |
1: 1 (0: 0)
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| June 11, 1988 in Hanover (Lower Saxony Stadium)
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| Denmark |
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Spain |
2: 3 (1: 1)
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| June 14, 1988 in Gelsenkirchen (Parkstadion)
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| BR Germany |
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Denmark |
2: 0 (1: 0)
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| June 14, 1988 in Frankfurt (Waldstadion)
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| Italy |
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Spain |
1: 0 (0: 0)
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| June 17, 1988 in Munich (Olympiastadion)
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| BR Germany |
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Spain |
2: 0 (1: 0)
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| June 17, 1988 in Cologne (Müngersdorfer Stadion)
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| Italy |
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Denmark |
2: 0 (0: 0)
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After the last European football championship in 1984 , Franz Beckenbauer took over the German team from Jupp Derwall and became vice world champion in 1986 . The tournament in her own country automatically made her one of the favorites. The Federal Republic played the opening game against the Italians in the Düsseldorf Rheinstadion. The relatively young team around Franco Baresi and Giuseppe Bergomi was superior to the German team in this game. Italy were the stronger team from the start and took the lead in the 53rd minute through Roberto Mancini . However, Andreas Brehme was able to equalize three minutes later with a free-kick that was caused by the Italian goalkeeper Walter Zenga holding the ball too long. Despite several chances for Italy, it remained at 1-1. In the second game against Denmark in the Park Stadium in Gelsenkirchen, the Germans were more offensive. They led from the 10th minute through a goal by Jürgen Klinsmann . Schalke Olaf Thon increased his head to 2-0 in the 87th minute. The defeat of Denmark marked the departure of the now outdated Danish football generation around Søren Lerby , Preben Elkjær Larsen and Co. On the last day of the match, the Federal Republic of Germany had to draw at least one draw against Spain in order to reach the semi-finals. Rudi Völler , who had been largely criticized in the tournament so far, scored both goals for a 2-0 victory.
Group 2
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Pl.
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country
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Sp.
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S.
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U
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N |
Gates
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Diff.
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Points
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| 1.
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Soviet Union USSR
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3
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2
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1
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0
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005: 200
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+3
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05: 10
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Netherlands Netherlands
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3
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2
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0
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1
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004: 200
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+2
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04: 20
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Ireland Ireland
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3
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1
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1
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1
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002: 200
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± 0
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03: 30
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| 4th
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England England
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3
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0
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0
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3
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002: 700
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−5
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00: 60
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| June 12, 1988 in Stuttgart (Neckarstadion)
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| England |
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Ireland |
0: 1 (0: 1)
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| June 12, 1988 in Cologne (Müngersdorfer Stadion)
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| Netherlands |
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USSR |
0: 1 (0: 0)
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| June 15, 1988 in Düsseldorf (Rheinstadion)
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| England |
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Netherlands |
1: 3 (0: 1)
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| June 15, 1988 in Hanover (Lower Saxony Stadium)
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| Ireland |
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USSR |
1: 1 (1: 0)
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| June 18, 1988 in Frankfurt (Waldstadion)
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| England |
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USSR |
1: 3 (1: 2)
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| June 18, 1988 in Gelsenkirchen (Parkstadion)
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| Ireland |
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Netherlands |
0: 1 (0: 0)
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The Netherlands, with their strong team around the stars Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten , were considered a secret favorite even before the tournament. The 1974 vice world champion coach Rinus Michels had taken over the team again after failing in the qualifications for the international tournaments since 1980. The USSR presented itself as a technically strong and well-organized team in the first game of the Dutch in Cologne's Müngersdorfer Stadium and defeated the Dutch 1-0 with a long shot from defender Wassili Raz .
Ireland beat their supposedly big rivals England 1-0. Ray Houghton scored the winning goal in the Stuttgart Neckar Stadium in the 6th minute. With coach Jack Charlton , Ireland drew 1-1 with the USSR in Hanover. Before the last game against the Netherlands in Gelsenkirchen, the Irish were missing a point to reach the semi-finals. The Netherlands would have been eliminated from the tournament prematurely. In the 50th minute, Rinus Michels replaced center forward Wim Kieft as an additional attacking force, who headed eight minutes before the end from a suspicious position, the decisive goal for the " Elftal " and thus secured them the semi-finals.
The English selection of coach Bobby Robson with Gary Lineker , Bryan Robson and Glenn Hoddle was eliminated after three defeats in the preliminary round.
