1960: THE JOURNEY BEGINS

1960 EUROPEAN NATION'S CUP FINAL

FRANCE 

PARC DES PRINCES, PARIS

USSR 2-1 YUGOSLAVIA

Travel back in time as we take a look at the history of the European Championships, following the tournament's development into the third highest-profile event in the sporting world. Our first destination is 1960, with the final four descending on France to decide the inaugural winners. 

The European Championships, along with the World Cup and modern Olympic Games, were the brainchild of a Frenchman. Henri Delaunay's sterling work in getting the tournament off the ground was recognised in the naming of the trophy after the great man.

Just four teams arrived in France for the inaugural 'European Nations' Cup' in 1960, with the previous rounds decided in home and away legs.
Some of the great names of world football were missing, including England and Italy, but with a fired-up France and a Soviet Union team at the peak of their powers a superb tournament was assured.

The hosts were missing star forwards Just Fontaine and Raymond Kopa, but had no trouble finding the net, storming into a 4-2 lead in their semi-final with Yugoslavia.

But the Balkan nation mounted a sensational comebacks, netting three times in the last 15 minutes to stun a packed Parc des Princes and reach the final.

'BLACK PANTHER' BACKS UP SOVIET POWER PLAY
Meanwhile, Gavril Kachalin's powerful Soviets out muscled a skilful Czechoslovakia, whose star player Josef Masopust had a tough evening.

With Igor Netto dictating the play, the Soviets were too good, cruising home by three goals to nil.

Faced with legendary goalkeeper Lev Yashin: the 'Black Panther', the Yugoslavs failed to conjure another goal-scoring bonanza in the final .
On a cold and rainy evening in Paris, Yashin pulled off a number of heroic saves as the sides played out a hard-fought encounter.
With the sides still locked at 1-1 after 113 minutes, Soviet striker Viktor Ponedelnik made himself a hero.

Meshki delivered a pinpoint cross and the striker headed emphatically home to seal his country's only major footballing crown.