Final round
Semifinals
Since the 1974 World Cup final, the German national team have faced rivals Netherlands at irregular intervals . Before the game, the duel between Jürgen Kohler and Marco van Basten was shown to be decisive. First, the Federal Republic of Germany received a penalty from the Romanian referee Igna after a foul on Jürgen Klinsmann . Captain Lothar Matthäus converted this in the 55th minute against the Dutch goalkeeper Hans van Breukelen . After Kohler's action against van Basten, the referee decided on a penalty for the Netherlands. In the 74th minute, Ronald Koeman converted this penalty and thus marked the equalizer. Jan Wouters sent a long pass into the penalty area towards van Basten towards the end of the game, which in the 88th minute marked the 2-1 winning goal for the Netherlands, which meant the Netherlands made it into the final of this European Championship in 1988. The victory sparked a national euphoria in the Netherlands: According to estimates, nine of the then 15 million Dutch people were on the streets afterwards, celebrating.
The USSR was superior to Italy both playfully and tactically. The team of Valeri Lobanovsky won for hits by Hennadij Lytowtschenko (60th minute) and Oleh Protasov (62 minutes) with 2: 0 goals. Italy seemed to have no chance for the entire duration of the game.
final
Netherlands - Soviet Union 2: 0 (1: 0)
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Netherlands
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Soviet Union
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Netherlands
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Soviet Union
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Hans van Breukelen - Ronald Koeman - Berry van Aerle , Frank Rijkaard , Adri van Tiggelen - Gerald Vanenburg , Jan Wouters , Arnold Mühren , Erwin Koeman - Ruud Gullit - Marco van Basten Trainer: Rinus Michels(C)
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Rinat Dassajew - WaGIS Chidijatullin - Anatoliy Demyanenko , Sergei Alejnikov - Hennadij Lytowtschenko , Alexander Sawarow , Alexei Michailitschenko , Sergei Gozmanow (69. Sergei Baltatscha ), Vasyl Rats - Igor Belanow , Oleh Protasov (71 Viktor Pasulko ) Trainer: Valeri Lobanovsky(C)
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 1: 0 Gullit (33.)
2: 0 van Basten (54.)
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 Wouters (37th), van Aerle (50th)
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Belanov (31st), Litovchenko (33rd), Chidijatullin (42nd)
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 van Breukelen saves a penalty from Belanow (58.)
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The final in Munich should not only bring satisfaction for the Netherlands for the lost World Cup final in 1974 in the same stadium, but also the first international title for the "eternal runner-up". The Netherlands took the initiative at the start of the game. The USSR seemed more inhibited than in the semifinals of Stuttgart against Italy. In the 33rd minute, captain Ruud Gullit took the lead with a header. In the 54th minute it came to a climax: The Dutch midfielder Arnold Mühren served with a cross across the field to the center forward Marco van Basten from AC Milan . He shot the volley ball from a relatively acute angle from the right attacking side into the left corner of goalkeeper Rinat Dassajew . This goal is considered to be one of the most beautiful goals of all time. USSR striker Igor Belanov missed several chances; in the 58th minute, Hans van Breukelen held a self-inflicted penalty kick and the Netherlands won the European title.
Honors of the finalists
The European champions
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Netherlands
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Hans van Breukelen
Ronald Koeman
Berry van Aerle , Frank Rijkaard , Adri van Tiggelen
Gerald Vanenburg , Jan Wouters , Arnold Mühren , Erwin Koeman
Ruud Gullit Marco van Basten(C)
Trainer: Rinus Michels
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also : Joop Hiele - Wim Koevermans , Wilbert Suvrijn , Sjaak Troost - Hendrik Krüzen , John van 't Schip , Aron Winter - John Bosman , Wim Kieft
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List of goalscorers (final round)
The top scorers of the entire competition were together with 7 goals each of the Italian Alessandro Altobelli , the Belgian Nico Claesen and the Dutch Marco van Basten .
literature
Web links
Individual evidence
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^ Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation: Four Nations Tournament (West Berlin, West Germany 1988)
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↑ Germany - Italy 1: 1 faz.net June 26, 2012
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↑ Henk van Houtum and Frank van Dam: Topophilia or Topoporno? Patriotic Place Attachment in International Football Derbies In: International Social Science Review, Vol. 3 (2) 2002: 231-248
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↑ In fussball.de the number of spectators is given as 47,400.
BR Germany
yellow cards
1: 0 Gullit (33.) 
van Breukelen saves a penalty from Belanow (58.)
